Disclaimer: Underworld and it's characters are not mine, just being used here for my own entertainment, don't sue I'm so poor it's not even worth it.

Chapter One

A SHELTER

Selene."

He spoke her name so delicately almost coaxing, trying to pull her from the deep, cold recesses of her mind. He uttered her name with that voice of his she would never confess made her shudder, as it was the perfect combination of strength and sensitivity. Always he expressed such gentle concern that came so easily to him, with just a hint of need for explanation and then there was something else in his voice too...

An emotion so alien, it evoked a pleasant sensation in her insides. A warm tingly sensation that almost tickled, faint but there.

Despite her back to him, Michael had noticed the softening of her resolve, as her posture became that of a delicate young woman, not the feral and firm body a warrior.

"Selene!"

A child's voice of two hundred years past, that voice contained the same kind of emotion as Michael's struck her…

The memory jolted her--

She turned with a hard glare that was almost cold. "We need to keep moving."

Michael gave a small nod of understanding and said nothing more.

Her combat boots and the softer footfalls of her hybrid companion on the crumbling stone echoed through the ruins that was only minutes before a great battle field but now served as a tomb to Vampires and Lycans alike this night.

The stillness of the night was only a false assurance of safety. She knew all too well her kind, especially those of her kind who were Death Dealers; despite heavy losses, they would regroup and attack once more. This time she would be the target.

She and Michael.

Selene reloaded her last weapon, a magnum, scanning the darkened corridors of the ruined den.

Nights of this kind were similar to her. Sometimes on long dangerous nights of hunting lycans she would find herself left with only one gun leading to safety another Death Dealer without, or even outnumbered alone. Just like this night, she would scan deceptively dark corridors for sneak attacks with her highly sensitive hearing. Nights like this night she would cut her losses and run. Nights like this she would coldly kill dozens of lycans a night. Hundreds of times before like this only…

All of it was a lie.

They reached the upper level into the night that was waning, the sky a pale blue. It would be day in less than four hours. Not much time to hide.

Without weapons and a plan, hiding was all she and Michael could do for the present moment.

Upon reaching the car, she took a final scan of the empty street, her weapon raised. Whipping the keys from the waistband of her uniform, she started the car. In an instant, the tires screamed before speeding away.

She had been too focused on her own thoughts to really notice Michael. She could not help it now that they were so close in proximity, now that the rain did not cloud his scent, that scent of both vampire and lycan in his blood.

She took a moment to glance in his direction.

He sat with his glance downward, in quiet thought. His dirty blonde hair was in matted locks and his chest was bare. He shivered like the dog he at least partially was, suppressing the urge to give a dog-like shake that she had observed lycans commonly did when coming out of the rain.

He still said nothing.

Michael felt her stare and looked back at her face usually void of expression, this time there was a tinge of something new he perceived as…concern.

Confirming his theory the raven-haired Death Dealer reached over flicking on the heater.

Within minutes, he was no longer shivering.

Before he could give his thanks Selene spoke as she stared on into the rainy night.

"We've only three and a half hours before daylight then I must rest, there is a safe house I know of in the countryside. We will rest there until nightfall."

"And then?" Michael questioned gently.

For a moment she didn't answer, then her frown deepened. "I don't know."

It was uttered so quietly even with his Lycan and Vampire hearing he almost did not hear it.

You can't run forever, she reminded herself.

As was often the case when she gave in to looking at him, she was unable to stop sneaking in glances.

Michael was tenderly rubbing the left side of his neck wincing at the deepness of the wound she herself had inflicted.

Why shouldn't he? He had suffered twice the painful as well as pleasurable bite of an immortal; he was bound to be a bit sore. Most likely, he would also suffer some sickness as his body adjusted to the immortal viruses.

A wave rushed over her senses, a wave of bloodlust in catching the scent of his blood, blood sweeter than any she had ever tasted before. She had to clinch her teeth together to avoid drooling. Her knuckles gripping tightly to the steering wheel to avoid taking him once more.

She hoped he had not noticed her eyes, the unmistakable artic blue color she felt coming as her thoughts and sense of smell gave rise to her bloodlust.

Never had she felt bloodlust grip her the way Michael's presence had, nor passion and that completely new even nicer sensation she could not yet give a name. His flowing blood was not making the situation any better, trickling from the quickly healing wound.

A diet of cloned blood suddenly seemed so bland and tasteless. Selene was enslaved after one taste of Michael; she hated the feeling, the unfamiliarity of powerlessness and want. An animalistic, primal want.

It scared her.

Perhaps that was why the elders had made it a rule to not feed of those living, it made sense. Perhaps the sensation of bliss scared too, Amelia, Markus and Viktor.

Viktor.

Selene gave a sharp hiss with bared fangs at the thought of her sire.

"Are you all right?" Michael couldn't help but ask her.

Selene turned, her light blue irises returning with much willpower to normal. "I am fine Michael." Her tone was not as harsh as usual. "Relax."

Liar, she thought. You will never be fine, not after slaying Viktor.

The hypocrite. The lying, conniving bastard. User.

The moment her blade pierced him she felt neither remorse nor sorrow, it was not until she looked on at his corpse the grief of loss took her.

Her heart was heavy and aching, she hated the feeling of pain there in her heart, everywhere else was familiar and would heal. The intensity of this feeling in her heart hurt like nothing she had ever felt before…

Any feeling there at all was bewildering…

It was why she fought so strongly the tug at her heart Michael's presence had awakened, it felt so good it was painful.

Selene took a sharp left off the main road hours later and into the narrow lane of a darkened forest. She stole another glance at Michael; he faced the window staring out wistfully. He didn't seem at all fidgety considering the speed of which she was driving and his near-death experience with Selene only nights ago, he had obviously retired into his own thoughts.

When their eyes had first met that funny feeling had occurred, springing into her heart and jolting her.

He had stared back curiously and almost boldly with wet dirty blonde locks and earnest blue eyes before she broke the spell.

She would never admit to him how she had felt looking into those eyes the first time, she had wanted him, wanted to touch him, taste him when she saw him and it scared her.

Upon awakening on the damp shore after the car accident and finding he had saved her, her heart was filled with an ever stronger need for him. To protect the only kind and sincere creature she had ever met since her years as a vampire.

"Oh god you're going to try to turn him aren't you?" Erika had said.

"Of course not," she almost snapped.

She wondered all of the time if that reply had been true. She remembered the urge to walk to the door and lock it, as the vampire ritual was a private matter, take him into her embrace and drink of him, with such savored slowness she hoped it lasted hours. She has hoped he would cry out, whimper and go limp with heaving gasps as her fangs latched to him and her tongue caressed the spurting blood of his wound.

She wanted to take him as her mate after all he had proved worthy. Yes, to her heart he was definitely worthy.

Instead, she came close to blowing his head off with her pistol as he slept for making her feel such a way.

It was the weak side of her that had wanted, needed him so badly, a side she would be damned if anyone saw.

Her cold heart fought it for days until she had dared find a way to distract him in her effort to contain him in the safe house.

It had been a short chaste kiss but her blood had rushed with such fire she almost reached for more. More terrifying than before was the scent of lycan in his skin, the same as other lycans but very different as well, and the intoxication it evoked when once the scent of lycan had brought disgust to her.

"Wait a minute, you're infatuated with him aren't you?"

She had been lying to Kraven just as much as she had been lying to herself.

And lying still now, she reminded herself. Trying to lie to everyone.

It would be harder to lie to Michael now, seeing as though only hours ago upon his rescue she had yielded to his kiss without hesitation. (Underworld Extended Edition) A kiss that spoke of repressed need, his mouth and tongue expertly skillful, soft and gentle but on the edge of passionate, urging her to join and she readily complied.

They came to a stop hours later on the darkened road to Michael's surprise at a mansion. This one unlike Ordoghaz was smaller and more modest in appearance, no fancy gates and surrounded, oddly, by a field of wildflowers.

Selene gathered her keys and last weapon and exited the car with Michael close behind. He noticed Selene visibly flinch at the approaching day as she made her way up the dirt path.

Once inside the mansion the former Death Dealer did not stop her footsteps. She passed the grand staircase, to the door beneath it. She locked it behind them and they descended the concrete steps, once down she opened another door, this one on her immediate right. A small kitchen greeted them filled with modest appliances, dim light, and one fridge. Yanking open the fridge Selene began her hunt and Michael simply watched with curiosity.

He soon found himself sitting. He was tired now and weak, his head spinning so much he was sure he would soon pass out from it.

Selene heard his shallow gasps of air and watched his eyes fighting to stay open, to stay human. It was as she suspected. Michael would need to feed soon and much as he tried to fight the taste of raw flesh and blood, he would succumb and very soon.

She shuddered inside knowing if Michael's lycan instinct for food took over in its most primal state she might end up his dinner.

"Michael," she called sitting next to him.

His head raised to her voice, his eyes trying to recall their blue color, his muscles taut resisting the beast trying to break out to hunt.

She gripped him by his chin, careful to be gentle, to get a better look into his eyes. They were half-lidded but not fully dilated, it was a good sign.

"You must feed," she told him.

His gaze drifted listlessly from her to the packets of blood she had placed upon the tabletop. There were as least five of them, he could not be sure, his eyes were beginning to cloud in his insane hunger and fatigue.

"Selene, what's happening to me? Why am I feeling—

He didn't finish, she had punctured a blood bag with her teeth impatiently and the scent made him swoon and nearly pass out.

She began pouring the liquid into a glass she had sat next to him. "You've been a lycan for four days now." She tossed aside the first and began draining the second bag into the glass. "Lycans, the younger ones and those newly turned should feed every night. You have not feed that whole time and between losing your blood to bullet wounds and the blood draws from Lucian I'm amazed you are still conscious." A third and fourth was added. "Now that you are half-vampire…you are now feeling twice the effect of hunger."

Selene handed Michael the glass and he reluctantly swallowed despite its unpleasant coldness. He quickly swallowed down the liquid in his starved need not caring about the rivulets of blood trickling down his skin.

As he drank, Selene finished preparing his next one, which thanks to his hybrid hunger did not make him hesitate to drink on.

She watched his eyes blacken and close relishing the much-needed sustenance; she was fascinated to be honest hearing the little growls and purrs he emitted in his pleasure.

When he finished Selene gently pulled the glass from his hands and watched his eyes return to their normal blue color. His long straight locks of hair hung over his face and Selene much to her annoyance longed to stroke his hair and soothe him.

However, she folded her arms and watched him with her usual piercing gaze. "How do you feel?"

Michael simply nodded and quietly answered. "I'm all right. Thank you."

He felt a million times better and strong, but also shamed in his actions.

The hybrid began to wipe the blood from his face and neck, but his hand was intercepted by Selene's.

He looked up startled that she was touching him. She held a small wet cloth in her hand and began to gently wipe the blood from his face.

"You need not be ashamed of your hybrid nature Michael. It hungered and was satisfied in perhaps the most human way possible."

"Will it always fight me that way for—

"Control?" she finished. "We are always in battle against our animalistic nature and instincts, sometimes rationality wins, sometimes the animal does." She had moved to wipe the blood from his bleeding throat, dabbing gently. "When the animal does it is often unavoidable. You can be assured however these changes will mostly aid you when used with rationality, humanity only gets in the way. Be still."

Selene moved from her chair to her knees between his legs to better assess him for more injuries, traveling from arms to shoulder to his abdomen.

Her expression was steely, in complete contrast to her touch, which he was relaxing into as she searched his skin for bullets, feeling for embedded weapons with brief touches, massages of her fingertips to make sure.

To Michael it was a pleasurably sensation, she looked at though this were purely methodical and gave no sign of an emotional connection to her care of him.

"In battle or life in general?" he could not help but ask.

Selene scowled, suddenly releasing him. "You know what I mean."

He didn't know what she meant and neither did she really. Sometimes she really hated his questions.

She stood taking her coat off, giving Michael an eyeful of her graceful womanly shape, and a jolt of desire struck him like lightning.

"I'm going upstairs to rest, I will awaken at sunset, till then do not leave this house."

He watched her go resisting the urge to follow her. She would not tolerate his presence at the current moment he was sure about that.