Chapter 11 Knocking On Death's Door

Something is terribly wrong. Edward knows best not to interrupt me while I am in the confinement of my room. And to barge in while he knows I am with Anastasia is even more out of the ordinary for him.

I quickly rush to dress myself. I turn over to face Anastasia that is startled just as much as I am. "My love, please wait here while I go attend to this matter."

"I am coming with you." she protests while gathering her clothes from the floor. "Just give me a second to get dressed."

"You will remain here, please," I insist. "I am not sure if there is any danger. I shall be back as soon as I can."

"Promise me you will call for me if you are in trouble?", she takes my hand and rests it against her chest.

"I will request your presence if need be," I assure her. "Now please get back underneath the covers, you still need to get some rest."

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my love?"

She looks at me with genuine concern in her eyes, "Please be careful."

"I always am my love," I reassure her as best as I can. "I shall return shortly."

I lay a gentle kiss upon her forehead and make sure to cover her underneath the sheets. I make my leave and head on down to where Edward has requested my presence.

I am met by two very unfamiliar faces as I enter the common room. Their faces might not be familiar, but their smell clearly places their nature. This indeed does spell trouble.

"Sebastian," Edward announces my entrance. "Thank you for coming so soon."

"We have two…guests…" Lilith hesitates as she speaks. "They have…demanded…to have a word."

"Do excuse my ignorance," I say passing them to join Edward and Lilith by their side. "Who might you be that you believe that you may demand my time?"

"Mr Belmont," the blonde woman says as she addresses me. "I am Catarina, and this here is my brother, Louis."

"Pleasure to make the acquaintance Sir," the man with the messy hair and dead dark voice says as he reaches to greet me.

I refuse to take his hand and continue to speak, "Likewise, now what is it that I may do for you both?"

"Well Mr Belmont, or may I call you Sebastian?" she asks.

"Mr Belmont is just fine," I brush off her boldness as to ask to be called by my name.

"Well," she carries onto speak. "We are from the Blood Rose pack."

"Yes Catarina, I am fully aware of what you are," I claim getting somewhat annoyed by her presence. "In over two hundred years I have not managed to lose my sense of smell."

"Then you will also know…"

I interrupt her, "Yes that your dear brother, Louis is indeed a hybrid. But do entertain me and explain since when does hybrids and wolves live together?"

"See," she explains. "We took Louis and his brother in after your big…extermination and they have become part of the pack."

"And tell me Louis," I ask.

"Yes Sir".

"Who might your brother be," knowing full well whom they are talking about.

"If I may be so frank Sir," he asks.

"By all means do," my voice raises as their presence are now irritating me. "Why not get all the formalities away and let us get straight to the point?"

"My brother, James, he starts. "James is the one you had so elegantly thrown away for dead."

"Well my dear Louis, your dear brother James had his claws around my beloved's neck," my explanation is short and brief to him. "He had left me with no other choice," I claim.

"But I do disagree Sir, you did not give him warning to stand down," he raises his voice as he snaps back at my statement.

"Son," I politely say. "We, me and Edward gave your brother fair warning and he refused to back down. Your brother sadly received what he deserved."

"Now there is the problem," the woman speaks again. "You, Mr Belmont, know the has been peace declared between our kinds for over two hundred years here in London. You, Sir, have gone and broken that."

"Well what is it that you want then?" I ask. "Declare peace and move on? Somehow I do not think that it is the reason why you have come here."

"We want the girl," she boldly claims.

"I beg your pardon Catarina, but I am unclear on what I just heard," my voice have turn aggressive. "You said you want the girl," I ask.

"Yes, we want the girl. You have taken one of our own. Our brother would have never tried taking the girl if she did not bare your mark which makes me believe that she had not turned, and you have not intention to do so."

"My dear, my intention with the girl is none of your concern," I move to stand my ground. "And they only way you will lay your hands on her is if I was dead. Now best you run along, and refrain from ever setting your paws in my home and demand anything."

"I am afraid Mr Belmont, me and the others are not leaving unless we have the girl," she states.

Edward intrigued by the woman's statement, speaks, "What do you means others," he asks. "Have you brought company on our property without our consent or knowledge."

"Sir Edward," the man addresses him. "If you would look outside you will see they are not on your property but will be if we require them to do so."

"This is outrages. Are you truly bringing a battle to my doorstop?" my voice demands as I ask of him.

"We are only seeking justice, Mr Belmont," the woman raising her own voice says.

"You do not know what…" my words are stopped mid-sentence for I hear two tiny footsteps coming down the hallway. It is my dear Anastasia. She is walking straight into the trouble that is being unfold. She is in danger and from where I am standing there is no way that I can save her.

I try to get the attention of either Edward or Lilith, but both are firmly standing their ground to protect me. The footsteps are getting closer and closer. Edward who has caught onto her scent moves closer to the doorway. Chaos is about to abrupt.

"Edward go!" I yell.

"Not so fast!" the hybrid uses his skill of a vampire to move lightning fast and his flexibility as a wolf to block off Edward's passage to the doorway. But Edward is one faster and kicks the mut to the side.

"I will get her brother!" Lilith shouts.

"Oh no you don't," there is a screeching of nails against the marble floor as the wolf morphs into her true form. Is she was not such a vile creature, I would have admired her fur that is a brilliant shade of white. And that is as far as it goes. Her growling mouth and godawful teeth is snapping at Lilith's feet.

"What…" there is shock and pure pale terrified horror on Anastasia's face as she turns the corner. If yesterday was the first time she saw a vampire, then today is the first she is seeing a wolf.

"OH MY GOD!!!" she screams at a pitch high enough to break a mirror. She has made eye contact with the wolf and from the hysterics in her voice I just know she is experiencing true terror.

"Sebastian!" she screams after me and all I feel is true helplessness. Between us in the middle is a scuffle of vampire, wolf, and hybrid. Edward seeing the agony on my face pushes his efforts harder and manages to get the mut out of the way. Leaving enough room to get to Anastasia.

But before I can get to her the hybrid manages to stand again and heads straight for Anastasia. That feeling I feel for her consumes me and by the most incredible power, I grab the mut by the throat and lift his body in the air.

"STOP OR HE DIES!"

The scuffle between Lilith and the wolf settles and they break apart. The wolf morphs back into her human form, standing bare naked in front all in the room. But her vulnerability does not make her authority waver.

"Drop him!" she demands.

"Tell him to back down or he dies!" my grip around his throat tightens.

"Drop him!" she demands again.

"Back down!" my grip around his throat tightens more.

"Louis back down," she asks of her brother.

I drop the mut and he goes to seek the safety of his wolf sister. The room calms but the tension and aggression are still fueled in the air. I move closer to my Anastasia where she is hiding behind the shield of a chair.

"Come my love," I reach out my hand and she hesitantly take it. I feel her body shaking from the shock, that the poor girl did not faint shows me how much of a strong woman she is. I wrap my are around her waist and pull her into the safety of my body.

"Now, you will leave," my voice is firm and demanding as I speak. "And do not make the mistake to over return. We shall remain in treaty with your pack, but the hybrids need to go!"

"Mr Belmont," the woman says. "I am afraid that is not going to happen. We came for the girl and we shall take her."

"Maybe you have some fur stuck in your ear! I said no!" my voice growls as I speak.

"Well you leave us with no other choice then," she turns to look to her hybrid brother.

There is a loud bang as another wolf comes morphing through the front door. A glass shatters as a bunch of black fur come crashing through the window. There are five wolves and a hybrid in the common room, we are three vampires and a human…we are outnumbered.