Frostbite- Lady Dimitrescu x OC

Waiting/ Hunted

        The next few days went by in a blur, and I'm not certain if it had been six days, or seven, but each day brought more and more anxiety down upon me, as we all waited for the soldiers and hunters in the village to try and make a move. The longer we waited, the more terrified I became, wondering if those days would be the last I would get to spend with Alcina and my family, and though she tried her best to calm me, Alcina also seemed to be fearful, though that was more likely concern for her daughters' and my well-being than her own, or her siblings'. I just couldn't understand it at all- If Ethan Winters had gotten his daughter back, then what was keeping him here? Why couldn't he just leave us in peace?

         I was thinking about these things as I paced back and forth nervously in Alcina's bedroom on that final day, her golden eyes watching me worriedly, as if I might break down into hysterics at any moment, and I couldn't blame her, feeling myself on the very edge of losing my composure, my heart racing wildly in my chest. I knew she could hear every skip of it as every small noise nearly sent me racing for my weapons, but she didn't ask me about it, which I was grateful for. I had always been frightened of loud noises, after the horrid things my father did to me, but it seemed to get worse with the knowledge that I was no longer the predator, but the prey itself, and to mere humans, no less.

         I flinched, nearly leaping out of my skin, as Alcina's fingers gently laced with mine, her hand gripping mine tightly, though not to where it hurt. "Darling, you'll make yourself sick this way. I understand that you are worried, as am I, but at least worry on the bed beside me, so that I can hold you in my arms." I melted a bit at that, and threw myself onto the bed beside her, snuggling against her side, and pressed my lips gently to her neck, and then her jaw. "I apologize, my love. I can't help but worry.. After all, it is my family that is in danger. I'm not so worried about myself being hunted, as I am worried about you and the others, Alcina.. It's the waiting that kills me. The longer it takes them to act, the more I feel like an animal trapped inside a cage with no escape."

        She sighed, her fingers softly sliding through my hair, and I closed my eyes, as her lips firmly pressed against my forehead. "I know, my Snow Angel. You wish to keep everyone safe, but you don't seem to understand that you won't be fighting this battle alone.. My siblings and I are far from powerless, and they will tell you the same thing I am about to tell you if you ask; Do not risk your life for theirs, but protect yourself. You are important to all of us, and just as you wish to protect us, we want you to survive. We will do everything in our power to make certain those foolish mortals learn a valuable lesson about hunting the Lords of this realm, and the ones they hold dear. Mother Miranda is likely aware of the situation, but she will not interfere, rather trusting us to handle the situation ourselves. That is the way it has always been.."

We both fell silent, merely taking comfort in each other's warmth, wanting to enjoy the presence of one another, should the worst happen in the future, and due to said silence, I was able to hear the faintest of sounds, one I knew very well, and rolled over on top of Alcina, her face showing confusion, then fear, as she watched my blood drip down onto her dress, the arrow meant for her heart now piercing my right shoulder. I heard the faint sound of the bowstring being drawn back yet again, and did my best to roll both of us onto the floor, though another arrow pierced my flesh on the other side, narrowly missing my own heart. My wounds stung, but not very much, and I felt Alcina's chest rise and fall rapidly with frightened breaths, as her fingers gently touched the arrowheads poking out of my skin.

She whispered, "You're wounded, my love", tears forming in her eyes, and I grimaced, shaking my head, before ripping the arrows out. "Merely flesh wounds, darling. They will heal quickly- We need to make sure your daughters and Donna are alright. The hunters seem to have planned a surprise attack for us, and had I not known the sound of a bow being strung, I would've lost you." That thought terrified me more than anything else, but I didn't have time to think about it, as the sounds of glass shattering sounded on the other side of the bed. I peered underneath it to see a pair of boots, and the faint sound of a shotgun being cocked echoed through the room. I glanced at the one I loved so dearly, and whispered, "Go. Protect your family.. I'll deal with this hunter." Alcina shook her head, and I pressed my lips against hers hurriedly. "You must, Alcina. They need you. Now go!"

I shoved her a little, and saw tears slide down her face, before she hurried away, the sounds of weapons firing and screams reaching my ears from the courtyard, the stench of blood strong in the air, though from where I was, I was unable to tell who it belonged to. The hunter nearby clearly saw Alcina run off, as his hurried footsteps raced in my direction, and I waited for the perfect moment, leaping onto him when he was right in front of me, and tried to sink my fangs into his throat. I hadn't expected him to be as well trained as he was, the butt of his shotgun slamming into my head hard, knocking me onto the floor, the room seeming to spin around me, and I barely managed to get back on my feet, before he swung at me with a knife.

He was almost as fast as I was, coming at me quickly, his knife and fists a blur, some of his strikes connecting painfully with my skin, and it didn't help that the area he had struck on my head was causing blood to drip down into my eyes, blurring my vision. I was still much quicker and stronger than he was, however, and when he made the mistake of striking at my heart, I dodged to the side, grabbed his wrist, and easily broke it, the bones sticking out of his skin, blood spraying into the air in a crimson rain, his screams like music to my ears.

I smiled down at him, and wrapped one hand around his throat, lifting him into the air, feeling satisfaction as he begged for mercy. "Please- Please, don't. I was only following orders!" It was the first time since I had been turned that I realized how powerful the feeling of someone begging for their life truly was, and began understanding why Alcina and the others always seemed so excited when they killed, though the power I felt frightened me a bit. I tilted my head, looking up at the man, and felt my smile fade, as I remembered the reason he was there. "You came here to kill Alcina. You came here to kill me. You and your hunter friends are attacking my family! Do you really think I would just let you go? You are more of a fool than I thought, then."

I clenched my fist around his throat, feeling the bones snap and grind beneath my fingers, the feeling rather satisfying, then closed my eyes, as I tore his head off his shoulders, his warm blood spraying into my face, and all over my clothes, his body hitting the floor with a dull thud. I dropped his head, and opened my eyes again, knowing that I had no time to spare to relish my kill, the smell of blood getting even thicker in the air, familiar grunts and groans of pain causing me to snatch my weapons, my feet racing downstairs. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight I found, Alcina and the other Lords fighting valiantly against hordes of men, most with weapons, though she and the others seemed to be tiring the longer they fought, blood dripping from various cuts and wounds on their bodies, and even Angie was bent and damaged a bit.

I saw a familiar face in the horde, and my blood boiled red hot, Ethan Winters gazing up at me emotionlessly, before he seemed to disappear. As a shot rang out over the others, I saw Alcina flinch, red spreading across her shoulder from the fresh bullet wound, and I saw her fall. Though I knew it hadn't killed her, something inside of me snapped at seeing the woman I loved fall to the ground so painfully, injured and clearly frightened, and the next thing I knew, I was seeing red, just as I had that day I had murdered all those men. Red all around me, red inside of my very soul, and red spraying into the air, as I seemed to drown in it, everything going quiet and still around me, nothing but red burning itself inside my brain..