Split in Time Ch. 10

"Did you ever stop to wonder why?" Vlha asked, "Why there is only one of me... why none of those I turned came close to what I am. I was born this way, my genes make me this way, I am like them or should I say they are like me." He said gesturing to Destiny and Crystal. "Something in their genetics makes them this way; it cannot be passed from person to person."

"We have turned many," Judas argued, "only those two are like you, I've looked into their genetics, I haven't found similar genes."

"You do not know all there is to know." Vlha responded. "No one bar the gods know." He glared at Judas, "perhaps I should not have released you," he began, "but then I would not have met Destiny and Crystal. For them I will forgive you for incarcerating me for almost three millennia but I doubt they will forgive you for screwing their lives up all on idealistic views. You are the way you are... stop trying to fix yourself and make yourself better and live with what was given." He let his eyes roam over the other vampires but they closed their eyes and bowed their heads slightly, they did not share Judas's view.

Vlha turned to Amy as he could tell she wielded a lot of power here, even without Destiny's scary memories of the beast the little woman turned into or her deadly dance with a sword. "I believe the masters will agree that his death is necessary."

There were many nods from those assembled not just the Vampire masters.

Amy glanced around Vlha to meet Crystal's eyes, "how would you like this handled?"

Crystal glanced to Destiny then back to Amy, "get it over with, stake him out like I promised I would do if he fucked with me again."

Amy glanced to the other Masters. "Acceptable?" She asked them.

Arianna glanced to Judas, "I would prefer a more... fitting punishment... like say... a marble coffin in an abyss for three millennia before staking him out."

"I forgave him." Vlha pointed out taking that option out.

"True... staking him out should be fine then." She compromised.

Amy nodded and Judas suddenly vanished to a room in the temple with no doors or windows. "Vlha, Destiny, Crystal and I will take care of it tonight and wake you early if you wish to watch."

Amy glanced around but everyone started to disperse back to what they were doing. Vlha lifted the pitcher he clutched to his chest and took a drink. He frowned, "since when has blood come in pitchers?" he asked confused before he suddenly knew why, "forget I asked that." he told Destiny who chuckled.

"I've missed you." She told him honestly.

He grinned, "of course you've missed me... I make you and Crystal look tame."

Crystal rested a hand on Destiny's shoulder. "How do you want to do this, I can release you if you like."

Destiny shook her head, "please don't... you're the closest thing I have to a family." She told Crystal with tears forming in her eyes. Her life had just been turned on its head and although she was beyond the need for a Master, she had never felt a part of anything, not even the conclave. She wanted to belong somewhere, to someone.

"Think about this seriously, my life... I live with Were for starters, I take orders from a wolf and whatever she is." She said pointing to Amy who just grinned in amusement. "That will be your life."

"It doesn't seem like a bad thing. If the pack can accept you they may be able to accept me." Destiny said stating her opinion and her decision at the same time. She didn't want to be released she just wanted to try.

"And me if Amy and Wolfgang will allow it." Vlha said, "I think I want to try a different lifestyle, something similar to the life style I lived before I learnt what I truly was."

"Were life isn't that much different from Vampire." Destiny corrected, she had read everything Amy had given her and had been surprised by just how similar they were.

"I know," he told them. "But even Were life has changed since I was last around, like them all getting along for starters."

"Well if you are going to petition Wolfgang for a place you better clean up." Amy told him, "and you better come up with a way to show him you won't be a threat to his human members." She warned.

"Let me show you a room." Vivian said.

"Mind if I keep a hold of this?" Vlha asked gesturing to the pitcher cradled to his chest.

"No by all means drink as much blood as you like as often as you like so long as it isn't from a living source. You may be a true immortal but Amy may come up with a way to make you truly dead if you push her." Vivian warned, to which Vlha just chuckled.

"No... don't laugh... she isn't kidding!" Destiny said mortified as she followed Vlha and Vivian.

****

"NO..." Wolfgang growled as he paced before Amy, he had missed the entire scene with Judas as he had been spending some quality time getting to know Sage in a battle ring.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"He is a Vampire!" He stated. "No..." he corrected quickly, "He is THE Vampire."

"So... so are Crystal and Destiny, yet you can accept them." she stated.

"That's different..."

"Why?" she asked.

"Crystal proved she can live with a pack and be trusted by a pack, Destiny is her... what do you call it?" He asked.

"Junior..." she answered.

He stopped pacing, "how do you call a three thousand year old vampire Junior?"

She thought for a moment and agreed with him, "Okay... daughter then."

He nodded, "Destiny is her daughter, bound to obey her. Vlha is a wild card; he has no tie to Destiny or Crystal except that they are similarly weird vampires." He argued.

"I like Vlha. I think he is a good person, much like I thought Destiny was a good person and Crystal was." She told him. "You might be surprised by him, at least give him a chance, he is willing to be one of your members, bound by his own honour to obey you. That says a lot about a person's character Wolfgang."

He paced a little before Amy but he knew there was little he could truly do, Vlha could just hang around, at least if he was bound Wolfgang would feel a little easier about it. "I will let him plead his case but I make no promises." He told her.

"Good, because here they come."

"They?" he questioned and turned as a door opened and Crystal and Destiny walked in with Vlha. He was much transformed after having a bath and in a new change of clothes. He had chosen simple clothes, jeans, shirt and sturdy boots. Now that he was tidied up his age was easier to guess at, that he became a vampire at about eighteen or nineteen.

"Just out of curiosity... how did you become a vampire if you were the first?" Amy asked.

"That's the thing... I'm not a true vampire, not the vampires you know and are used to." Vlha said he gestured to a chair asking permission to sit. Amy nodded and silently told Wolfgang to park it.

"How so?" Wolfgang asked after he sat, trying to show interest.

"I was born this way." Vlha answered before he turned to Amy making a decision. "Remember I said that I knew vampire life and Were life wasn't that different." he asked.

Amy nodded and awareness dawned in her eyes. "You were born into a Were pack, but a genetic difference made you a Vampire instead of a Were." She stated and got a nod from Vlha. There was a knock on the door before Ghan and Keira walked in.

Vlha smiled a little at Ghan, but was wary of him at the same time.

Ghan let his eyes roam of Vlha for a moment before he turned his attention to Wolfgang, "I would like to speak in favour of Vlha."

"Why?" Wolfgang asked a little confused, he was also wondering why so many were willing to vouch for a Vampire... no THE Vampire, the first of his kind.

"He is my litter mate, my brother." Ghan explained.

The room went silent; no one knew how to process that. Amy's conclusion that he had been born Were hadn't shocked them all that much as there were too many similarities between the two races to simply be coincidence. But that Ghan and Vlha were siblings, which had them all stunned including Vlha as he was used to thinking that his brother would never claim him as kin.

Ghan turned to his brother, "if you had just waited, two weeks, I would have let you stay, I would have fought to keep you... I searched for you." He explained a little of his emotions from the time coming forward.

Vlha closed his eyes, "I'm sorry I thought I was doing what was best for the pack."

"Fuck the pack..." Ghan stated, "You are my brother that makes you as important to me as my mate."

"Ah shit..." Wolfgang said, defeated, as Amy bounced beside him.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"Wolfgang never breaks up families if he can help it. Welcome to the pack Vlha." Amy said amused. "See he had to accept Destiny because she is Crystal's daughter..."

"Huh!" Crystal and Destiny said together.

Amy gave them an amused look, "we couldn't wrap our minds around calling a three thousand year old vampire Junior since you refuse to be released. So we decided daughter was a more fitting term."

Destiny and Crystal both nodded as that did make sense. Most Juniors were released from their Maker's influence after a few hundred years. There had never been a Maker/Junior relationship that was still in effect thousands of years after rebirth, which meant that they would have to come up with a more fitting term. But for now Daughter seemed a better term then Junior, especially since technically Destiny was a Master.

"That's why he accepted you instantly, you have a kin tie, so does Vlha since Ghan is willing to claim it." Amy finished.

"There will be a backlash... vampires don't like to think of themselves related to Were, even though Vlha had told them as much when he turned the first masters." Destiny stated.

"They'll get over it, or they had better, too long they have clung to the notion they are above everything, it's time they stopped and joined us." Amy told the room. "Figuratively speaking that is..." she added and got chuckles as most Were wouldn't want to live with Vampires.

"Vlha I would like to introduce you to my mate, this is Keira. Keira this is my brother Vlha." Ghan said needing no prodding to get his mate to approach his brother and take his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, sadly Ghan has only told me little bits about you but that's okay, I would much rather get to know you myself." Keira said with a smile.

"I would like that." Vlha answered.

Amy tapped her chin as she thought, "can I get flesh samples from each of you?" She asked Vlha, Crystal and Destiny. "I have a theory that I would like to test." She explained.

"You think there may be a genetic similarity between us." Destiny asked.

"Maybe," Amy answered.

"Judas wasn't lying he tried that avenue." Vlha stated.

"Ah but he didn't have access to the Ancient labs. We have technology which surpasses anything he has managed to lay his hands on. We also have access to DNA profiles of every race and access to genetic knowledge which surpasses everything he thinks he knows." She thought for a moment, "oh and if possible a little of your venom, I have another theory about that too."

"Care to share?" Crystal asked.

"Not yet." Amy answered.

Wolfgang focused on Vlha, "hunting of humans in my territory is forbidden." He warned firmly.

Vlha nodded, "that's fine, human blood has never really appealed to me, I am used to hunting animals."

Amy frowned, "so what were you drinking earlier?"

"Elk blood, it was the first pitcher Vivian could lay her hands on. Since I showed no inclination of disgust she just kept it coming." Vlha explained. "Mind you in the state that I was in I would have drunk whatever blood was on offer regardless of whether it appealed to me or not." He turned directly to Wolfgang, "regardless, the humans in your territory whether they be friend or foe are safe from me. I give my word. I will not take blood unless offered and only in the direst of circumstances, I believe it is the same oath Crystal gave Ghan although she was pulling a face at the mere thought of drinking human blood as it truly does disgust her."

Wolfgang nodded, "welcome to the pack." He said with a smile, he could see himself liking Vlha a lot.

I...

Don't even say it... he said cutting into Amy's I told you so.

****

Amy found Destiny shortly after dinner in one of the many libraries, having remembered that before the afternoon's events she had been wanting a word with her. Crystal and Vlha were with her, chatting and getting to really know each other. Back when Crystal still lived with Judas, Vlha had visited and had unnerved her so much she had done her best to avoid the ancient vampire not knowing that he probably would have kept her secrets if she had told them to him.

"So before everything... you wanted to speak with me." Amy announced as she joined them, she flopped into a comfy chair near them and sighed.

Destiny took a deep breath as she remembered exactly why she had sought Amy out. "I am having problems with the scent of someone." She said a little hesitantly.

"What kind of problems?" Amy asked curiously not angered or concerned.

"Every time I smell it I want it more than anything else in the world, my fangs want to extend and all I want is to taste their blood." Destiny answered and flinched as she waited for whatever Amy was going to do to her.

"I'm not going to attack you; you haven't acted on your craving, which means you have control of these cravings." Amy told her.

"I don't know for how long though, it's getting harder and harder to resist." Destiny admitted relaxing a little.

"Do you know who the scent is coming from?" Amy asked.

Destiny nodded, "Susan." She braced herself for attack again as she knew Susan was a close personal friend of Amy's.

Amy nibbled on the inside of her lip as she thought for a moment. "Interesting." She said after reflecting. Destiny relaxed as Amy didn't seem angry that it was Susan whose scent was troubling her. "I wonder..." she pondered to herself for several moments before chuckling as an idea came to mind. She glanced off for a moment.

Vlha watched Amy for a moment, "what is on your mind?" He asked yet wasn't really expecting an answer as he had experience with one Ancient; he knew they only answered questions when they wanted to.

There was a knock on the door, "wait..." Amy called out. She turned to Crystal. "Can you order her not to move?" She asked.

Crystal nodded and turned to Destiny, "do not move until I release you." She ordered curious as to what was on Amy's mind. Destiny stilled completely, frozen by her maker's command, it made her feel a little uneasy as until she was released she couldn't protect herself if something happened.

"Come on in." Amy called out.

Susan popped her head in then came completely into the room. She approached Amy and glanced curious at the people in the room. Vampires, she surmised, their scent disturbed her a little as it had alarms going off in her mind, although these three didn't smell as bad as the other Vampires in the temple. She rubbed her nose still not used to her enhanced Were senses.

"You wished to see me?" She asked Amy.

Amy nodded. "Yep... go and smell Vlha for me."

Susan pulled a face. "No thanks... no offence." She told Vlha who just shrugged with a smile, he knew that his scent and the scent of other Vampires invoked danger instincts in Were. Instincts as old as time warned them that that which was different was not to be trusted, those who didn't look the same or smelt the same were again not to be trusted. Were had learnt how to overcome most of scents from the Others and had allowed them into their groups but they had yet to learn to overcome the scent of a Vampire. With good reason as some of the Masters had slaughtered whole groups of Were during their strained history and Were had done the same to Vampires in retaliation.

"Susan..." Amy started to say.

"No..."

"Yes." Amy said levelling an Alpha gaze on Susan.

Susan groaned and stomped over to Vlha, who just grinned at Susan amused at her reluctance.

"She is new, only recently turned and shifted." Amy explained and Vlha nodded and lifted his head unafraid of letting the newly turned Were near his throat.

Susan pulled a face as she took a deep breath. She stepped back and gave Amy a tortured look. "Ick... please don't ask me to do that again, although he doesn't smell as bad as the other Vampires." She compromised.

"Crystal next." Amy ordered.

Susan huffed and walked over to Crystal; she leant in and took a deep breath before frowning. She stepped back. "You don't smell bad at all."

Crystal chuckled, "I've been told that, it helps that I've never drunk human blood, that's what makes Vampires smell so bad."

"Then why does he stink?" Susan asked.

"That has more to do with the fact I am kind of Were." Vlha answered. "My scent is too similar yet also different and because it is different your body and mind reacts with disgust. A very old survival instinct."

Susan nodded.

"Now Destiny." Amy said firmly with just a hint of a smile playing at the edges of her mouth.

"What's the point of this?" Susan asked.

Amy rolled her eyes, "just do it."

Susan huffed for moment before she walked over to Destiny. Destiny held still although her knuckles betrayed her as she tightened her grip on the chair, as the object of the delicious scent moved closer to her than it had ever been.

Susan tucked some hair behind her ear and leant in, wondering silently why Destiny was so still. When she was close to Destiny's pale neck she took a deep breath. Her beast was suddenly in the front of her mind, she was not yet used to having her beast so it threw her for a moment before she realised why her beast was so focused on Destiny.

She leant in closer until her nose touched Destiny's skin and took another deep breath; her beast rumbled pleased in her mind and urged her human to claim their mate NOW.

Destiny glanced, panicked, to Crystal when Susan straddled her body and sat on Destiny's thighs, her nose not leaving the tempting scent. Amy chuckled and Vlha copied as he suddenly realised what Amy had. Destiny and Susan were mates, granted Destiny was technically a Vampire, and Were and Vampires didn't mate because Vampires didn't breed. However, as both were women that didn't really factor in.

Crystal glanced to Amy wondering what was so funny. She heard a muffled grunt and turned to watch as Destiny moved and wrapped her arms around Susan, kissing her back. Crystal snorted in amusement as she now understood what Amy had realised. She wasn't even pissed that Destiny had somehow managed to circumvent her order.

"Susan..." Amy said suddenly serious as she realised something else. "Stop."

Susan growled a warning at Amy, Destiny was hers.

Amy rolled her eyes and got to her feet, Crystal stood to help as she knew how possessive Were became when they met their mate, Ghan being her most recent experience of a possessive mate. Amy took Susan and firmly pulled her away, it was then Crystal's job to control her daughter.

"Sit down and do not disobey me again." Crystal told Destiny firmly. Destiny tried to fight it and felt pain before she relented and relaxed back into her chair.

Susan growled at Crystal, Crystal turned, her eyes went black as she let her beast, her vampire side come forward.

"Don't you dare tell me how to control my daughter." She told Susan with a voice which sent chills down Susan's spine and had her bowing her head and leaning back into Amy's body. Crystal's eyes returned to normal, "now that we have that settled. Why did you want them separated?" She asked Amy.

Amy didn't answer at first, Susan may have backed off but her beast was a moment from taking over and kicking Crystal's arse. One thing Crystal didn't know was that Sabres weren't like other Were, they were far more volatile than an average Were, they were also harder to contain when they let go of their fury. She reached up and touched Susan's temple and gently put the beast within into a gentle sleep. "Better, sorry about that Susan but I really couldn't let your beast attack Crystal and at the moment I need your rational mind."