Ullapool, Scotland
1414
It had been five months since Lilith had left her village. She assumed Roderick must be married by now. The threat of tears burned her eyes as she placed both hands on her growing stomach. At least she'd have a little part of him with her always.
Lilith had been staying with her father's spinster sister all that time. A few months after her arrival, Lilith began to get sick. She couldn't keep her food down and was always tired. When her aunt found her hunched over and dry heaving, she gasped and asked Lilith if she was with child.
Lilith didn't know what to say. No one explained to her exactly how babies were made so she spoke to her aunt honestly. With some sly questioning, her aunt found out that Lilith had a lover and was most likely carrying his child. Of course her aunt was upset, thinking the man had taken advantage and discarded her innocent niece.
The two women swore they'd love and take care of the child. Secretly, her aunt was very pleased that Lilith had come to stay with her. She was growing old and lonely. A new baby would bring so much life to her cold and lonesome home. Since Lilith could read, her aunt would often have Lilith read beside the fireplace before bedtime. Her aunt wasn't rich, but she was well off to support the two of them and a babe. The garden Lilith's aunt had fed them and she would sell part of her harvest for anything else she needed.
Lilith thought about Roderick all the time and what she'd name their baby. She'd have to give their baby two names. If the babe was a girl, she'd name the baby after his and her mother. If the baby was a boy, she'd name him after Roderick and her father. Lilith smiled to herself, hoping the baby would be a boy and grow up to look like his father.
Village in Lochaber district, county of Iverness(shire), Scotland
1414
Six months! It had been six months and no one had any idea as to what happened to Lilith. Roderick was going insane trying to find her. What caused rumor to start was that Daniel was also missing around the same time. His brother, Rowan, had already married Sara and surprisingly, the two were a very good match.
Seeing as Rowan's father-in-law had no sons, he welcomed the idea of having a second son marry his only child. That way there would be an alliance between the Andersons and the McElroys and he'd have an heir to take care of his clan. So Rowan moved to the next village to become his father-in-law's adopted son. He wished Roderick the best of luck in finding Lilith.
Roderick searched in all the neighboring villages, but no one knew what happened to Lilith. He talked to dozens of people who were at the engagement celebration. A few said they gave her a ride, but none of them knew what happened to her after that. It was almost as if she vanished.
Trying to find Lilith was wearing Roderick down. He knew she was still alive. After he marked her, that bond allowed him to know that much. But as to where she was...Roderick had no idea. She could be anywhere and he was searching all of Scotland. He knew she was alive, and he wasn't going to give up. Unfortunately, there was word that a new vampire faction was spotted in Scotland and people began to go missing. No doubt they were building their numbers to take out the weres. Roderick didn't have the time to get distracted.
Danny was sitting inside a bar, drinking himself into a stupor. He still didn't know how he'd get his revenge. Going up against Roderick McElroy was suicide. And how could he hurt Lilith? He wanted to devastate her, but leave her alive so she could live with the pain he'd cause.
"Bastard McElroy." Danny slurred.
A man from a nearby table of newcomers turned to look at Danny. He seemed like the leader and he put his hand up to silence his men.
"I'm goin' tae kill Roderick McElroy, mark my words." Danny mumbled again.
The man perked up and he felt himself smiling. As the night began to grow late, the newcomers left until there was one left. He was waiting for Danny to move and was planning on following. He looked outside to see how soon the sun would rise. Contrary to popular belief, some of them could walk in sunlight. But that was a gift to few of their kind. Only the strongest were able to walk in the sunlight, during hours when the sunlight was weak. And none of them ventured out from noon to dusk.
It would be dawn in a couple hours. The pub was closing and Danny got kicked out. He got up and drunkenly began to walk away. The man watched Danny from the shadows to see where he was headed. He wanted to have a talk with Danny, but only when the idiot was sober. For now, he'd let Danny rest.
Danny woke up the following morning with a hell of a headache. He was planning on going drinking again, but his headache kept him in bed all day. When he woke up again it was already dark. Danny made his way back to the pub when he was knocked across the head and everything went black.
When Danny came to, he heard the sound of water dripping. Shaking himself awake he found himself tied up. There were torches on the wall and a loud roaring noise. There must be water nearby, Danny thought. Which meant that he was probably in a cave. He heard footsteps and looked up at a man he'd never seen before.
"I believe you possess some useful information for me. My name is William. Shall we talk?" His eyes were shining an impossible blue as he smiled to show elongated canines. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the unnecessarily messy way." William flashed his fangs again.
"Yer damn English. Whit do ye want?" Danny struggled to say.
"I hear you have a grudge against Roderick McElroy. I'm here to help you bring the man to ruin."
Danny stopped struggling against his restraints and eyed William. "Whit's in it for ye?"
"Let's just say that you and I have a common goal. And that's to kill Roderick McElroy. Unfortunately, I don't know of any weakness and you seem to know him better than I do."
"That man 'as no weakness." Danny muttered.
William hissed in annoyance. "Of course he does. Everyone has a weakness."
"The only thing that could 'urt Roderick McElroy is 'urting 'is family. And when ye 'arm them, yer as good as dead. And 'e keeps a good eye on them. None go unprotected."
William growled. He may as well just kill the man before him. He served no use.
"And that bastard took me Lilith away and now she's carrying 'is bastard." Danny mumbled more to himself than anyone else.
Hearing what Danny said, William's head snapped up. "Roderick has a mated? My men spied on Roderick a fortnight ago and he has no wife."
"And who told ye 'e was married? Roderick McElroy took the virginity of my fiancée and impregnated 'er with 'is bastard."
The bloody fool wasn't making any sense! William was tempted to kill him already. But that would upset his father. And William did not want to get on his father's bad side.
