(?!? POV)

    "Did the message go through?" I ask my third in command as she stood before me. My second in command was still working out how our private scientist had escaped in the first place. All the while my third in command place her plan in action. It was quite a simple enough one, it would only be a matter of time before Queen would take the bait.

    "Yes, the letter was sent and as expected he is flashing about. He should be on his way to the last known location of him now," she nodded to the young man standing next to me. I smirk just a bit as it all seamlessly fell into place. All so easy when you have all the pawns needed and the minds under you understand that your word is law. To break my law would be a death sentence.

    "Well done, you may go now," I dismiss those before us, leaving only my brother and myself. I'm still here you bastard! Ah, him too but he is of no matter. After all, had left the room, I turn to my younger brother next to me with a pride smile. "You know what to do?"

    "Yes," he stated coolly as a small smirk of his own appears. His mocha locks just barely fell into his candle-like eyes as he held his head high with pride and potential. He was the best I could ever ask for. Loyal, willing to do what was necessary for our cause. I was beyond proud to be able to call him my brother. He knew the only way to correct our past was by leading the future with the right mindset, all we needed now was our Queen for the new time of Hell.

    "Your time has come, go and collect our little escapist so that we may continue on with our plans," I command him with a tender smirk. He nods before conjuring up his flaming colored smoke with a wide smile. So young yet he knew what was best for all of us.

    "I won't let you down, sir," he informs me right before he disappears. The smell of a forest fire lingered where he had once stood beside me. My twisted smirk grew wider and wider as my mind filled to the brim with all I would do once I gained my Queen.

    "I know you won't, little brother. I know you won't..." 

(Lucius's POV)

    I had to find him before they hurt him. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to that boy. I remember the other's voices crying out as smoke swarmed me and I vanished from my room. I flashed through countless places, crying out his name, but I never got an answer. Eric laughed in my head, saying things like "idiot" or "weakling" or "you couldn't even protect a single person". Once I think I heard him say this was the perfect trap, but I didn't care if it was or wasn't. I just wanted the kid to be okay, he had to be okay.

    "H-help! HELP ME!" I heard a familiar voice call out. It sounded like it was coming from further into the alleyways. "LUCIUS!" It's him... Without a second thought, I flashed down the alleyways as I chase down his voice. Whoever dare hurt him will feel an undying wrath, nobody was going to hurt my brother without HELL to pay for it! I flashed down the alleyway as rage and concern poured into every ounce of my body.

    "JACOB?!" I scream, again and again, feeling as if he was moving further from me instead of being closer. I began to run out of breathing just as his voice faded out. I stopped to catch my breathe and wait for another call from him, but it never came "J-Jacob...?" I huff out as I see his back, was it him? I couldn't tell nor did I have the patience to wait anymore. He doesn't answer me nor does he turn around at all. I could hear the footsteps approaching me, but my mind doesn't register them. I strolled up to Jacob and reach out to him, only for someone to grab my arm and yank me back. I look back to pull my arm away from their grasp, but my entire body freezes up when I recognize the person beside me. The broken mask with glitching marks down the eyes that normally covered the ashen pale skin with a pair of blasting green eyes and a crown of messy caramel locks dangling almost in his eyes.

    "V-Victor?" I could hear how quiet and weak I sounded but I couldn't believe it. I hadn't seen him in years so I was a bit awestruck to see him here and now. A never-ending manically laughter rang throughout my mind as both the love of my life and the twisted version of my brother's mate mocked me.

    "Sorry, Lucius. Victor, Virus whatever you may call him, isn't home right now, but you can call me Dexter," my mate's look-alike stated with the smuggest grin I have ever seen. N-no... That... Virus can't be g-gone... I fought to pull my arm free as I stumbled back away from my 'mate'.

    "N-no... What did you do to him!?" My voice rose as tears poured down my cheeks, the rage from before streamed through my veins as my body fought between hugging and slaughter the... the THING before me. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" I scream again as my body automatically switched from panic to attack mode. His ear bleeding laughter rung out yet again as he only stood before me with a look of true victory.

    "Oh, don't even think of attacking. He's still in here," he said tapping his head. "And you'll only be hurting him in the long run. So I recommend you relax a little bit and cooperate with what I have to say, okay?" He commanded as if he had actual control over me, but he did. He had my mate's body under his control and my mate himself locked away from my reach. I take a deep breath and clench my fists tightly to keep me from flinging this bastard across the city.

    "What do you want?" I growl out as I hear Eric say something about letting him out. No fucking way. I growl back at him before continuing to speak. "Are you here for the asshole in my head? If so, I'm NOT letting him out again. Never again." I grit my teeth together as I fought to control my temper, losing my temper could risk me losing control.

    "Who, Eric? While he is much easier to work with than you are, it doesn't matter which one of you is in control. You both serve the same purpose equally as well," Dexter shrugged off as if neither of us was really important in the manner of each, he just needed one of us to work with.

    "And what would cause you to believe that nonsense? Why would I dare work for the madman that placed the bastard in my head after corrupting him and taking my mate's body?" I snarl as my muscles tense and my heart pounds in my ears. I felt Eric become excited to escape from the mental cell I had him in but I was still stronger than him.

    "Oh, poor naive Lucius. What would make you believe I did that? Though I do know that if you go along with our demands, that I can get him out," he smirked devilishly at me as if thinking he won this argument. Like Hell he did. Even without Eric in my head, I still wanted my mate back so this deal was complete shit, to be honest. 

    "And then he could run amuck? Hell no, I rather control him within my mind and attempt to save him then allow that to play," I state as if he just offered me a half-eaten burrito or something. I knew I could help Eric, I just needed to find my brother again. Hopefully, he'd be able to calm the blasted man before I lost my mind. I could feel both confusion and anger radiating through my head, and I could tell both came from Eric. Did he not remember my brother? His own mate?

    "If it makes you feel any better, once we're done, Eric will be the least of your worries. Whether he's in or out of your head," Dexter stated vaguely. Was that really suppose to make me abide by his rules and agree to all of this nonsense?? This guy really sucked at negotiating.

    "What the Hell do you want from us?" I groan I'm really getting over all of his bullshit. "And why the fuck are you in my mate?" His stupid smug ass grin only grew wider before he stared me dead in the eyes.

    "What better way to get people to do what you want then make it a hostage situation?" I rub my eyes as the annoyance, worry, and just plain being pissed off kicks in. All of this shit and all I wanted was my mate and my brothers back home safely, seriously? Does someone REALLY hate me this much?!

    "What. Do. You. Need. Us. For?!" I growl lowly. His games were on my last fucking nerve and Hell knows I'm not one to fuck around with when I get like this. This plan of his is pissing me off to an unknown degree.

    "We need your brain, obviously. Details of what you will be doing will come later of course, but unless you want Jacob or your precious mate to get hurt, I suggest you don't fight it." He with an annoyingly egotistically wide smirk. "To show I'm not playing around," he pulls out a knife from his coat pocket and places it near his neck. My eyes wide as my heart somehow dropped and spiked at the same time. Anything you do to him will only hurt Victor... I heard Eric whisper in an almost broken tone. What was going on with him...? Sighing, I nodded at Dexter before answering him aloud.

    "... Fine... Show me the way," I kept my guard up. I knew Dexter's relation to Jacob so he was only using Jake to get me here all the while knowing he could harm my mate and gain great pleasure from doing so... The psychopath before me was beaming in the pure victory that just made me want to knock him out even more than before. He spun on his heel and motioned me to follow before walking in the direction I presume we needed to go.

    "Right this way Lucius." Clenching my hands tightly, I follow as he commanded, though the oddest thing happened during this time. Eric was completely quiet and I hadn't even taken my dosage to knock him out. I could tell he was awake but he was not making rude and snarky comments. No, he was silent and I couldn't hear a single thought of his either besides the small bit of talking he had done moments ago. It was almost like he was scared of something. I didn't know why he would be, all he had to do was hide in the back of my mind.

    "I'm sorry," I heard the faintest whisper of Jacob's voice behind me before I was stuck in the bad of the head with enough pressure to knock me out cold. I could fell my body falling to the ground, only for a pair of arms caught me just as everything faded to a pitch black.