In case you were wondering, this story has been on hiatus but after much consideration - and being holed up in my apartment with a broken ankle for six weeks - I have decided to return to this story.

However, I have made serious changes. I didn't like where I'd led the story and had been up against the dreaded wall for over a year now. I have deleted the last 23 chapters and am virtually starting from scratch. Sparks Fly and On a Slow Night are on hiatus so I can focus on this and Silver Lining, which will also have several chapters removed as they kind of got out of hand and created the jumbled mess that I have with these two stories now.

I hope to be able to produce a couple chapters of CR and SL a week, starting either today or tomorrow so please bear with me!

"I love you so much," Cal murmured as he kissed my neck.

I winced slightly and took a shallow breath. He hovered over me, golden eyes staring me down.

"Morgan,"

I nodded once. "Love you, too." I whispered, and let him kiss my lips. He groaned, moving in an easy rhythm, and my mind, unbidden, reminded me yet again that he may have done this with Bree just a few weeks ago. I couldn't help but wonder how many girls he's been with, but wasn't sure if I ever really wanted to know that.

Cal eventually finished and shifted so we were on our sides facing each other. His hand stroked my hair and I tried to smile.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Just tired,"

He kissed me again and moved his hand down to stroke my cheek, my shoulder, my breast…. I shifted away and onto my back. Cal leaned up on his elbow.

"Morgan, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, just…sore." I felt awkward to admit.

"I'm sorry," he said, kissing my cheek. "I should've been…gentler."

I nodded. "It's okay." I said again. "I should probably be getting home soon though. They'll freak if I'm not in my bed when they wake up."

"I'll get you home before then. Let's sleep for a while and I'll take you home."

"Mmhmm," I mumbled, and let him relax against me. Within minutes, I started to doze off, but I couldn't fall asleep all the way. My mind was racing with insecure thoughts that freaked me out and left me to feel like I'd gotten sucker punched.

Were you supposed to feel warm and loved? Were the lilting harmonies of angel voices supposed to cascade down to you and make you feel like you've just achieved the highest level of happiness humanly possible?

Because, honestly, I just felt used.

Ever so softly, I shifted out of Cal's grasp, his soft, heavy breathing indicating he was deeply asleep. I tiptoed out of bed and grabbed my clothes, cursing the fact that I didn't have my warm jeans and boots with me. I slipped into my clothes and coat and glanced at the clock in his bedroom. Shit! It was nearly one in the morning.

I quickly laced up my shoes and grabbed Maeve's athame before sneaking out of his room and into the adjacent bathroom. From one glance, I noted that I looked like I had just stepped off the site of a horror movie. My hair was matted in some places and overall a tangled mess, so I did my best to run my fingers through and make a "braid." The makeup Mary K. had insisted she let me put on was smudged and I had raccoon eyes.

I peed, washed my hands, and splashed water on my face. I carefully padded down the stairs, careful to be silent. The second I opened the front door and felt the cold air hit my face, I knew I would likely be an icicle by the time I got home—or worst case scenario, I'd freeze before I got there. At least if that happened, I wouldn't get a lecture.

Crossing my arms, I trudged out into the driveway and made my way to the quiet, snow-lined road. Up ahead, I saw dim running lights of a car coming closer. I pulled my coat a little higher around my face and continued walking. The car passed me.

Not ten seconds later, the car was on the opposite side of the road, gliding closer to me. Now I could make out the details of the small sedan, and most importantly, I saw the impossibly tall blonde figure step out of the gray car.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I spat. The last thing I wanted was another lovely Hunter Niall interrogation.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, and then gave me the up-and-down assessment. "Guess I don't really need ask that." He murmured, raising his eyebrows in accusation, and I stood up straighter and tightened my arms across my chest. "So where's Cal?"

I sighed, my breath coming out in a puff. "Why can't you just leave us alone?" I asked instead. "Why are you so intent on rubbing it in Cal's face about your dad choosing your family?"

Hunter looked taken aback. "That's what he told you? That I'm intent on destroying their lives because of my father?" he mocked. "You're smarter than that, Morgan."

"I don't believe you." I stated, trying to stand strong. He succeeded at getting under my skin every time.

"You don't believe you're smart?"

My eyes narrowed at his cocky expression. "No." I snapped. "I don't believe that you're working for the Council. I don't believe that you were sent here to investigate misuse of magick or whatever the hell you claim. You're a vindictive ass who can't keep his mouth shut and take a hint."

Hunter held his hands up in defense, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Fine, Morgan. I will leave you alone. For now. However, I need to see Cal."

"At one in the morning?" I demanded. "God, just give it a rest. Do you ever relax and, I don't know, sleep like the rest of the world? I'm sure it would greatly improve your people skills. Leave Cal alone. I mean it."

Hunter glanced between me and the house, silent and almost hidden in the snow fog we were in. "How are you going to stop me?" he asked, coming around and leaning against the passenger door, now within inches of me. "Going to zap me with witch fire again?"

"Is that a threat?"

He shook his head. "It's a challenge. If you don't believe that Cal and Selene are using you, then prove me wrong."

I turned on my heel and started walking again, my legs stiff and chilled to the bone. My hand instinctively clutched the handle of the athame inside my coat pocket. Quicker than I expected, his hand grabbed my arm, and I whirled around and held the athame out in front of me.

His pale face became ashen as his eyes locked on it. "Shit," he breathed. "Where are the rest?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Hidden,"

Hunter nodded. "Keep it that way." He warned, tearing his eyes away. "How did you find them?"

"Scrying." I said numbly. My hand holding the athame started to shake, and I put it back inside my coat and dug my hands into my pockets. He was still, expressionless, as if waiting for me to elaborate. "With fire." I added.

"Come with me," he said, sounding completely stricken.

"No," I objected, taking a step back. "You must be insane if you think I'll go with you."

Hunter walked back to the car and opened the passenger door. "It's this, freeze to death, or go snuggle back up to Cal."

I wanted none of those options. If I went back to Cal, he'd question me about leaving, think it was his fault, and I didn't want him to feel bad. I didn't want to walk because it would take me at least an hour to get home. Lastly, I was afraid Hunter really was the psychopath Cal said he was and that this was a ploy to kill me and steal my mother's tools, which thanks to my super-sharp reflexes and big mouth, he now knew about.

I walked the few steps to the car slowly. "You won't try to kill me?"

He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, and I slid into the wonderfully heated car. Hunter walked over to his side and got in, putting the car into gear as I put on my seatbelt.

"Are all American girls this annoying?"

"Only when they're pissed off." I replied.

He sped off into the darkness, and I questioned my sanity for the second time tonight.

Absolutely heart broken that the day I came back to writing, it is announced on Cate Tiernan's Facebook that Sweep is no longer in production to be a movie. My emotions are all over the place right now.

Please review, even if it's just to wallow in the sadness of this news with me. We'll be sad together.

New chapter coming tomorrow.