This is a One Shot. My first ever fanfic. Read, review, whatever...hehe. Oh and it gets kinda graphic...so ya know don't look if you don't wanna read that.

IMPRINT WITH ME

Silently chewing my lip, I paced through a tunnel far from the others. It was pitch black, but I didn't need light to see. Although I was only a fledgling, albeit a special one with the already filled in and expanded tattoo to prove it, I could see as if the lights were on. Lights or no lights, my problems seemed to only be multiplying faster than I could handle them.

"Think, Zoey, Think." The mantra seemed to be the story of my life lately. Here I was Marked, and that didn't even equate to the biggest of my problems. Sure, I was dealing with normal teenage problems, namely boys with a capital b. A brief frown flickered across my face at the thought of Loren. He wasn't a boy; man was definitely more appropriate.

Thoughts of Loren only brought more pain. Not because he was dead, although that did cause grief and a feeling deep inside of missing that had yet to fade. He had betrayed me, but we had imprinted. You can't just get over that, I justified to myself.

"Relax. We will figure it all out."

The sound of a voice caused me to jump. My heart pounded. Turning, I saw him. Eric. Sweet, sexy-as-hell, truly good guy Eric. The guy whose heart I had shattered for sweet nothings from someone who really never loved me was offering me comfort. Figures, my inner voice smarted off.

"I know. Nyx is on our side. We will prevail. I just wish I knew what to do in the meantime. Ya know, before she comes and swoops down to save us all," I said full of attitude. The tension between us had become unbearable and while he had been nice to me, I was just waiting for the jerk to resurface.

Ever since the Othello incident and the discussion in the hall, I had been wary of him. It had seemed liked we had worked on things, but I knew we were far from perfect. Even if he had offered to play the role of consort for the ritual, I wasn't too sure he had truly forgiven me.

His eyes darkened at my attitude, and then he sighed. "Zoey, I don't want to fight right now. Let's just figure this out okay. You are the most powerful fledging there has ever been. Nyx has blessed you more than you even know. "

I stared at him for a moment, not sure if I really wanted to give in. It wasn't him. It's just I was so amped up and stressed. A fight might feel good. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten, focusing on the air. Immediately a breeze ruffled my hair and caressed my cheek. Instantly I felt better.

"You're right, of course. I am sorry. I know I have said that a lot lately, but it's just I don't even know where to begin. I have been blessed, but I am still just Zoey. Ya know?" I felt like I was drowning when I thought of all the responsibility placed on my shoulders. Tears began to form in my eyes.

"Oh hell, Zoey. Don't cry. You are way too strong for tears," he said coming closer.

"I am trying to be strong, but I just don't know what to do."

"How about first taking a deep breath and trying to get some sleep?" He spoke very softly, the way he did when he really cared. He was by far too good for me, but I couldn't help but wish he cared enough to love me. I didn't deserve his love but I craved it the way I had craved Heath's blood.

"Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you hold me?" I whispered the request, unsure if I could take rejection or if I could take him holding me tonight only to leave me later.

"Zoey…I haven't forgiven you yet. You really hurt me. I saw…I saw…Well, you know what I saw. Do you know what it did to me? I saw the love of my life, the girl I imagined being by my side always, fucking someone else. "

I looked up at him, feeling horrible because what he said was true. "Eric…"

"No, don't. Let me say this. I really need you to hear this." He ran his fingers through his hair. He looked tormented, like he might cry next. "Zoey, I loved you. I tried to be patient. I knew you were dealing with so much. The whole Heath situation wasn't easy. I was still there for all of that. Stevie Rae…I was there. I didn't mind being there either. I wanted to hold you and protect you and comfort you. I know when I Changed it scared you. I know it put you over the top. But in none of that did you think of me? When he spoke to you, when he kissed you, when he touched you, did you not think of me?"

I shook with the effort to not run from the room. He had a right to say all that and more. I felt lower than I did when I found out about Loren and Neferet.

"Eric…I can't tell you how sorry I am. I was wrong. I was vulnerable, and yes Loren took advantage of me. He used me, but that doesn't excuse what I did. I just wanted to feel better and forget the world and all the problems facing me. It wasn't about him or anyone. It was about me. Then we Imprinted, and it just happened."

I sighed starting to get angry. I had to again justify myself. I knew there was no way to explain it in a way he would understand. So what's the point, I thought.

"Never mind, Eric. You will never understand." I turned away from him starting to walk away further down into the tunnel for some alone time to think, pray, and if I was honest with myself, to cry.

"Zoey, wait…I'm sorry. I know I am not being nice, but I still hurt. I can't think of how to make it stop. I see you, and I ache. I ache for you, and I ache because of you. I want you, but I can't bring myself to be with you. The thought of you makes me weak as does the thought of not having you. " He closed his eyes as if he was in pain at that moment because the sight of me. Then he opened them as if not seeing me was just as hurtful. He crossed the room and spun me around to face him. "Don't you see, Zoey? I don't want to be like this. I just don't want to hurt, and I do."

Looking deeply into his eyes, I saw exactly what he meant. He still loved me, but it hurt him to do so. My heart lifted and at the same time plummeted. I smiled slightly, only for my lips to slowly start to turn into a frown.

My lips never made it there as his quickly descended down to press fully against them. The shock caused me to gasp. Instantly the kiss turned hot and savage. The need inside I suddenly felt caused me to melt into him.

His tongue skimmed the inside of my lower lip, causing me to shiver, before plunging in to get a taste of me. I fought for control but in the end clung to him as if he was my anchor to the world. I sucked seductively on his tongue by instinct only. (My brief foray with Loren was indeed that…Brief.)

A groan echoed in the tunnel, his or mine I was not sure. My hands wound their way around his neck and into his hair, keeping us locked together. His had found their way up to cup my breasts. Our tongues met and tasted each other in a playful dance.

Eric somehow managed to maneuver us to a wall where my back pressed against the cold bricks. I didn't feel it as heat raced through my veins. Heath and Loren had never made me feel this way. Obviously their attraction had had something to do with Bloodlust. This was just pure lust, hotter than either of the other two.

"Zoey…I need you…I want you….Now" Eric moaned against my lips. His hips grinded into mine, showing me how much he needed and wanted me. "Please…"

I had sworn off sex and boys after Loren, but this felt right. It felt more right than anything in my life ever had. I nodded and again pressed my lips to his, drinking in his goodness. He pressed me harder against the wall lifting me up.

I was still in my dress from the ritual, and it slid up my hips as I wrapped my legs around him. He hands moved from my breasts to slide up my thighs pushing the dress up higher and higher. Finally he broke off the kiss, and I held my arms up so he could slide the dress up and off over my head.

His eyes darkened, this time in desire not anger, as he stared down at me in my black lacy thong and bra. I watched his face as he took a deep breath. His nails, sharpened and longer due to being a Vampyre, slowly slid across my skin from my throat down to the cleft between my breasts. The sensation caused goosebumps to form on my body. Again his eyes darkened.

Taking control myself, I ripped open his shirt, buttons flying. I scratched him, only to have him shiver from my show of desire. Quickly my bra and panties joined my dress on the floor as he ripped them off with the same urgency I had removed his shirt.

Kissing him again, I reached between him for his pants button and zipper. He let me take the lead. He moaned deeply when my hand freed the button and slid the zipper down. My feet slid back to the floor so I was standing in front of him, both of us panting.

"Eric…help me." I said softly trying to help him out of his clothes too. Quicker than I thought possible he was naked and pressing against me again. A soft chuckle erupted for me. At least I wasn't alone in this crazy urgency to have him apart of me.

"Zoey, you are so beautiful…so beautiful," he murmured before he picked me up and carried me to a couch that was a little ways down the tunnel. He laid me down then proceeded to worship my body with his eyes.

I felt slightly awkward until I saw the look in his eyes. It was for me, no one else. I had inspired this feeling in him. Raising my hand, I stroked his chin, then brought his face to mine and softly kissed him. Both of our lips trembled with the meaning and intensity of the feelings of that kiss.

Suddenly he was above me and all around me. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt a deep profound sense of rightness. As we became one, I focused on his face and found he was staring back just as intensely. The thought that this wasn't how it felt last time briefly flitted through my head. It had been rushed and more about the feeling, instead of the meaning. With Eric, it felt magical but more so it meant so much more.

He leaned down and kissed me deeply, his tongue moving in time with his body. Both moved within my heart, soul and body. Soon I was clinging tight my body begging for something so magical only he could give it to me. Our lovemaking turned frenzied. His thrusts grew wilder and wilder with our need. Again I scratched his chest and clung to him drawing my nails down his back.

Limbs intertwined, we rode our passion wild and hard until we reached the peak. I screamed his name as he continued to plunge into me a few more times drawing his own climax. He relaxed against my chest. His breathing as well as my own came in pants, the only sound in the tunnel.

"Wow…" His voice came out in a croak.

I was afraid to speak. I was still riding on waves of contentment from our lovemaking, but more than a little afraid he would leave me still. I held my breath and closed my eyes, trying to brace myself for the worst.

"Zoey?" He turned his face to look at me. "Zoey? Oh, I get it. He was better…"

He started to pull away. I grabbed for him and held him tight. I had never thought that he would need to know that was the single greatest experience of my life. (Next to the whole Nyx blessing stuff…but ya know.)

"Eric, no. It's not like that. It was different with him. We were Imprinted. Me and you aren't."

"Still was better with him, though right?"

"No. No it wasn't. I am not going to lie to you and say it wasn't good, but this was real. It wasn't."

"Imprint with me Zoey." He looked deeply into my eyes. He jaw was set as if he was firm in his decision. I didn't really know what to say or do. Imprinting was serious business. (I would know…with having imprinted with not one but two people.)

"Eric, you don't want that. You haven't even forgiven me for Loren."

"Do not say his name while I am still inside you…" His voice had gotten deeper with the anger he felt my previous lover. He softened his tone as he looked at the look of wariness in my eyes. "I love you Zoey. Forgiven or not, that is not going to change. I want you to belong to me. I want it to be permanent. I want a tangible connection with you."

Eric reached up and with his thumb nail sliced a small line across his naked chest right over his heart. "You have my heart, Zoey. Whether you want it or not, it's yours."

The smell of his blood hit me like a ton of bricks. It was wrong; we shouldn't Imprint. However, even as the negative thoughts flitted through my mind, I knew I would be his with or without the imprint. Sure I had been attracted to others, but when it came down to it, I had chosen Eric before the whole Loren and Heath mess.

"I am yours." I repeated his actions on my own chest, then stared into his eyes and smiled.

He dipped his head and put his lips to the wound, lapping at it softly. The pleasure of it had me moaning all over again. My toes curled against the couch as he softly enjoyed my blood. Finally he sat back. I immediately reach up and kissed him hard. My desire had flared again. His had too, but he was still waiting for me to drink from him.

Looking up into his eyes again, I flicked my tongue out toward the delicious smell of his blood. The second my tongue touched his blood, it was as if fireworks exploded through my body. I greedily lapped up the blood. I felt the Imprint take, but I was already imprinted in my own way with him.

Again we made love and fell asleep in each other's arms. Before I drifted off to sleep without another thought to the other problems going on in my life, I knew that me and Eric were okay and that was enough for now.

"I love you."

"I love you too."