What if Michael was staked instead of Sam? What if only his mate's blood could heal him? What will Shane choose; his freedom and relation with Claire or the life of his best friend?

Set during 'Midnight Alley'.

Blood Bond

His heart sped up and his palms were sweaty. No, this definitely wasn't a dream about Claire. Something seemed…wrong. Above him Claire moved slightly. Could she feel this strange sense? Or had the last few months messed with his head? After all, being locked in a cage is sure to do one on you…

Gently he moved Claire over on the sofa, attempting not to wake her. It was no use. As soon as his arm shifted her eyes snapped open and she stared at him with a confused expression. Moments passed before her expression cleared and worry settled in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, panicked. "Shane?"

"I don't know what it is…" he mumbled quietly, rolling off the sofa as he did.

Suddenly sirens sounded around the house. Instantly they froze. It sounded as if they were right outside the house.

Shane heard the hurried foot falls and seconds later Eve stood in front of them, her face pale and free of Goth make-up. Eve didn't wait long, in a speed that could rival a vampires, she dashed to the window and threw open the blinds.

He watched silently, still frozen with shock, as Eve's mouth formed the words 'no, no. no!' repeatedly. Her hands clenched and unclenched. Leaving Claire by the couch, he moved towards Eve.

Pushing her to the side, he peered out of the window. There was a police car parked outside, its siren still blaring. Its headlights illuminated the scene; casting light upon an open maroon sedan. The driver's door was wide open and the windows were blacked out and tinted…

A vampire's car.

"Michael!" Eve screamed at the same time Shane realised Michael wasn't with them. "Oh my God! Where's Michael?" Shane looked back to see Claire looking blindly behind herself as if she expected Michael to turn up behind her. A flicker of panic crossed her mind before she ran towards the door.

But Shane was quicker.

He broke through the gate at the fence, and ran towards the crime scene. Immediately he felt arms around him. It was only when he felt his body being slammed onto the hood of a car did he realise that it the police. Just great…

"Shane! Dammit, Shane! Calm down! This is a crime scene; you can't just go running around!" It was Richard Morrell.

Out of his eye corner he saw Claire and another policeman who he didn't recognise. He watched silently – maybe he'd be released quicker? – as the policeman shone a torch down on a body. The light flickered but it was enough for him to see.

It was a vampire. A stake protruded from its chest and it shook silently on the floor. Blue eyes were wide open in shock and pain. Blood ran from its mouth and into matted blonde hair.

Michael.

Shane couldn't believe it. That was his best friend there, pale and white and barely breathing. Yes, he hated him for becoming a vampire. But he still wouldn't wish it upon him. Images flashed through his mind: their confrontation when Shane himself had almost staked Michael, the rude comments about garlic and crosses. He suddenly became hyperaware of the silver cross that pressed against his chest…

"Release the boy!" A sharp voice that was neither Claire's nor Eve's shouted. "Everybody, leave!" commanded the voice. It was definitely female.

As if Richard Morrell had been burned, he let go of Shane. Shocked, Shane stood up slowly, his eyes scanning the scene until they locked onto Amelie. So, it was her. That was never a good sign. Minutes passed and the siren came to a choking stop and slowly the police, both vampire and human, departed the scene.

Amelie beckoned towards Shane. As if he had no control over his body, Shane moved forward. The more he moved, the more he could see. Michael looked dead. Not as in vampire-dead…but dead dead. As in the 'I-aren't-coming-back-dead'. His body shook with spasms and the stake quivered in his stomach. Blood oozed from his mouth and trickled onto the pavement. Gasps of pain escaped his mouth and his eyes were wide, pained and terrified.

This wasn't the Michael he was used to seeing.

"We need to move him," Amelie spoke slowly as if she could sense the rising sun. Deadly fingers of warmth crept across the pavement, chasing away the shadows. Shane shivered when they touched his skin.

When they touched Michael's skin, his skin began to sizzle and crack, blistering instantly. Forgetting all prejudice against his friend, Shane grasped Michael's ankles and, ignoring the screams of pain, pulled him into the shadows of the house.

Claire followed soundlessly. A patter of bare feet ran around the side of the house. Raising his head, Shane met the panicked and distraught face of Eve. When she reached them, she collapsed in a fit of sobs, her hands blindly reaching for Michael's cold ones. Claire shook her head and wrapped her arms around the other girl, silently letting her own tears out.

"We have to act fast otherwise you will lose him forever," Amelie murmured quickly. "I am not strong enough to save him myself. He needs blood. His mate's blood."

"Vampires have mates?" Claire spoke up, stealing Shane's question.

"Yes, we spend centuries of our lives searching for them."

"Here," Eve offered his wrist out without thought. "He can have mine. He can have as much as he needs."

"Do you know what you are getting into, child?" asked Amelie, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, I've read about the strength of a mate's bond." Shane watched, transfixed, as Eve reached into her bathrobe pocket and pulled out a small vegetable knife. Around them time seemed to stop as Eve slowly sliced the palm of her hand open.

Red blood quickly welled up and spilled out of the cut. Rivers ran over her palm and created a bloody network of patterns.

Shane saw Michael stiffen and his eyes become pale. So this was it. This was the real vampire that Michael tried to hide.

Eve moved forward slowly, shaking off Claire's hand as she did. She slowly raised her hand to Michael's lips and allowed a few droplets of blood to fall onto his parted lips.

Instantly Michael growled a low and warning sound. His cold blue eyes were fixed on Shane's face and his snake-like fangs slowly slid into place. So quick Shane almost missed it, Amelie had Eve's hand in a vice like grip.

"You stupid girl! You are not his mate!" she snarled, throwing Eve's hand away from her.

But Shane's eyes had never left Michael's. His heart was beating quicker and his palms were soaked in sweat. He didn't like the feverish hunger that lingered in Michael's eyes. It wasn't natural…even for a vampire. Shane crawled backwards, shaking his head as he did. Again Michael's eyes followed him and he liked his lips hungrily.

Claire's quick eyes locked on his movements. For a few seconds a calculating look crossed her face before she gasped in shock. She silently motioned between Shane and Michael, her mouth wide open. "It's you, isn't it? You're Michael's mate."

Hearing her say it out loud crushed all hope Shane had. He couldn't be Michael's mate, it just wasn't possible! Shane stood quickly. He backed away into the sunlight where he was safe from at least one vampire.

"Shane! Please!" Eve begged as she continued to try and stem the bleeding of her palm. "You can't let him die!"

Eve was right. No matter what Michael was, he was still Shane's best friend. Taking a deep breath, he moved back into the shadows. One little bit of his blood wouldn't change anything, right?

Without much thought of what he was going to do, Shane picked up the vegetable knife. It was still glistening with Eve's blood. With shaking hands he cleaned it against his night clothes. With quick skilful hands, he cut his own palm.

As soon as the cut was made, Michael growled loudly. It wasn't a warning; more of a possessive growl and instantly Amelie moved backwards. She motioned for Claire and Eve to follow suit.

Michael's eyes locked with his and a strange feeling washed over Shane. It was a good feeling, yet it didn't belong. He was happy he was doing this. He could almost say that it pleased him. Seeing the hopeful but hungry look in Michael's eyes drove him to press his palm to Michael's lips.

At first Michael lapped slowly at the blood, his tongue making shivers run through Shane's body. Fangs hastily sunk into Shane's wrist. But it didn't help. If anything the feeling of pleasure intensified. Shane could feel his blood being pulled from his body. He could feel the way Michael's lips would tense around his wrist when he swallowed. He could feel Michael's hands holding him steady, holding him tenderly.

On his own will, Shane began to relax against Michael's body.

In a hazy part of his mind, he could hear Amelie talking to Claire and Eve but he wasn't listening much.

"…Sacred bond…yes, it's like this every time…if you try to come between it…kill you."

"The stake," spoke Michael for the first time. "Take it out, please, it hurts." His voice was weak but at least he was speaking.

Another set of hands joined Shane's. They wrapped around the stake, but as soon as Michael noticed he yanked his fangs from Shane's wrist. His eyes were pale and animalistic and he snarled inhumanly at Claire.

She backed away quickly.

Shane watched as Michael's pale tongue licked the stray droplets of his own blood from the corners of his mouth. "Now, please, Shane."

And Shane pulled the stake out.

Michael has passed out as soon as the stake had been removed. Amelie had helped Shane move him into the house though his skin burned when he went through the light. Shane laid Michael down on his own neatly made bed and pulled the covers over him. Gently he brushed Michael's mattered blonde hair out of his eyes.

He moved through the house quickly before he came to the lounge. Amelie was sat in the chair where Michael usually sat. A strange wave of annoyance washed over Shane. That was Michael's chair; she shouldn't be sat there. But he held his tongue. Only just.

Eve was still crying and she and Claire were curled up on the couch. Deciding to lean against the wall, Shane waited for Amelie to begin.

"Thank you…" she trailed off.

"Shane," he offered helpfully.

"Thank you, Shane," she repeated. "Michael will surely thank you enough when he awakes." Amelie had a knowing smile on her face, one that Shane didn't trust.

"What did you mean when you talked about a vampire's mate?" Eve snivelled from the couch. "Shouldn't I have been Michael's mate?"

"Vampire's change," Amelie said sharply, her eyes cold. "Shane is Michael's mate whether he likes it or not."

"What does that mean though?" Shane asked, confused about the whole thing. What were those feelings he felt when Michael drank from him? Shouldn't he feel disgusted? How could he enjoy such an act?

"You are his mate. The one he will seek comfort from. The one he will always seek to court." The use of her words made Shane thing back to the Victorian era. So it was going to be like that…

"He will need your blood twice a week if he is to maintain good health. Michael won't allow you to be with anyone else. For the first few months, while the bond is fresh, I suggest that Eve and Claire leave the house, he will not tolerate anyone being around you."

"They're not leaving because of some stupid bond!" Shane shouted, instantly regretting when he saw the look of anger flash across Amelie's face.

"He will need you. He is a young vampire. He will depend on you for blood like an infant depends on its parents. Michael will become possessive and if you try to run he will follow you. He won't allow you to be with anyone else. The way he sees it, is you are his. Michael won't allow anyone"- she looked at Eve in particular – "to try and break the bond. He will kill them without a second thought."

Shane looked over to see Claire's pale face. So it was the end of Claire and him. Michael be damned! He wasn't going to break away from Claire because of a stupid bond. "I've sold my freedom haven't I? I won't be able to be with anyone but him…" Shane whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Amelie spoke again and her words ended Shane's hope. "No, you will be with Michael. As for your freedom, it depends on how you treat him. Go behind his back and he won't let you out of his sight. Stay true to him and he'll become less dependent on you. Either way, it's your choice."