I woke up cold. Like freezing. I shivered against stone and raised my head from the covers. Hm, not stone; Victor's bare chest. How had I ended up on top of him? I shivered again and Victor opened his eyes. He tapped me lightly on the butt and smirked at my shocked expression.

"Off" He growled, I slid away from him to find that the other side of the bed was much warmer. Cilla curled up beside me and I could feel myself falling back asleep. I opened my eyes and stared at Victor. He was facing me with closed eyes and a partly open mouth. When he looked like that, so peaceful; so boyish, it was easier to forget that the man I was staring at murdered my parents. It was easier to wonder how his black hair would feel between my fingers, and if his lips would be soft and gentle against mine.

I shook myself. Why am I thinking like this?

Victor sighed but kept his eyes closed.

"What?" He demanded.

"What, What?" I replied.

He opened his eyes and I felt like I was staring into them for the first time.

Black. Endless darkness filled with little orbs of light. Like a star filled night. Right now they were filled with suspicion.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked.

I shrugged, pushing the warm feeling that had surged up in my gut back down. This was not good.

I couldn't be…feeling something for Victor could I?

Where the hell did it come from? How can I get rid of it? Victor seemed to catch my changed feelings and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"What, no snide remark or sarcastic reply?" He said with raised eyebrows.

I gnawed my lip nervously. I had to get out of here before I did something stupid. I began to pull myself out of bed but a cold hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back down. Victor hovered over me with a curious expression on his face. His messy hair was sticking up in every direction. I almost smiled at how silly he looked. How sexy he looked.

Oh my god, what was happening to me?

"Get off me Victor!" I said breathlessly.

"I will…when I believe that you actually want me to get off" He said in a husky voice, his breath caressed my face and I stared at him with wide eyed panic.

"I do, I do! Get off please"

Victor smiled at me, one of his rare- real smiles. After a few seconds his mouth quirked up in thought and he raised his eyes to the wall before staring at me again.

"Fine," he said with a sigh "But first…"

And then he kissed me.

My head was swirling. Should I kiss him back? Should I shove him off?

He killed you parents! One part of me screamed.

Yeah, but he's sorry for it…I think, I argued.

Unable to come up with something to do I just lay rigid and enjoyed the feel of his lips against mine. I was right. He was gentle.

But at the moment I wasn't sure if the situation made me burst with joy or scared shitless.

He raised his hand to brush hair from my face and drew slow circles along my lips with his tongue. After a second that seemed to last forever of panicking, I finally just gave in and kissed him back. Kissing Victor was like…like, being knocked down by a huge wave and pulled to the bottom of the ocean, and then just as you're about to run out of air, you get back to the surface; full of adrenaline and feeling more alive than ever.

It was thrilling, and refreshing, and frightening. His lips brushed against mine one last time before he pulled away with a satisfied smile.

"No girl, no matter how reluctant can resist my charm" He said arrogantly as he collapsed back down on the bed, folding his hands behind his head.

I rolled my eyes. What had I just done?

"Shut up" I groaned, pulling a pillow over my face and screaming into it. I threw the pillow at Victor, and that still didn't wipe the annoying yet satisfying smile off his face. Annoying because he looked really happy, and satisfying because I was the cause. I got up from the bed, ignoring my lack of clothing. Spending almost an eternity in hospital scrubs that blew up and in all directions with the slightest of breezes had basically rid me of all dignity. Which was why, I was currently walking around Victor's room in nothing but a tank top and some underwear.

I needed to get myself some pajamas.

"Where are you going?" Victor asked turning over in bed.

Seriously? How many hours does a vampire need to sleep?

"To get me and Cilla something to eat" I replied.

"mmkay," Victor replied "If someone comes to the door let them in, I'm expecting a guest"

I curled my palm into a fist.

"Whatever" I said and reached for the doorknob.

"Oh and Echo," Victor called. I turned back to him and he smirked "You're not bad"

I narrowed my eyes and watched with slight amazement as Cilla used one of her tails to wrap around the doorknob and slam the door shut behind us.

"Impressive" I commended

Her big pink tongue flopped out and her tails wagged dangerously fast. I smiled at her.

Eventually, Victor arose. I had already finished my bowl of cereal and Cilla was in the process of removing the remaining pieces of raw steak from her chops.

Victor walked, or strutted, into the kitchen in his usual attire.

He wore an unbuttoned black shirt; showing off his toned chest (that was new), black jeans, black combat boots, and a wicked smile.

His smile faltered when he glanced at Cilla and he turned to me with an annoyed expression.

"Must we waste my very expensive steak on the damn mutt?" He growled, shaking his head as he opened the fridge and produced an 8 oz. bottle of blood.

"It's not like you use it for anything" I muttered with a shrug. Victor gave me a 'that's not the point, you idiot' look as he unscrewed the cap and took an enormous gulp from the bottle.

I watched the thick, slushy, red liquid splash around the bottle and imagined it sliding down my throat…

Before I realized it I was gagging, and I think I threw up in my mouth a little. Victor's face pinched up as he set the bottle down.

"That's a little overdramatic" He said coolly "But that stuff is pretty nasty"

He shuddered lightly.

"I prefer mine fresh and warm"

He raised his eyebrows and gave me a hopeful look. I returned it with a disdainful 'not going to happen' glare.

Victor clicked his tongue and put the bottle in the microwave.

"You'll come around" He announced with a knowing grin "They always do"

I rolled my eyes and cast a disgusted look at the microwave.

"Why don't you just go out and get blood yourself" I offered. Victor ran a hand through his hair and I watched as his ab muscles flexed with the movement.

"I already told you. I'm expecting a guest. And this guy doesn't wait around"

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door and Victor disappeared for a fraction of a second before he appeared with his hand on the knob.

"C'mon Wes, get in here" Victor said as he ushered a small kid inside. Well he wasn't a kid- he was like my age- but still.

"Calm down. No damaging the human goods" The boy said, referring to Victor's none to gentle shoves inside. Victor smirked as he shut the door and waved me over.

"Here she is" He said as I entered the foyer.

The boy, Wes, stared at me with appraising eyes, after a few seconds he held out his hand

"Wesley Cho" He introduced. I smiled unsurely and took his hand in mine.

"Echo…"

"Fawx" Victor filled in after my drawn out pause.

Wesley adjusted his glasses and smiled at me.

He was tall and kind of lanky- obviously Asian, and had long raven black hair around his shoulders.

"Pleasure" He replied

"Yeah…" I said.

Victor sank down against his large couch.

"Wes here, needs to bug you" Victor announced "So that we know where to retrieve your body if you mess up"

He flashed me one of his disturbing smiles and I sneered.

"From what movies I've seen- whenever the good guy infiltrates the bad guys- the bad guys always scan them for trackers" I said

Victor shook his head.

"The Death Walkers won't be expecting another Death Walker to betray them" Wes answered "They believe that every Death Walker will see it their way. It's the shifters and ghouls that they're watching out for"

I pursed my lips and frowned at the floor.

"Well where's it going?" I asked

Victor gave me one of his priceless 'stop talking, you just look stupid' looks and I glared at him.

"It's not going anywhere. Wes has an…ability. He's going to connect you and I so that if something happens, I'll know. And then I'll be able to decide whether or not I like you better breathing or not" Victor said stoically with a hint of annoyance.

"Shut up- I'd like to get this over with…" I prompted, giving Wes a meaningful look.

Wes looked as if I had just woken him up from a dream. He smiled sheepishly at me.

"Oh, yeah sorry"

Wes took my hand and reached for Victor's, Victor yanked his hand back so fast I thought that Wes had done something to him. Wes gave Victor a displeased glare.

"Dude, seriously? It's part of the incantation" Wes scoffed

Victor glared warily at Wes before he hesitantly put his hand in his.

And then, without warning, Wes thrust my hand into Victor's. I felt as if I was being shocked wherever my hand touched Victor's -which was everywhere- and it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling.

Me and Victor both glanced up at each other with the same expressions on our faces; shock.

"What are you doing to us?" Victor hissed. Wes's brow furrowed.

"I haven't done anything yet!" a vexed Wes whispered back. Victor and I both retracted our hands as if we had been burnt.

"No, no." Wes said placating "This is good. Your connection is stronger so you'll have a stronger bond"

I cast Wes a suspicious glare before handing Victor my hand again.

Again, there was the feeling of sparks being set off in my blood.

I shivered.

Wes wrapped both of his hands around our joined ones and closed his eyes to concentrate. He mumbled a few words that I couldn't comprehend and then opened his eyes; signaling that he was done. I withdrew my hand and watched as a thin, black, aura looking rope grew between us; connecting us both from our hands. After a few moments it disappeared and I relaxed a little.

Victor reclined against the couch.

"Well, looks like we can go to the Other Side now" He said matter of factly.

I felt a whir of emotions but the most dominating two was the anxious excitement and the cold blooded fear.

I was going back to the other side.

The realm where there was constant darkness aside from the three moons that always stayed high in the sky. The realm where no normal humans were allowed and only cut throat supernatural's called it home. The realm where you could become a slave forever because of a lost game of cards. It was also the realm that hosted large, lavish parties and had the best food I'd ever tasted, and the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen.

I felt the shadow of a smile on my face.

Maybe this could be fun? I asked myself hopefully.

Victor smiled too. One of his disturbing smiles.

"Fresh blood"

I rolled my eyes.

I was beginning to think that Victor's behavior was not the norm. I was beginning to think maybe he was just his own kind of temperamental, hostile, annoying as hell, handsome, sexy, breed.

I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go to the other side" I said, hardly able to contain my anxiousness.