"This place stinks." Roth growled under his breath.

He grabbed a nearby guy by the back of his shirt and aggressively tore him out the way so that he fell into another guy on the dance-floor and spilt his drink all down him. Deven was left to amend things before a huge fight kicked off.

"Careful, cousin," Deven warned him, grabbing his elbow, "the last thing we want is a huge brawl before we can get to her."

"I doubt that will be a problem..." Roth mysteriously replied.

He stopped walking and pointed at arms length. Deven followed his direction just in time to spot my figure slipping through the crowd, my hand in another man's who was following close behind me. We headed out the back door, for fresh air.

Deven rolled his eyes, "Something tells me that guy is hoping for a lot more than just some fresh air. Come on."

And so, the two step-cousins continued to carefully but forcefully ease their way through the swaying, grinding, sweating dance-floor to get to the back door before it was a little too late...

... My male friend playfully walked be back into the wall beside the large rubbish crate. It was a bit smelly in this back-ally, but it all added to the fun of it I suppose. And though I didn't know it yet, the alcohol in my system was making everything a little faint, including my smell. But my hormones - they were racing.

I smiled and snaked my arms around the man's shoulders, "Oooh, dark, scary ally-way... kinky."

My drunken, girly voice was oozing with sarcasm, of course. The dark-haired, handsome mister slipped his hands onto my sides and then slowly, and I mean slowly, eyed my body up and down ever so hungrily and licked his bottom lip; it was as if the dude actually wanted to eat me. Kinda' sexy, in a strange way.

"Want to go somewhere a little more... clean?" I laughed lightly, looking around at the rubbish everywhere.

But just like that, without warning, the man automatically gripped my hip-bones and crushed me against the wall as if my suggestion had completely offended him. I gave a gasp - that was a little too rough. Suddenly I wasn't in the mood to have 'fun' with him anymore.

"I can manage here just fine - that way no one's around to hear your cries." He breathed against my lips.

What the hell?? Ok, time out buddy! I tried to lean away from him, but there was only a wall blocking my escape. I turned my head to the left to prevent him from kissing me, but then he strangely began to smell and lick at my neck. Ahhh, if he wasn't acting like such a psycho-murderer this would be nice, but now I wanted to go!

"Let me go," I demanded through my gritted teeth, "I wanna' go now. Please...!"

He chuckled cruelly, "I love it when my food begs."

"Food?" I squeaked in alarm, then startled to struggle madly against him, "what the fuck?? Get off me! Get away!"

"I believe the lady asked you to stop, friend." A familiar voice spoke out from nearby.

The man stopped toying with my neck and looked over his shoulder in annoyance and curiosity. Through my teary, drunk vision, I could see Deven and Roth both standing there looking rather relaxed, but still quite demanding.

"Deven," The man holding me smirked, "want some?"

"Not this time. Let her go." Deven demanded tonelessly, his arms still folded.

The man holding me looked back round to me. Now, his top canines were long and sharp, and his eyes were glowing a haunting yellow. I let out a sudden yelp - he was a Vampire too?! I tried to free myself.

"Jesus, how many of you are there?!" I cried out in distress.

"Come on, Dev - just a little taste. This one's real pure." The Vampire muttered and began to lean in to kiss my neck.

Suddenly, the Vampire fell away from me and ended up on his back amongst all the smelly rubbish bags. Deven now stood before me, clapping his hands together, as in brushing off the deed. The burden. I stared at him hopelessly.

"Not even a whole day's gone by and she's already getting into trouble." Deven huffed tiredly to Roth.

The random Vampire scrambled out from the rubbish and took off down the ally-way at full speed as if his very life depended on it. I was just left standing there to gape at Deven and Roth in... shock.

I pointed randomly at myself, "I nearly-... and he was going to-... so I could've..."-

"Clever girl. Come on, now, before any more catch your scent," Deven grumbled in annoyance, "I really don't like fighting with allies."

He took me tightly by the arm with a grip that an angry parent would hold upon their misbehaving child. I let him drag me to the end of the ally, with Roth striding powerfully behind us, on the careful look-out. A black car was waiting by the curb and the bouncer of the club was standing there stiffly, as to protect it. He nodded to Deven when we arrived before him and then stepped aside to return to his post at the empty door. I could hear and feel the vibrations of the music inside; I felt sick.

Deven opened the back door and pushed me in inconsiderately. But hey, I suppose I didn't really deserve any gentle care or respect right now. I had caused them enough trouble and wasted their time. Once Roth was in the passenger seat beside Deven in the front, the engine came to life, and we were driving away back down the dark country road.

For the short journey home, I just sat back and watched the street-lamps float by. I was lurking in my own thoughts. I was feeling strangely philosophical - and it wasn't just the alcohol. I could have died tonight. That fact was suddenly starting to sink in real deep.

We arrived back at the Mansion soon. As soon as the door slammed shut behind me and the boom echoed around the hall, I knew it was an expression of anger and scolding. I flinched guiltily, and turned to look at the cousins in shame.

"I ... I was only trying to have some fun." I immediately defended myself.

Deven snickered and came towards me quickly; I stumbled back in alarm, "You don't do anything without addressing us first, is that clear? You don't even breathe if we tell you not to. What you did tonight could have cost you your very life - and possibly ours, if they decided to turn on us. You should know better than to go out to a place like that at this time of the year."

I shook my head in confusion, "What time?"

Roth raised a curious eyebrow, "She really doesn't know anything about us. Novelynne wasn't exaggerating when she said she had only discovered two days ago."

"Look, can you both stop talking about me as if I'm never here? I can hear you." I waved my hands out; I nearly lost balance.

Deven looked me up and down contemplatively, "It's the beginning of Autumn. The cold. The change in the air, the atmosphere, lures our kind from hiding - drives us to feed off more heat. This place is very different from where you came from, Andromache, so I suggest you follow our instructions very carefully if you want to keep your blood."

My finger tips flew to my lips, "And I like my teeth this size."

"Precisely," Roth nodded in turn, "first rule - no more escaping out to clubs and whoring around."

I gasped at him, "Excuse me?! I wasn't gonna' do anything, I was just"-

"So now that's clear, you should probably go on up to bed." Deven cut me off carelessly.

With that, the two cousins turned their back to me and started to walk away, taking their coats off as they went. Oh no. I wasn't having them treat me this way. I was a guest in their house! So, I followed them, waving my pointing finger as if it held all the power in the world.

"You're both very rude, you know that?" I hiccupped on the way.

"And you're very drunk." Deven chuckled to his cousin.

"Ok - fine - that's true," I pouted at my reflection in a passing mirror, "but isn't that more reason for you to go easy on me??"

"No." Deven bluntly replied.

Now, we were back in the living room, where the fire was still burning sweetly. The two cousins headed over to the couch, but I just stood swaying hopelessly in the doorway. I couldn't believe these two.

"Don't you have any compassion?" I sighed in disappointment.

Deven and Roth's eyes flickered onto me for just a second. I didn't notice. I was now frowning at the fireplace and trying to balance myself by holding onto the door-frame. I hated this. I felt... so lonely. And nauseous, but that's not the point here.

"This isn't easy for me." I unemotionally muttered.

As if they would care. I was just wasting my time here. So, shaking my head to myself, I let go of the door and attempted to turn around and walk off. But my head hit the floor quicker than you could say 'overly drunk'. Ouch. Pain. And blurriness. I couldn't focus.

Deven rolled his eyes and got up to come over to me. Roth watched him secretly from the sofa as he scooped my limp body up in his arms like a bride-to-be.

"We were hard on her?" Roth commented in thought.

Deven looked down upon my sleeping face with no expression, "She needed to learn her lesson."

Roth's smile curled craftily, "Want to taste her?"

"What?" Deven looked back at his cousin in offence.

Roth kept smiling, "Are you telling me you don't want to?"

Deven didn't show much emotion, though it was clear that he didn't quite agree with Roth. Finally, he tore away from the gaze, and started to walk away.

"I won't tell aunt Novelynne if you won't!" Roth laughed cruelly.

Deven just sneered to himself on the way up to my bedroom. It was when he had entered the darkness of it that I annoyingly faded out of my unconsciousness and opened my blurry eyes. I looked up to see his shadowed face.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, my words slurring somewhat.

Deven didn't look at me, "Be quiet."

He lay me down on the bed and then folded the cover over me. I lay there, just watching him, my eyes half-open and a frown playing across my lips. My eyes followed him across the room as he went over to the curtains to close them; the moonlight was gone, but the light from the lamps outside shone against the curtains and made them glow deeply. Deven headed for the door.

"You saved my life." I stated in a tone of awe.

Deven, surprisingly, stopped in the doorway. His hand was still on the handle, his back was to me, but he had stopped. Had I said something wrong?

"You're Novelynne's concern... That makes you ours, too. Good night." He mysteriously spoke, finally.

With that, he walked out, and closed the door behind him, leaving me in almost total darkness. I fell asleep to my own thoughts, and also the nauseous feeling in my stomach. Perhaps Deven wasn't as cold and hard to crack as I thought he would be. And so maybe this job could be carried out easier than I had apprehended. This was going perfectly.

So... why was I feeling so guilty?

Oh no, Andy, suck it up. Don't start feeling all humane and "compassionate" now. Don't even think about it! You came here to do a job, so just get it over and done with as quickly as you can. Make the Vampire love you, then just break up with him. Easy as pie. I could do this... couldn't I?