Last chapter =)

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Chapter Seven

Gregory climbed into the carriage and set his case down beside him. He'd been away from home on and off for the last few months, and whilst he was certain Helen was quite capable of taking care of herself, he still felt the occasional pang of guilt at leaving his only daughter home alone.

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Helen stood in the doorway to her private lab and smiled as she watched Nikola petting the antelope. Despite his initial response, they seemed to have formed quite the bond. He'd even named him.

"How are you feeling?" she finally asked.

"Quite good, actually." He gave Предраг another pat before moving to wash his hands. "I think we've hit the nail on the head."

"So… no cravings?" she enquired, closing the door and moving towards him.

"Oh, I have a craving." He dried his hands. "This one is even more powerful, perhaps even impossible for me to resist."

"For what?" she worried slightly, watching him turn and move impossibly closer. His eyes roamed her body without any attempt to hide it.

"For you." He whispered. "I crave you." He dropped a soft kiss to her mouth, and she felt her heart flutter as he seemed to finally be allowing her the contact that she too, had been craving for weeks.

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"I'll just be a moment," Gregory informed the driver, hopping out of the carriage and heading over to a stall to buy a bunch of flowers for Helen. He'd missed her, and worried she didn't always realise just how much. He knew he could be a little distant sometimes, her mother had told him so. Hopefully his gesture would go some way to showing he cared.

He cradled the flowers carefully in one arm, and hopped back into the carriage to settle for the rest of the journey home.

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"This would have to be our secret." Her own suggestion shocked her, but perhaps not as much as it ought to have.

"It would be. It would be our special little secret." He promised, his kisses becoming more passionate. He knew without needing to hear the words that she wanted this to happen just as urgently as he did.

Any thoughts about inappropriateness quickly deserted her, as she became overwhelmed with a need to divest him of every scrap of clothing. Although, she was considering leaving his cravat on.

He ripped at her clothes, his hands leaving her body only to carelessly swipe everything from the desk onto the floor, and when he hoisted her up onto the edge, she welcomed him between her naked thighs.

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Gregory headed down the path and unlocked the front door. It was dark inside, and he sighed softly to himself, assuming his daughter to be tucked up in bed.

He hung his keys up, set down his case, and headed upstairs with her flowers.

"Helen?" he called softly through her door.

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Nikola moved skilfully between her legs, and when she moaned out at the crest of her pleasure he wasn't far behind.

He embraced her in the aftermath, and shifted back into his human form. She held him closely, resting her head on his shoulder and realising with a wide smile that she didn't feel a shred of guilt for what they'd done.

"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

She opened her eyes then, noticing her lab in disarray and letting out a giggle.

"Very much so, but my lab wasn't so lucky. We made rather a mess, in our haste."

"Worth it, though." He teased.

She sighed happily, and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

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When he received no answer, Gregory opened the door and was surprised to find her bed empty. His brow creased in confusion, and he set her flowers down on the bedside table. He supposed she was in her lab working away at something, and a smile crept back onto his face.

Like father like daughter.

He headed down to the basement, certain that's where he'd find her. When he saw the light from beneath the door, he knew his suspicion had been correct, and headed inside towards her lab. What he saw on his arrival almost stopped his heart.

That boy, between his naked daughter's thighs.

There was no denying what had obviously occurred.

"Dear Lord," he gasped.

Helen was pulled cruelly from her post-coital haze, turning at the same time as Nikola to see her father stood in the doorway.

"Father?" she panicked.

"You've disgraced yourself, girl," he seethed.

Her face fell at his disappointment in her, and Nikola reached for the nearest item of clothing to cover her up.

"She's done no such thing, Sir. I love your daughter, very much."

"Don't even dare!" he snapped at Nikola's attempt to excuse their behaviour. "Clothe yourself, and leave. You're no longer welcome here."

"But father, he-"

"Don't talk to me! I don't even want to look at you right now." He raged, turning to leave and slamming the door shut behind him.

Helen let out a sob of despair. Her bliss had turned so abruptly to distress.

"Sshh, Helen,"

"He's right, isn't he. I have disgraced myself."

"You haven't,"

"I have!" she cried. "I should be ashamed, but," she took a breath, "I'm not, Nikola. I'm not ashamed. What sort of person does that make me?" she sniffled, trying to regain her composure but struggling. "I don't want you to leave. I don't want to be unable to see you."

"Sshh," he tried to soothe her, grateful for her confession and eager to make things better. "He's angry now. He just needs some time to cool off." He kissed her gently, hoping to reassure her. "This will still be our secret, Helen. Your father will forgive us, and likely never speak of it again. He may even allow me back in your home, in time."

"You really think so?"

"I really think so."

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He'd been right of course. Her father's anger did dissipate, and he'd eventually allowed Nikola back in their home – although not without a chaperone.

That hadn't deterred either of them though.

Their secret had been only the first of many. She suggested he should have her as and when he craved her, and that it was as necessary as his regimen of nutrients and animal plasma to curb his hunger.

It worked wonders, of course.

He never fed on another human being again.

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A/N: Thanks to all for reading / reviewing! Hope you enjoyed =) Also, I have an idea for a sequel (it would likely be a one-shot, set around the time of 'Awakening'…) If you'd like to see that, do let me know =) Thanks!