Sorry I haven't updated in so long. Exams were a total bitch this time around, and actually having to study killed me. Anyways, the next chapter ^^

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I awoke in small degrees to a warm sensation flowing around me. As my eyes focused, I smiled, realizing I had fallen asleep in the jacuzzi. Of course, all three of my friends were passed out around me, and I looked out to see the sky started to brighten.

"Catie. Victoria."

Both women woke nearly instantly, gazing around the room in a daze.

"It's morning, isn't it?" Victoria asked, her sleepy eyes trained on my face. I quirked an eyebrow at her guess and nodded, amazed at her perception even though she was still mostly asleep.

"Good guess," I replied.

"Guess my ass," she replied, standing up and getting out of the tub. Catie and I followed suit, leaving Amber to sleep for a few more hours. She was still used to staying awake during the day, and we didn't want to take away any sleep she could get.

"What are you talking about?" Catie asked, grabbing her clothes from last night. "You just woke up. You had no idea it was going to be morning."

"Yes I did," Victoria said smugly. "Esmeralda wasn't the only freak."

Both of us looked at Victoria strangely as we both struggled into our pants.

"So, you're saying you had powers too?" Catie asked.

"Of course. How else could I have become a Carpathian?"

"I hate it when you do that," I muttered. "Always have to have a one up."

I finally tugged my shirt over my head and didn't press the interesting topic further. We needed to go to ground before the sun rose, and my body was literally crying out for the deep sleep of the Carpathians. The channeling before had wiped out all of my strength and Amber's blood did little to bring it all back.

"You want to sleep with us?" Catie asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm not having a threesome with him."

Catie choked on her laughter and fought a blush, but to no avail.

"Just get Diego to open a rift for her and put her to sleep. Vincent will be here soon."

My heart leapt at her statement and my whole body began to tingle. He was coming back for me. He hadn't left me. I wasn't alone.

"How do you...never mind. I don't want to know," I stated, my hands held up in surrender.

All three of us, now fully dressed, walked out of my room and down to the foyer, where we sensed the rest of the Carpathians. When we walked into the room, Lyon and Diego came to their lifemate's side, leaving me alone once again. Immediately as the thought crossed my mind, Diego's arm fell around my shoulders. For once, I didn't fight it, I just accepted it for what it was. Comfort.

"Welcome, the three of you," Mikhail said. "We have been discussing what will be done with the three of you."

"Done?" Catie asked.

"Yes, of course. Your living conditions have been erratic at best, and we must find a place where the three of you can recover from the conversion as well as last night."

Immediately, the three of us linked hands.

"We won't split apart," Victoria stated as Catie and I nodded. "We'll stay together."

We may have accepted the Carpathian lifestyle, but that was with friends. Apart, we were alone, and everything became real and terrifying. Together, we were one, and we friends would do anything for one another.

"I thought as much," Mikhail replied with a smile. "Your ties to one another are quite extroardinary. So, your lifemates will take you to the crystal caves."

"The...crystal caves? Why?" I asked.

"The crystal caves provide an astounding rate of healing," Shea answered. "It will replentish your energy as well as heal any malady of the body. It will only take a few days, then we can start your lessons once again."

Both Catie and I began to snicker, and Victoria glared at each of us.

"Esmeralda, before you can go to ground, you must feed," Shea began, but I was already shaking my head.

"Please, don't offer me your blood. I want to hunt my own."

Instead of arguing with me, Shea accepted my terms and nodded.

"All right. Diego will take you hunting. Is this all right?"

"Yeah. It's fine," I replied, relieved at the turn of events.

"You only have fifteen minutes until sunrise. Please be quick, Diego."

Diego nodded.

"Of course. Esmeralda, if you please?"

He offered me his hand and bowed, as a gentlemen would, and I laughed.

"Smooth, Diego. Smooth."

"You think so?" he asked as I took his hand.

He lead me out to the door, where he stopped.

"Of course. It's just right."

I grinned at him, and Diego let me go.

"Are you ready?" he asked, and I nodded.

Again, I felt the prickly sensation through my body, and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I realized that I had been turned into Hedwig once again, but this time, I kept my balance. I ruffled my feathers, showing off to the watching Carpathians, and Diego picked me up.

"Be careful!" Catie called out to both of us.

"Always, mi amor," Diego answered as he launched me into the air. Quickly he followed suit and the both of us began to gain altitude as we flew from the house.

Finally, we leveled out and began to fly. It was quiet between the two of us; I was enjoying the sensation of flight. A few minutes later, Diego banked downwards and I followed suit, sensing humans beneath us.

Diego landed first and I circled, then aimed for his arms once again. He caught me in midair and let me hop to the ground. I stumbled, but pushed myself back onto my talons, then hooted at Diego.

"Good, Esmeralda. You're learning," he replied, allowing me to change back to a human.

"Of course," I replied, shaking off the last of the pricklies. "I had a good teacher."

Diego laughed at my statement, then waved his hand. A few seconds later, two humans emerged from the trees, and I felt my inscisors lengthen in my mouth. Their blood called to me and I could feel something in me wanting to leap at them and drink. I clamped down on the urge and calmly walked over to the man and sank my teeth into his neck.

He gasped in pleasure shortly before I groaned. The sweet taste of blood filled each of my senses and I drank faster than I ever had before.

I wanted more.

I needed more.

I craved more.

"Esmeralda!" I snapped out of the spell the blood had put on me and looked towards Diego. "That's enough. Close the wound and move to the woman."

I looked away in shame as I pulled away, licking the wound closed. I reached for the woman, who came into my arms willingly, and sank my teeth into her neck. This time, I controled how much I was drinking, and kept myself from trying to take too much of her blood. It was still as delicious as the man's was, and keeping a hold of myself was taking much more willpower than I was used to.

"That's enough," Diego finally said, and I closed the wound regretfully.

"Thank you, Diego," I said softly.

Two fingers lifted my chin to look into Diego's eyes, and I could feel the blood dripping from my lips and onto his hands.

"Everyone loses control their first time," he explained. "Every fledgling has their weak point. You have nothing to be ashamed off."

The blood dissapeared from my face and lips, and I nodded once, accepting his words.

"Everyone?" I asked, my voice a mere whisper.

"Everyone," he affirmed. "I had trouble with blood as a fledgling. I had to feed from another Carpathian before I could move on to a human."

"I...Thank you," I said, smiling hesitantly at Diego.

"It's no problem. Now we have to get to the caves. The sun is going to rise in a few moments, and as a fledgeling, it will hurt your skin more than it will mine. Are you ready?"

Again, I was transformed and launched into the air, and of course, Diego followed me. He lead the way as we flew as fast as possible, but suddenly, another owl flew from the forest to my side. Diego blocked it, but I already could feel the owl. I intercepted Diego and flew down toward my lifemate, the happiness bursting from me.

Diego, instead of trying to block him, allowed him to fly with us, and he lead the way up the mountain. A few moments later, Diego landed, and I circled once before leveling out for my descent. Instead of Diego waiting for me, my lifemate was standing before me, his arms stretched out before me. I felt something from within me well up at his action, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. He had left me, without warning, to go somewhere without me. I wasn't ready to forgive him, even though I was happy he was at my side once again.

I banked and he caught me in his arms, cradling me gently.

"Let her out, Diego," Vincent commanded, and I was quickly transformed into a human. However, Vincent hadn't let go of me, so I was still locked in his embrace when I transformed.

"We need to go to ground," I reminded my lifemate. I was beginning to feel twinges of pain, especially around my eyes, and my lifemate quickly bolted into action.

He ran swiftly underground, Diego hot on our tail, through various caverns and tunnels, following a trail only Diego and he knew. A few moments later, we arrived at a beautiful cavern full of different types of gems and crystals, and I felt my friends below ground.

"They're already below," Diego said, affirming my belief. A rift opened and I saw Catie, still as death, lying there. My heart leapt and I went to check for a pulse, but my lifemate held me to him.

"She's alive. She's just sleeping the deep Carpathian sleep."

As the initial panic drifted away, I blushed at my mistake, but my lifemate stroked my cheeks.

"All humans react the way you do at first, mor-forwyn. It is only natural," he said, his voice next to my ear.

Diego leapt into the rift and settled beside of his lifemate, then waved his hand. The rift closed, leaving my lifemate and myself alone.

"I need to go to ground," I reminded him, uncomfortable with how close he was to me.

"I know," he replied, waving his hand. A similar rift appeared and he leapt in, still keeping me in his embrace. "We'll go to ground together," he told me, slowly placing me on the ground, his eyes never wavering from mine. He waved his hand and the rift closed, but I could still see Vincent.

"What?" I asked, uncomfortable with his stare. However, I still couldn't look away.

"I missed you, mor-forwyn," he replied, lying down beside of me.

"Where did you go?" I asked.

I saw a flash of blood and a cry of pain before it was gone, and I realized that it had come from Vincent's mind.

"I had business to take care of," he replied.

"Business?" I echoed.

There was blood. More blood than I could ever imagine. A heart lay on the ground, still beating.

"Yes," he replied, with a tone of finality, ending the conversation.

A face stared at me, his eyes unblinking, and something in me felt terror. However, I couldn't place the face, but a name shimmered in the air around him.

His name was Mehmet.

It didn't seem familiar, but again, I felt the initial spurt of fear.

"What is wrong, mor-forwyn?" Vincent asked, sensing my fear.

"I don't like being underground," I replied, not far from the truth. I was still highly uncomfortable with this part of Carpathian life, even if it was in a beautiful cavern full of gems.

I mean, what if there was a volcano below us?

What if we were caught in a landslide and couldn't get out?

What if we drowned because of a river below us?

"Mor-forwyn, none of these things will happen," Vincent told me, clearly amused by my fears.

"Yes they could," I replied, inching closer to Vincent. My hands clutched his wrist, drawing comfort from his presence.

"I will protect you, Esmeralda." I shivered at the use of my name, and knew it wasn't because of the fear. I felt the name all the way to my heart, and my body reacted accordingly. I shook off the feeling and tried to calm down, but I realized I couldn't go to sleep without his help.

"Can...you put me to sleep?" I asked, tentatively extending my trust to this man I had only known for a few days.

"Of course. All you had to do is ask," he replied suavely. "Sleep, my love. Sleep the deep sleep of the Carpathians."

As I closed my eyes and my body shut down, all I could feel was relief that the man from Vincent's mind was dead. How odd.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"Wake, Esmeralda."

My eyes opened immediately and I looked around. I felt panic as I realized I was in a cave, but memories of last night flooded my mind, and I relaxed. I was safe. I had come to this place to heal.

"Vincent?" I asked, looking to my right. My lifemate was kneeling beside of me, his eyes intently watching me, and I looked away. He was so intense, my lifemate. Something drew me, but I was too embarassed to admit this, even to myself.

"It's me," he replied, softly caressing my cheek. "I have hunted for the both of us, so I will supply you with blood."

Blood.

The one word speared me and I could feel my fangs already grown and ready to feed. I must have used more energy than I had originally thought.

I sat up and leaned into my lifemate, my only focus the throbbing vein on his neck. I licked my lips in anticipation as my lifemate leaned over me to give me better access. I sank my teeth into his neck, and pure pleasure poured into my mouth. His blood was powerful and empowering at the same time, and I could feel my own body humming from the taste of his blood.

My exhaustion that I had felt was clearly fading, and I was more awake than I ever had been since I turned into a Carpathian. I moaned as I brought his neck and body closer to me, reveling in the sensations I was currently feeling.

"Esmeralda," Vincent whispered, his voice husky and oh so sensual. I could feel the need to claim me as his lifemate, and it was slowly seeping into my own self. Fantasies of the both of us together was flashing through my mind, and I knew they weren't my own. I could have never thought of this...these...positions.

Before I could jump him and fufill all of these fantasies in his mind, I pulled away and licked the wound closed. I scrambled away from him, afraid of what we would do to one another, but Vincent caught me and pulled my back against his chest. And oh dear lord, that was most definately not his finger against my lower back.

"Where are you going?" he asked, clearly amused.

"Anywhere but there," I quickly replied, the images on constant replay through my mind.

"I can't wait too much longer, Esmeralda," he admitted, his voice low, purring into my ear. "I'm trying to give you time, but I can't hold out forever."

I was at war within myself. At one end, there was pure, carnal pleasure. I wanted to fufill what I wanted most, and that was to have him claim me as his lifemate once and for all. And the other side, I had only known him for a short while. I was a virgin, deathly afraid of actually facing the unknown, and I wanted my first time to be special, sensual. I was still afraid of Vincent and still wary of the thing inside of him.

How could I choose between desire and intellect without feeling ashamed of whatever I chose?

"I'm sorry," I managed to whisper, the human side winning the fight.

"Don't be sorry, mor-forwyn," Vincent immediately reassured, nuzzling my hair with his face. "You will be ready when I take you. I won't force you or allow any doubts when we join."

Lord help me then.

"Where are my friends?" I asked, frantically trying to change the subject.

"They are still below ground. I had to wake you up to feed you. Now, you have to go back to sleep."

"Why?" I asked, not wanting to leave his side.

"I will be with you," he replied, reading my mind. "Come." The rift opened and we both leapt inside. "It's time to rest."

With a wave of his hand, I fell asleep once again into the sleep of the Carpathians.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"Have we gotten the tape back yet?" the man in the black office chair asked, absentmindedly tapping his pen on his desk.

"Yessir," the two uniformed men in front of him chorused.

"And?" the man drawled, cutting his eyes lazily to both men. However, both men gulped and one held out the tape recording.

"Th...they left around six, sir," the man stammered, carefully holding out the tape to the man behind the desk.

"And do they remember?" the man behind the desk asked, taking the tape and staring at it.

"No," the man stated. "They don't remember anything."

"Excellent. You two may go."

"Yessir!" they chorused before exiting the room, each wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

As they left, the man stared at the tape in his hands, his eyes glinting at the prospects that could unfold. He was so close to having actual proof. With the proof, he could finally destroy those evil monsters and save all of humankind.

"So, you aren't as smart as you think you are, vampires," he drawled. "You forgot about human technology."

The man chuckled as he preened about outsmarting the vampires, and he smiled in victory.

"Soon, you'll all be dead, and you'll have no one to blame but your bloodsucking selves. I'll avenge the death of every human you've killed, every one you've hurt. I'll harness your power to enslave your race. You'll all be mine very soon. Very soon."