AN: If you can't vote, you're probably too young to read this. Please go find some other lovely story to read and come back when you're legally an adult.

She was standing in a hallway in the hospital having just finished her rounds. It was the middle of summer in West Africa and she could feel a bead of sweat dripping down her spine under her scrubs.

"Ebola," Miette said.

"What?" Anna asked, as if she hadn't heard. Her mind was reeling.

"There's an outbreak in a village south of here, and some of the poorer neighbourhoods are beginning to develop symptoms too. I heard the epidemiologist talking to Dr. Bronn, he said we would be in full-scale epidemic within the week."

Anna felt as if she was going to faint. "Ebola? What are we going to do? We're not equipped for an epidemic! Just last week we almost ran out of latex gloves!"

When they returned to the dormitories there was a flyer on the door informing all Medecins Sans Frontieres staff that there was a mandatory meeting that evening. The chief of surgery confirmed what Miette had said. They were about to enter an epidemic.

"All medical personnel who does not wish to stay will be flown out in the morning. I need you to really consider this decision. Think of your families back home. Think of whether you can weather this storm that's coming – I'm talking 7 days a week, 18 hours a day on the clock. This is an incredibly infectious and deadly disease; it's not going to be pretty. They're flying more supplies in within two days and we're getting a few new hands but it's going to be rough. We're likely going to be put on quarantine, so I need you to be sure about your decision. There's no second guessing."

The next morning, Anna said goodbye to Miette.

"Are you sure you're not going to leave, Anna? Please, there's still time…"

"I have no family, nothing waiting for me back home. And I'm needed here. Really, I'll be fine. We have protocols to follow to protect us, and now I'm going to have something great to put on my CV!"

Miette forced a laugh at her friend's attempt to reassure her and knew then that she would not persuade the girl to see reason. "Au revoir, mon ami. Bonne chance."

The scene changed.

The woman in front of Anna had been admitted to the hospital less than two days ago. A few hours after that, she began vomiting blood. This would have been a normal scene in Anna's life for the past couple weeks – she had lost how many it had been – except that the woman was seven months pregnant.

"Just one more push, then you'll have a beautiful baby," she urged, becoming anxious. The woman had been pushing for hours now. Her body was already weakened from the illness and Anna felt certain the blood loss and infection was going to kill her. The child would likely also be infected because of the exposure to his infected mother's blood - if it even survived at all, as it was premature and they had no neonatal unit. They couldn't do a C-section to try and prevent contamination because the woman wasn't strong enough and they hardly had enough resources to run the hospital as it was, let alone put together a surgical team and power an OR. Nothing in her training had prepared her for this. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't save either of them, could only witness and lead them as they hurtled towards that dark night.

She saw the woman strain again, screaming out in agony, and finally a small body slipped into the world. Anna swiftly picked him up and all the colour drained from her face. Stillborn.

Silence.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so, so sorry."

As she looked at the woman's waxy face and the rush of blood cascading from her body, Anna realized she was speaking to a corpse.

She wheeled the body to the morgue, only to stop outside it. There were already bodies piled in the hallway. The morgue was overflowing with the dead. What was she supposed to do with these bodies – this young woman and the precious child who had never even breathed the air of this world? Was she just to leave them rotting in this hallway? Where were the grave diggers who had been disposing of them into mass graves, hardly even taking the time to identify each lost soul? Where was the humanity? With the influx of epidemic, it all seemed to have fled the building, along with the piles of bodies. Anna slid down the wall nearest to her, huddling on the floor, wanting to cry.

She should have left. Miette was right. She thought she was going to do some good, help people who were sick, bring comfort… all the reasons she had pursued medicine so single-mindedly in the first place. But she wasn't. All she ended up doing was sitting with dead bodies and wondering where she went wrong. Even sleep was no comfort. In it, the faces of all the dead came to her, haunting her, as she tried to figure out how she could've saved them.

The scene changed again.

"Air born."

"What do you mean air born?" A Medecins Sans Frontieres virologist was talking to Dr. Bronn.

"I've been tracking its evolution through samples. For the last four deaths, they were infected with a new mutated strand and it's transmitted through the air, not only through blood contact. We need to start evacuating."

"You expect me to just leave these people to die?"

"I expect you to think of your own personnel. They don't have to die. I'm going to notify the board of what I've found, and then I'm going to implement evacuation procedures."

It was already too late, though. The scene changed again.

Anna looked at one of the nurses – Valentina was her name, she remembered – that only yesterday had been working with her, smiling at her, reminding her that there was still a great big world outside of this dying country where people still smiled and lived happy, carefree, healthy lives.

Valentina had just breathed her last. The medical staff had started dropping like flies from the new mutated strand before they could even begin evacuating. It burned through them in less than a day. There was only her and three other nurses left. Everyone was dead. Everyone. There were bodies piled everywhere, screaming, crying, blood, vomit, excrement… she didn't remember the last time she slept, didn't remember anything except the foul stench of death.

She closed the woman's eyes and calmly walked away from the body. She didn't stop walking until she found a cupboard that used to house sterile equipment. There was a small vent high up which let in a small amount of fresh air but the scent of death still permeated everything. She screamed. She screamed until her voice was hoarse.

She was alone… she was all alone… they were all dead and soon she would be too.

The door opened but she didn't look up. She didn't know when she had curled into a ball, nor how long she had been there.

Joseph Acerbi stood above her. She could hardly tell it was him from the protective gowns and face coverings he was wearing, but she knew that slick voice. "Come with me."

She sat up with a start, her breath heaving, frantically looking around for him, expecting Joseph to be standing above her again as he led her from a quick death to a slow one again.

But he wasn't. Her eyes focussed on the ornate fireplace across from her and looked around the room, finally realizing she wasn't in Nigeria or that foul apartment in Rome. She was in Volterra. With Marcus. Who was currently kneeling beside her, purring for her, and speaking to her in soothing tones.

"You are safe, piccola. Nothing will harm you. I will not allow it."

She finally turned to look at him, her eyes focussing on him rather than the dazed, terrified, and cornered look she had had before as she frantically looked around the room.

"I dreamed I was back there… it seemed so real…"

"It was only a dream, my darling. Feel me. I am real, I am right here," he held out his hand and she grasped it, feeling the cold, hard weight of it. He leaned back against the headboard and opened his arms, inviting her to sit where he knew she felt safe and protected.

She didn't think twice, clambering into his embrace and settling her head under his chin as her legs draped over his and she sat across his lap.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"No."

He purred and she felt his face press against her hair, inhaling deeply.

"I wish I could have saved you from all the pain you have been caused."

"Me too," she whispered. She knew that the rhetoric of 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' was popular, but she didn't care for it. Make her weak. Make her utterly dependent on him. Make her boring. She would've taken it all to be spared what she had seen.

His hand began its stroking of her hair, running his fingers through the long silky strands. When he encountered a knot, he untangled it so skillfully she didn't even feel the tug. She didn't know how long they sat there, but she finally felt herself begin to relax. She nuzzled her face into his neck, breathing in his scent.

It made sense really, that her heightened emotions and close proximity would result this way. She wanted to feel alive, really feel that she was here, with him, and that he would protect her. Between his scent, his purring, and the feel of his firm body around her, Anna felt her body responding… the tightening began in her belly again and all she wanted was to straddle him and grind against him between her legs.

She knew what sex was and she was familiar with her own anatomy – she was a doctor for goodness' sake. And while all her experience with sex had been horrible and painful, she felt she had a functional working understanding of that too.

But she had never felt anything like this before. She was beginning to understand what her friends were talking about when they talked about their own sexual experiences. Yes, she had known what sex was, it was just that she had never considered it in relation to herself. Never fantasized. Never opened herself to the possibility. Never even dated. Until now.

She heard him inhaling deeply and coloured when she realized he could probably smell it… if their hearing was so good, it made sense that their smell would be as well, didn't it?

"Can you… smell me?" she asked, her voice squeaky and embarrassed.

His purr stuttered as he laughed and then increased, turning velvety soft and deeper. "Yes, my darling, I can smell your arousal. It is exquisite."

Her blush deepened and she hid her face further in his neck. "That's so embarrassing."

"Why is it embarrassing to be attracted to your mate? It is the most natural thing in the world."

"Yeah but…" she shivered. His voice was just making it worse. It was so deep and reassuring and the knot in her belly grew tighter. She pressed her thighs together, clinging closer to him.

He ceased stroking her hair and moved his hand to her chin, tilting it up to his face. He leaned in slowly, pressing his lips to hers. She responded instantly, gasping and throwing her hands around his neck to pull herself tighter to him. His hand left her chin to stroke down her neck to her shoulder and lightly brushed over her breast before grasping her waist. She gasped at the sensation and felt her nipples respond to his touch, hardening obviously through the thin shirt. His other hand remained on her back, using it to maneuver her body closer to his so that their torsos were flush.

She felt how hard he was – everywhere. The growing erection was obvious against her hip and it shocked her. She paused against his mouth and tried to navigate through her emotions. She felt nervous. Her experience with that appendage was all overwhelmingly negative, though he did not draw her notice to it or make her uncomfortable with it. However she couldn't deny that she also felt intensely aroused. She wanted to feel him, taste him, and see him. This was Marcus. Perfect, beautiful, wonderful Marcus. There couldn't be a single part of him that wasn't perfect, beautiful, and wonderful. He was the exact opposite of Joseph in every way. She didn't need to fear him, even if she could feel his erection growing against her.

She realized he was looking at her, watching her process, and she wanted to hide her face again. He didn't allow it, instead he leaned in to kiss her mouth again – softly, almost chastely, before kissing across her jaw to her neck. He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and pressed a kiss behind the shell of it. He continued his kisses down the side of her neck and to the dip of the v-neck of the pyjama shirt.

The pyjamas Athenodora and Sulpicia had gotten her ranged from perfectly functional flannel sets, to risqué negligees that she was sure were not meant to be worn for long and she had begun choosing something in the middle. She was not nearly confident enough to wear those flimsy, gauzy pieces of fabric that showed more than they covered, but she enjoyed the way Marcus tracked her with his eyes when she wore these tissue thin t-shirts with matching shorts. She knew the shape of her breasts and ass were clearly defined in them, and she knew he enjoyed that, as she had felt his eyes tracking her in them multiple times.

His kisses didn't go further than the neckline allowed, but instead moved back up to the other side of her neck before finishing at her mouth again. This time he attacked it with gusto, thrusting his tongue inside and tasting her like a dying man. She startled – they had never kissed so deeply before – but moaned at the feeling. His thrusting tongue felt like it was teasing her, imitating another intimate act… she blushed again at the direction of her own thoughts.

When he finally released her mouth, her lips were swollen and she was gasping for air. He had a hungry look on his face, which should have frightened her, considering she knew he fed from humans, but it didn't. It only made her want to offer herself up as a feast for him.

His hands gripped her hips and turned her so she was straddling him, rather than sitting across his lap. He pulled her hips closer and she moaned as she realized he had settled her centre right over his erection. His hands remained on her hips, gripping them so tightly it was almost uncomfortable. He groaned as she ground herself harder into him, her eyelids fluttering at the sensation it caused against her aching sex. He returned his lips to her neck, sucking at it. It would leave a mark, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"I can feel how wet you are," he growled against her skin. She whimpered and ground herself harder against him. His hands began guiding her hips in a push-pull motion against him, grinding her up the length of him and pressing down. A strangled moan escaped her throat as he continued guiding her. Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull.

She felt the knot tighten even further and became frenzied. Her hands tangled in his hair and she buried her face against his neck, pressing frantic kisses to all his exposed skin and allowing him to continue guiding and directing her movements with his grip on her hips.

She could feel her release growing closer with every movement. The intensity of the approaching wave almost frightened her. Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull.

"Relax, piccola. Let it happen. Let me take care of you."

His words pushed her over and she felt her first orgasm crash over her and engulf her. From the top of her head to the tips of her curling toes, it felt as if everything within her convulsed and released. She cried out, her hips stuttering as she shuddered, however he kept up the rhythm. Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull.

It sent her careening even more forcefully into the sensation. She felt her sex fluttering, clenching and releasing as it rode out the overwhelming wave. Her mind went blank, everything encompassed by a blinding brightness. An indescribable soul deep satisfaction settled over her. She released his hair and relaxed into him bonelessly.

She heard him suddenly let out something between a cry and a moan and felt something cold and wet seeping into the front of his pants, realizing he had also reached his orgasm. She was breathing hard and still seated firmly on the wet spot on his pants where both their releases were mingling.

Where previously she had experienced mind numbing ecstasy, now all she wished was to wrap herself up in him and drift off into sleep. She cuddled into him, wrapping her arms about his waist and holding him tightly. His own hands finally released her hips, one reaching lower to lightly grasp her bottom and the other beginning to stroke her back. Between that and the orgasm, she was asleep within seconds.

He must have changed his pants and removed hers once she was asleep, for when woke she was in a different pair than the ones they slept in and his had no suspicious stains on them. She blushed when she remembered what they had done and snuggled further into his embrace, settling her hips against his. She felt his arms tighten about her in response.

"Bashful again, my darling? What on earth could have triggered that this morning?" His voice was teasing.

"Oh, hush," she whispered, mortified.

"You are well?" he asked, seriously.

"I am more than well," she said in a small voice with a blush. "I understand what all the fuss is about now."

His hands stroked down her waist to her hip and up again. "Me as well. I cannot recall a more… satisfying… morning. And that was your first…?"

She could hear the shock in his voice and could tell what he was trying to ask. Not wanting to ruin the morning with talk of her horrific previous experiences, she said, "I have never felt… that… before."

"Not even on your own?"

"Never," she said, blushing more deeply.

He purred loudly in response. Instead of his hand continuing its circuit from her waist to her hip, it slipped forward to cup her breast. "I find that most satisfying."

She giggled with embarrassment and her stomach chose that time to grumble loudly, demanding their attention.

"Such a demanding mate," he said. "I shall run you a bath and then fetch your breakfast."

She felt him disentangling himself from her and clutched him harder. She knew her strength was no match for his, but he stopped anyway. "My stomach can wait a few minutes longer," she said.

When they finally emerged from his bed, he made good on his promise of running her a bath, including utilizing one of the "bath bombs" Athenodora had insisted they get her. It smelled of lilac and vanilla, rather than the harsh chemical scents many soaps had now, and he relented. If she enjoyed fragrant frothy bubbles in her bath, she would have them.

He sat on the bed next to where she was still cuddled into the blankets. "Whenever you are ready, it is waiting, my love," he said and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Hurry back," she whispered, embarrassed by how clingy she was being. His eyes narrowed in on her neck and a soft purr escaped him. She brought a hand up to the tender flesh and realized he must've succeeded in marking her.

"I will," he purred.

She took off her pyjamas and slipped into the bath. It was the perfect temperature for her and filled with bubbles that smelled of lilacs. It was so luxurious she felt as if she might just go back to sleep right there. Sulpicia's renovations had included a massive soaker tub that would easily fit both her and Marcus twice over. A large window sat across from her, giving her a beautiful view of vineyards and the sunrise. Everything felt perfect.

Marcus gave himself time to think as he retrieved his mate's breakfast from the cook. He had planned to draw out the torture of the scum in the dungeons… perhaps even for years. It had been recovering for a few days from his earlier assault and he had looked forward to many, many more. But he suddenly found himself uninterested in it.

In fact, he began to feel quite uneasy at the thought of his mate even sharing the same space as it. Their sweet coupling the night before made him realize how far his mate had come in her time with him. He couldn't imagine the injured, petrified girl who had laid in his bed only weeks ago doing such a thing with him. But she had. She was accepting her role in his life as his mate, and while part of him still wished retribution as her mate, he also wanted to give her a clean end and dispose of the filth that had plagued her. He wanted to give her more room to grow into this life and he felt sure that he could not give it to her if he was still holding onto what had injured her so badly in the first place.

Decided, he brought her her tray and could hear her in the bath still. He knocked on the bathroom door, "Piccola, do you wish me to bring your breakfast to you or would you prefer me to leave it out here for when you are finished?"

He heard a splash as she startled from his knock.

"You can come in," she said, although her voice sounded slightly uncertain. She was still so nervous about her body and he wished he could allay all her fears. He entered, being mindful not to ogle her or do anything that would make her uncomfortable or self-conscious. Through the bubbles, he could not see more of her body than the delicate shoulders which were above the waterline and found the effect highly erotic. He ignored his reaction, as she clearly was not in the mood to be propositioned by him and was likely feeling misplaced embarrassment from their intimacy.

He set the tray on a small shelf that went across the tub and held an assortment of washcloths and bathing products and then sat on the floor against the vanity to observe her. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and inched toward the tray, not wanting to sit up too far and bare her breasts. Her reaching allowed only the soft rising of the tops of them to be shown and he nearly groaned at the sight, unable to look away until she settled back again and they were recovered. She was such a tease.

"I have some business to attend this morning, will you be alright for a few hours?"

She paused, having been about to take a bit of the citrus fruit in her hands. "Of course, I'll see if Sulpicia or Dora are free. What are you going to do?"

"I have some loose ends I must take care of."

AN: *ominous music plays as Marcus stalks off into a darkened hallway, rolling up his shirt sleeves*

I want to give a huge thank you to the anonymous Guest last chapter. You're the reason I write. Hearing people saying that my silly fanfiction could bring some amount of happiness into their lives is the best feedback I could get. I'm sorry this chapter wasn't funny but hopefully it satisfied any itching for smut you all might have been getting… and Marcus has some really nice purring and groping for anyone who leaves a review.