After the long day, a shower helped. I cleaned up and for an instant it felt normal. When I closed my eyes, it was like I was home. Thinking of home made me think of my brother, Jason. We weren't close as we once were but he was the only family I had left. I couldn't help but worry about him or about my little farmhouse. Those thoughts were still weighing on me when I returned downstairs. There wasn't much I could do about it now, so I pushed from my mind.

"What's the matter?" Eric asked.

My back stiffened just as the rest of me seemed to liquefy and heat from his proximity alone.

'You,' I replied silently. 'You are what's wrong, with your voice like melted chocolate and eyes like blue flames. Please turn down the sexiness. Reckon if you could manage that, I'd be much obliged.'

I took a few seconds to brace myself before facing him. It was a good thing I did. Eric had showered and changed also. He was now in a pair of grey linen pants and a long sleeve blue Henley top. Hair that shined like gold in the sun was now dampened and darkened to the color of warm honey. My fingers itched to touch it.

He had also asked me a question. What was it again? Oh right!

"Nothing." I said. "I'm fine."

His lips curved forming an impish smile.

"I might not be able to read your mind but it is obvious that being a telepath has left you unable to tell a convincing lie."

He was so right that it was embarrassing.

"Fine. The truth is that it's none of your business." I replied. "Happy?"

I didn't know what reaction I'd expected but I definitely didn't expect him to laugh. The sound of it was as riveting as the first time I'd heard it.

"Yes," he replied.

I didn't blink but between one blink and the next he was in front of me sucking all the air out of the room and reason from my brain.

"Very."

My mouth was suddenly dry and my body inexplicably hot. His eyes zeroed in on my lips. It was a reflexive thing. I ran my tongue over my lips. His hold tightened and he leaned into me. I battled the lust that I felt helpless against. My mind was screaming for me to run and my body refused to even consider parting with his. Eric's lips were a breath from mine but he pulled back. I was glad for it because I didn't know what I would have done, probably made a fool of myself that was sure.

"We must go out tonight." He said. "It is a tradition every newlywed Raven undergoes. If we do not go, they will come here for us."

Even if I wanted to argue I didn't think I could. Eric grabbed onto me and before I knew it, we were flying. Being pressed this tightly up against him as I was, it did bad things to my brain power. We had cleared several blocks and were almost at the Atrium before he set me down on my feet.

I steadied myself but the scene around me stole my breath away.

"Wow," I whispered for what had to be the millionth time today. "It's so beautiful."

"Yes, this is good but there is nothing like the winter nights; with the ice glittering from the crystals and the blankets of snow and the way the ocean glows under the moon; it is my favorite time."

I couldn't imagine but the serene expression on his face made me wish for the barest glimpse. Eric seemed so at peace and so happy. His head was turned upward, gazing at the night sky. No, I couldn't imagine but even I could see the difference between the days and nights in the Wild.

The quaint beauty and quiet splendor of the Wild was more profound at night. Earlier I had gotten a bird's eye view and it had been stunning. The entire city had gleamed like a shimmering pearl basking under the sun. I had walked the streets to and from the market but at the beat now was entirely different.

There was a spark in the air that had been missing in the day. Under the glow of the crystal lamps with the help of the moon and stars the pulse of this magical place thrummed heavier. I felt it from my head to the tips of my toes. It was everywhere. Children ran, darting this way and that, yelling and laughing as they played. The adults shouted out warnings and did their best not to become casualties in their fun. From above, teenage vampires hung on the roof tops playing their own games. All of it served to add a magical note to the rhythm of The Wild.

As Eric and I began to walk around the outer edge of the Atrium, it wasn't empty as it had been earlier; people were strewn about talking and laughing. There was a game that resembled soccer being played around the outermost ring of the Atrium. More like extreme vampire soccer, the players were moving too fast but I saw the two stagnant figures that were diligently guarding three circles that were on opposite sides of the stadium. Dead ahead of us was one of the four main buildings I'd noticed earlier.

"Which one is that again?" I asked Eric.

"This is the…"

"The Raven's Nest!" Someone finished for him.

The man was lean and just an inch or so taller than I was. He reminded me of a live wire. His hair was dark and eyes were afire. He was brimming with excitement, at what I couldn't tell but it made me plenty nervous all the same. Eric sighed but there was a smile on his face, making him appear both resigned and eager at what was to come.

The speaker turned away from Eric and me, cupping his hands around his mouth he addressed the building.

"Ravens!" Brown Eyes said while sliding between Eric and me.

There was a collective, "Rah!" from so many people that it made my ears ring.

"Your Lord and his new bride approaches."

The cry ascended to deafening decibels. The speaker wrapped his arms around both our waists as he herded us towards the door and whatever madness waited for us.

"Alas, they are not drunk!"

People whooped and hollered and jeered. Why wasn't I surprised to see Thalia hanging out of a window several floors up? The noise reached fever pitch and then several more vampire that were presumably Raven's rushed out as if not being wasted was a crime. Maybe it was. What the hell did I know? I really didn't think I would like what was about to happen. I looked to Eric but he smiled reassuringly.

I got separated from Eric after the swarm of Ravens swept us up in well-wishes and congratulations. Lucky was there too. He kissed my head but he wasn't there for me. He hooked his arm around Eric's neck and dragged him off with the help of a few other men. I ended up in a lounge area a few flights up.

Somehow I got landed with Thalia too.

Oh, Brother!

"Hello!" she greeted, with a hug.

Really, hello? She had ditched me, twice.

"Are you forgetting the part where you're supposed to be there for me to answer questions?"

She waved me off. "I am here now."

"I'm pretty sure it has something to do with alcohol and food being present."

"You know my mother well," a woman said.

The voice sounded familiar and it brought a frown to my face even before I fully realized why. When I looked up it all made sense. She was a spitting image of Thalia. I knew vampirism equated to immortality. I'd even seen children but to see someone that looked so young call someone that looked just as young, 'Mother' knocked me through a loop and left me reeling. Beside her were three other women.

"I am Vesper." She said coming over to hook her arm with mine. "That is Calisto, Ayame and Merida."

I was trying to place the last woman's face. While it was familiar it wasn't as obvious as with Vesper.

"You rearranged her husbands man bits."

Of course that not so helpful comment came from Thalia. That vamp was about as helpful as a bag of rocks to a person that was drowning.

"That was a misunderstanding and let me assure you Marisol gave me a firm talking to."

To my relief the woman, Merida laughed.

"You are most welcome." She greeted hugging me.

Then the other women joined in. Instinctively, I braced for the onslaught of three different minds engulfing mine due to touch but I got nothing. It was still strange to me that I couldn't read the people around me. I'd been here on this far and impossible place for barely a full day and it still felt like a dream. I was still shirking away from touch and spending energy to shield my mind and neither was necessary. It was odd but pleasant at the same time. As I was basking in that truth, they were all looking at me expectantly, except for Thalia, she was stuffing her face.

"I'm not sure what we're supposed to be doing." I confessed.

They all laughed.

"No one does!" Calisto answered.

"When you wed we all volunteered to be your sisters." Merida explained, waving at the room. "Even as a vampire, I can attest that there is nothing like being Wildling."

"Here, here!" Thalia cheered raising her cup.

"We will gather a few things to get the night underway." Ayame said.

Ayame and Calisto returned heavily armed with food, alcohol, spindles of fabric, hair accessories, make-up and more alcohol. They dropped their spoils on the table and gathered around it. I was the focus of attention and I wanted to recoil but there were no disparaging glances, pity or apprehension. All I saw were smiling friendly faces.

"So tell us what you wish to know." Vesper said, as she began picking through the basket of goodies.

"I don't really have any questions. Eric and I talked. He explained a lot."

There was a collective grumble of displeasure from everyone except Thalia.

"So now what are we to do?" Calisto said.

"Drink!" Thalia declared.

They all cheered. In no time at all Merida began mixing drinks and handing them out. I didn't know how I was going to get out of it. If I was being honest, a part of me didn't want to. I was curious. It was safe to indulge my curiosity. There was so much I didn't know, not so much about where I was or the customs but the people. Vesper offered me a bottle of nail polish from her haul. It was the top shelf stuff. It was such a little thing that was so normal in a setting that was far from it. She obviously noticed the way I was looking at it.

"It is to temporarily color nails." Vesper told me. "Is this not a thing where you are from?"

"It is." I said.

I've just never had room for such brands in my budget.

"Do you want to be painted first? I am very skilled at applying." She offered.

"No, that's alright."

She clapped her hands excitedly. I painted her nails while idly listening to the chatter around me. There was a lot of it. Most of it was about Thalia and her husband. From what I gathered, she was in the 'Dog House' with her husband. That was why she'd been absent. Apparently, she had been there for months now. From what I could see, it was clearly getting to her. Merida looked like this was old news. Thalia went back and forth with Calisto and Ayame as they offered possible solutions.

"I have told you, Mother. He wants to be needed by you more."

"I do need him. I need him to stop ignoring me! I need him to come home. That is what I need him to do." she snapped.

"You are acting your age." Vesper said with a sad shake of her head. "And it shows."

In the end Thalia stalked off, angrily. It was clear that she wasn't coming back.

No wonder no one had seemed bothered that she had shirked her duty. Lucky had taken on the role without complaint. Eric had done the same the next day. Watching Thalia leave without the smile that I thought was common for her made me pardon her from her lack of help. The other women didn't seem bothered by her exit so I figured it wasn't anything to worry about.

"So tell us," Ayame asked me, quite literally out of nowhere. "Have you ridden the Lord Raven yet?"