Blinking heavily, Elizabeth groaned a little as she turned on her bed. It was a little softer than usual, a lot more comfortable, too. It felt so luxurious, so rich. As she buried her face into her quilt, painful clarity came smashing into her.

There was no quilt.

This wasn't her bed; it was soft, there was a beautiful velvet throw covering it and a new, unfamiliar mixture of blankets with silk and cotton and knit all melting into one strange sensation. This was not her bed, this was not her home and the man she loved was-

she cried out, throwing herself from the bed with panic.

Elizabeth didn't feel the impact as she hit the ground.

As she fumbled clumsily, crawling to her feet on the carpeted patch of floor, Paul's happy voice met her ears, "yeah, that's a fair shout...if I woke up nestled on the bed Dwayne boned you in, that'd be my reaction, too.."

"Oh God..." she shook her head, her throat feeling tight.

"I know, nasty right?" he laughed a little, "nah I'm just teasing. You get yours, Lizzie, proud of you, girl…" he balled his fist and made a power motion into the air, "girl power, orgasms for the masses-"

Was he going to kill her? Was Dwayne going to kill her?

"-Paul, please-" she began, interrupting his inane ramblings, half torn between pleading with him and dashing for the impossibly far mouth of the cave, that steep entrance she knew lay beyond the twists and turns of the dark corridors leading to the room she was trapped in.

She could feel tears welling in her eyes, she thought she was going to be sick. All that fear, all the horror she had felt before the darkness had claimed her was coming back with a relentless intensity. She clutched at her stomach, fisting the material of her dress tightly, so tight she could feel it stretching, straining against her back "please don't hurt me-"

She met his eyes, her brows furrowed in desperation, beads of sweat collecting in her hairline.

"Hey, come on Lizzie?" he said softly, rolling his eyes from his place on vanity, the mirror turned so only the back of the wooden frame was visible behind his shoulders, "don't do that, it's so cheap. You're not cheap-"

"-Paul, please-"

He sighed and looked over at her fully, his head draped easily over the top of the mirror frame, his feet just about scraping the floor, "stop being silly, come on. Take a breath and think for a sec, hey? Why would we hurt you? Why would Dwayne hurt you?"

She paused, eyes wild, her heart beating with a ferociousness she could feel in her head, "what?"

"Why would Dwayne hurt you?" Paul repeated, a little smile gracing his face as he spoke with a patronizing slowness. Elizabeth looked at the exit once again. The door was shut but she knew it would open easily. Could she do it? Could she run to the door, could she get out, could she- "Lizzie, he's cut up, girl..he caught you before you broke your face on the floor, he dressed you, he got all those blankets so you wouldn't be cold..he loves you...don't do this. Don't...come on, don't be shitty..."

Paul was speaking with a soft, compelling reasonableness and it was so wrong. It was wrong, as painfully out of place as his happy-go-lucky tone had been just moments before.

Nothing was reasonable. It was terrifying, it was heartbreaking. Everything had changed, everything was broken and destroyed and so incredibly frightening Vampires? Immortals? What went along with that? Blood and death and pain.

"Stop!" she cried, shaking her head wildly, confused and hurt by the simplistic disappointment in his tone despite the crushing fear coursing through her.

"Well, I'm not going to lie to you, chica..." he said with an easy shrug, "he opened himself up to you and you did...that-"

"Why is this happening?" she choked.

"...uh?" Paul looked at her with a little smile before chuckling a little, "nothing's happening, babe? Go sit down, try to digest-"

She shook her head with a sudden burst of violence that surprised her and she found her hair sticking to her lips and cheeks.

"Okay then..." he spoke patiently, as if he was dealing with a crazy person.

"Where...where" she pawed at her hair, trying to pull it away from her face.

"He's not here, you can chill...it's OK, take a breath" Paul replied, "you don't look so good..."

"I can't-"

"…but he's hurt too, you know-"

"-don't" she begged with another shake of her head.

Dwayne..

She felt a tear drop down her cheek, 'he's cut up, Liz', 'he's hurt too'...

She loved him so much, how had her dream turned into a nightmare?

"He loves you..what are you so upset about?" Paul asked, his voice genuine. There was no joke hidden in his question, no sneaky game being played. He really couldn't see why she was so upset.

"..because..he..you.." She couldn't find the words, she couldn't begin to fathom what was happening.

"Wow, judgey much?" he laughed, shaking his head as he began to kick his foot against the pretty little table he was sat on.

What was going on? Why was he so relaxed?

Elizabeth slowly brought her shaking hand to her clammy neck, relieved when she felt nothing but smooth skin but also knowing, somehow, that it would be the case.

"Lizzie, do me a favor? Repeat after me: 'you're not going to hurt me'" Paul watched her closely, she could feel his eyes cutting into her as she stared at the door.

He laughed at her silence and she thought for a second that she really was crazy, that she had lost it, "I'm serious! Come on, say it..."

"You're...you're not going to hurt me...?" she stuttered, repeating his words without really thinking why she had done it.

"There we go! One more time!"

"You-you're not going to hu-hurt me..." as her breath hitched over a sob, her confused words a formed a statement rather than a question.

"Mhmm" he confirmed in his usual easy way, removing some papers from his tux, "see? This is why I stayed to comfort you-" he tapped his head briefly, "I don't want to brag but I got the book smarts. Psychology. You feel better?"

She took a small, unsure step back and away from the door before pausing, coming to her senses and eyeing it once again with a shake of her head.

She needed to leave.

She had to leave.

She had to flee, to run and..and do what?

Tell the police? Help me, I've met vampires.

Jesus, she'd be locked up in a mental facility.

Maybe she should be locked up?

She stared at the door, head pounding as hard as her heart was.

Dwayne had infinite chances to hurt her, Paul and the others, too.

She rubbed her arm uneasily with sweaty palms when she realized that she trusted the figure before her when he said he wouldn't hurt her.

God, why did she trust him? How could she trust him? How could any of this be happening?

He and David...they had terrorized her, why did she trust the blonde relaxing in front of her?

She could feel it, her fear ebbing away and being replaced with a deep, heavy nausea.

She wiped at her eyes.

"Attttta girl" Paul murmured "deep breaths..."

Was it a lie? Everything with Dwayne..

"Don't be scared, go sit" Paul advised, "I know it's a bit of a shock, I know" he conceded, "I do understand, Lizzie...I get it.."

"I was..it was scary..I'm scared" she said, her voice weak "you're.."

He nodded and she found herself gingerly touching her neck once more.

"That's a cliche, you know?" he told her, stretching like a cat and slinking down from the table. He winked at her, moving to sit crossed legged on the far right side of the bed she had thrown herself from despite his earlier joke, "doesn't have to be the neck. It's easy but so overdone..come sit down"

"Where's...where is Dwayne?"

Had he lied to her? Was everything some sick, twisted game, some..some brutal trick before...

She felt her lips quiver.

Before what?

She felt it, she felt it in her gut that Dwayne would never hurt her..

"He'll be back"

"...but where is he?"

Paul grinned at her, a wide and lascivious grin with his eyes twinkling like they had been during their waltz, "I promise I'm a good substitute"

Why was he acting like everything was the same? Why was he being his usual energetic, lewd, jokey self? Everything was different. He was acting like nothing had changed, that everything was the same and it just wasn't. It wasn't, everything was different and horrible and it was because of them and - "God, would you quit it, Lizzie? You look like you're constipated.."

She shook her head and bit her lip, balling her hands into tight, sweaty fists.

He laughed a little, "he's just getting you something sugary. You fainted, we figured sugar would perk you up.."

She was insane.

She had to be.

It was so..normal. Dwayne was out, getting her something sugary? Because she had fainted? Because she was in a bad way and he loved her and he wanted to help her and he just wanted her to be happy and-

"-you'll feel better if you just sit for a sec..." Paul advised, interrupting her racing thoughts. There was a tiny hint of concern there in his voice, some worry in his usual cheery tone.

She just couldn't understand why was he so..so normal.

Her stomach clenched oddly, feeling like a lead ball inside of her rather than a functioning organ.

She slowly approached the bed and Paul tentatively extended his arm to the spaces beside him as if he was offering a seat to a feral cat. He really didn't seem at all different from his usual carefree self. Even that hint of concern had left his voice.

Was it a game to him?

"Come on, girl. I won't bite" he grinned and laughed when she blanched, "sorry, that was in real bad taste, huh? I can't help it sometimes.."

She looked helplessly at the door once again as her stomach heaved.

"Sorry, it was a joke. For real...take a pew"

"Where's David?"

Were they here? David and Marko. Hiding, ready to attack? Was he waiting to invade her mind? Was she being hunted, like before?

Hunted.

She sniffed as another tear escaped her eyes.

"...he's with Dwayne" Paul replied with another infuriating grin as Elizabeth tentatively sat down on the opposite side from him, "it's OK, take a deep breath..."

She felt sick, she could feel beads of sweat pooling in her hairline and collecting at the base of her neck, too. Dwayne hadn't put the sweater back on her, nor his jacket or even her underwear, she realized as her stomach rolled, but she was too hot, roasting in the chill of the room.

"Paul.."

"I answered your questions, girl, chill out for a sec" he smiled at her, so playful and happy and just...so usual, "seriously, take a deep breath...you don't look so great.."

"I'm scared" she told him honestly, her voice cracking once again.

He sighed and smiled softly at her a little bit of sympathy breaking out on his face, "Liz, hey. Liz, come on, look at me" she glanced over at him, eyes flicking unsteadily to him, "it's me. I'm the Paul you've always known. I'm a fucking pussycat!"

The Paul you've always known...had she ever really known him? David, Marko?

Dwayne.

She loved him so much.

She buried her head in her damp palms, tears flowing heavier than before but she felt hot, suffocated in them. She rubbed her face, pulling away again and staring helplessly into the room before her.

"Was it stuffy in there?" Paul asked in commiseration and she sobbed again, "please, please can't you be serious?"

God, she really did feel sick.

"Wanna stop being all stiff and scared for a minute? Wanna just try?" he countered, his voice not unkind, "I'm your friend and I find this whole wide eyed victim act a bit insulting, Lizzie"

"I am scared" she told him honestly, her voice feeling hoarse and he nodded along with her, "that's what I'm telling you. I-I'm petrified. You..Dwayne..you're.."

"Say it"

She shook her head, no.

No way.

"Christ on a stick" Paul, shoved the papers back into his pocket and plucked a cigarette from the inside of his tux instead, "Lizzie..this isn't such a big deal, babe. You're fine. We're fine. Dwayne is fine. Don't let your fear cloud-"

"-you scared me-" she interrupted him, her voice hard before cracking, shaking again, "..why would you do that? If..if you like..if he love...it was horrible" she sniffed at the memory, at the implications of her words. Nothing made sense. She had been hunted by them, what else could it have been? David was there, in her head..., "why would you...?...Why would you do that to me?" her breath hitched, "after everything why would you te-terrorize me like that?"

She turned away from him, hurt, scared, pained at the memory.

Her stomach rolled again.

"Aw, hey, come on chicken..."

His pet names, his smile, his easy words.

It was all a lie.

Was it a lie?

She just didn't know.

"Was it really that scary?"

She had no idea what was happening, everything felt wrong, broken, damaged beyond repair...but...but at the same time, at the same time it just didn't. She clutched her stomach.

All she wanted was Dwayne..

She looked at Paul helplessly for the first time.

"Hey, come on now...was it really that scary?" his words were gentle, "what did we do..what did he do?"

Her lips trembled again.

Dwayne hadn't done anything. He'd done nothing to her, nothing to hurt her, nothing to cause her pain. He had only loved her...

but vampires? Bloodthirsty monsters from movies..how could he be..

She looked at Paul again, a desperate glance and he seemed to notice her change, finally seeing her need for some support and he sighed, scooting a little closer to her.

"Yeah..that's what I thought..." Paul told her kindly, his lips clenched over the cigarette, a lighter in his hands. He exhaled and as the cigarette smoke met her nose, she felt it burn her, burn her lungs. She clenched her jaw tightly, fighting against the urge to purge the lead balloon masquerading as her stomach. As the smoke surrounded her, she could feel the weight of the weed and alcohol she had consumed what felt like years ago adding to her queasiness, "look, straight up, OK? You're one of us, babe. You have no idea how awesome that feels. No fucking idea!" he said with passion and excitement, the joking well and truly gone from his voice.

"What?"

She clenched her jaw, fighting the sickness threatening to explode from her stomach.

"You and Dwayne belong together but we felt it, the second you stepped foot into the cave. We always kinda knew but when you came here, we knew knew. You belong with us. No, hey now dirty girl, I don't mean like that" Elizabeth fought back another sob, briefly mistaking his meaning, another wave of nausea rolling over her, "I mean, you're meant to be part of our pack. Fuck, you are part of our pack" he was smiling widely, his voice excited, "that's so fucking rare!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" she told him, voice breaking a little. She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, digging her nails into the flesh of her biceps, "I..I felt like I was being..hunted" her sentences were broken, stuttering.

"No, no, no" he hurriedly assured her, "not hunted, we just-"

"-you fucked with me! It was ho-horrible, you're sup-supposed to be my fr-fr-friend..Dwayne..." she could fear the fat, unrelenting tears return. It was getting difficult to breath, her stomach was flipping and turning, "..you-you did that..." it was difficult, difficult to speak, to articulate her thoughts, to even breathe, "..and now you're be-being all vague-" her voice broke suddenly and she closed her eyes.

"I'm an open book!" he insisted.

She could feel the sharp pain from her nails, they were digging deeply into the flesh of her arms but despite the reality of the pain, she still felt like she was miles away, "Paul, please what's going on?"

"You fainted-"

"You were in my head and it was dark and it felt like the whole cave was pressing in on me!" she cried.

"OK, good – work through it…fiery Lizzie is better than simpering-"

"-stop!" her voice broke and Paul sighed.

"I'm sorry...it's just, we could feel your fear and..I dunno, David...well, we thought you..we thought like, for sure you would..embrace it...we had champagne.." for a moment Paul sounded sad and unsure and Elizabeth found that she hated that more than his happy energy.

She slumped forward a little.

"Champagne?"

"..yeah? It's.." he sounded a little unsure now, "..we wanted to toast you and Dwayne and..and us.." he shrugged, "Marko bought it, was his idea, anyway..."

She was going to be sick. She was going to be sick or lose her mind.

She was barely keeping it together.

They had bought champagne to celebrate…to celebrate what?

Dwayne..the man she loved, the man she needed was a vampire and Paul, David, Marko..they were, too. The terror she had felt when she had felt, that tight, all-encompassing fear had been suffocating, horrible, traumatic and here she was, feeling...feeling sorry for Paul?

"God..this can't be real"

She tried to take a breath.

"We'll keep it on ice" he said with a small grin and a shrug.

"Paul-" she shot him a desperate look, feeling a small bead of sweat snake down her temple.

"Breathe, come on" he advised her again, a little flash of concern dashing across his face before his carefree attitude returned, "it's fine, you don't have to drink the cham-"

Was he deliberately not addressing the terror she had felt?

"-it's, it's not f-f-fine" she stuttered, trying to breath slowly.

"..yeah but it was exciting, Liz. It won't happen again, I promise...we didn't want to terrify you..we never wanted that.."

He sounded sincere, he sounded small.

"No...?"

"No, no of course not!" he insisted, "we love you, girl. We wouldn't hurt you…we just...we wanted you to stay with Dwayne..to..you know? Hash it out..." Paul shrugged "it..it kind of is what is it. You plus Dwayne equals fate. You plus pack equals fate"

She bit her lip, feeling a trail of sweat drip down her neck and soak into the fabric of her dress.

"I could answer your questions?" he offered with a little jump, as if a great idea had struck him.

"...what?"

"Questions. Thoughts. Do you have any? Do you want to share them? "

No way.

"Where's Dwayne?" her voice cracked again and she thought that she would lose all control soon.

Paul wiggled his eyebrows, "sexy time?"

The motion, the shaking of his eyebrows made her feel dizzy.

It wasn't right.

He was...how was he so...normal. How could he be joking again?

Her stomach rolled dangerously again.

"Stop it-" she said tightly, fighting the urge to wretch. She wasn't going to play along with him, she just couldn't, "-where is he?"

She had to see him. He was the answer, he was the-

"Here, I'm here Liz" came a cool voice from the entrance of the room and Elizabeth tensed. She heaved a little, a minute but dangerous hiccup.

She felt relieved and sick at the same time.

Now that he was here, with her...she didn't want him to be.

Did she?

"Oh God" she whispered again, looking between Paul, Dwayne and the exit behind him.

He had approached the room so quietly, so silently and she hadn't even heard him open the door.

Her palms were sweating, her stomach just rolling relentlessly.

He was holding a shopping back, it looked so ridiculous, so mundane but...she clenched her jaw. She knew he had been to buy things for her. A kind, caring gesture from the man she loved...

Another wave of nauseous fear poured over her.

She looked away at the look of concern on his face.

She trusted him. She...

"Oh God..." Elizabeth repeated thickly.

She loved him.

"We're not gonna hurt you, chick, remember?" Paul advised, the cigarette hanging from his lips, his arms extended in an odd way.

"Elizabeth?"

Oh God.

They both looked concerned, worried-

She whimpered again before vomiting violently.