"Elizabeth?"

She paused just before the kitchen and turned to face Dwayne.

"Would you please ask Marko to leave?"

"...what?"

"Please"

"Why?"

His jaw was tensed and his eyes were stormy, troubled. His touch was still light and gentle and she felt no fear before him but he looked...he looked unsettled at best.

"Dwayne, what happened?"

"Please ask him to leave"

She frowned softly. Marko was her friend and he had done so much for her, it felt wrong, rude and unkind to ask him to leave but there was a hardness to Dwayne's face now, and his words were a little clipped.

She knew it would be wrong to press him further though she didn't know why.

"I-"

"Now"

"...OK...sure" she said softly with a little nod of her head, "gimmie a sec?"

Dwayne said nothing and so she squeezed his hand, giving him what she hoped was a reassuring and comforting smile, though she didn't know why she felt compelled to try and comfort him. It was a very strange turn of events. She released him and turned, leaving the barely illuminated living room and the man she loved behind before moving into the bright kitchen, confusion dancing across her face.

He let her go without gesture or words and she wondered again what had happened.

There was a cup of strong, black coffee beside her untouched mug of milky coffee and she saw straight away that Marko was in the conservatory, lingering by the door. He was waiting for her. He looked perfectly comfortable despite the fact that he was obviously waiting for his dismissal. He knew she was coming to send him away and a flash of guilt washed over her for that. He had been so kind to her.

"Marko? Why-"

"-don't take it personally, OK?" he said quietly and with a kind smile, "I don't"

"I don't get it...he was fine a second ago.." she said in a whisper, stepping towards him.

"He's worried about you, that's all. He's pissed with David and Paul and now he feels uncomfortable and angry that I was here to protect you when you're his mate-"

"-but-"

"-it's a primal thing, Lizzie. My scent is all over you, I get it" Marko waved his hand dismissively and gave her a smile "for real, I'm not offended, I'll go-"

Scent?

"-stay, it's OK. You're my friend, he knows that-"

"-of course he does. It's nothing on you, either. He's just a ball of emotions right now. Hormonal little boy, packing a lot of strength-"

"-well, stay and we can hang out as a trio, he'll be fi-"

Marko laughed a little, his eyes bright, "-that's a terrible idea, Liz-"

"-why?"

"Because he'll be angry, he's kinda steaming as it is. Like I said, primal-"

"Wha-angry?"

"Yeah and I love a fight" Marko was smiling, "for real, I can't play weak or submissive. If we get at each other, we're gonna go for it and we've never fought before. I don't want to, not with him"

He sounded oddly energetic and she shook her head, confused and not understanding.

He moved to give her a hug, a sweet and meaningful squeeze that was totally at odds with his playful words, "now my scent is really gonna be all over you" he laughed quietly and pulled away, "that's going to annoy him, shit. Shouldn't have done that"

For a second, Elizabeth saw a flash of Paul in Marko; she saw a devilish little playful side and a humor that made her smile in response. She couldn't help it.

"Do you feel OK?" he asked, eyes dancing over her as his hands rested on her shoulders, inspecting her at arms length.

She nodded, "yeah. Thank you, Marko. You were...you're a lifesaver"

"You gonna be OK if I go?"

She nodded. She had Dwayne now.

"Sure?"

"...are you offering to stay because you're feeling scrappy?"

He grinned at her and gave her a wink. She laughed gently and shook her head fondly.

"Thank you Marko. I really appreciate what you did for me tonight...I'll always remember how good you were to me"

"See you tomorrow, if you're up for it" he squeezed her shoulders once before he opened the door to the conservatory. He paused, hand on the doorknob, "take it easy, OK? Remember, there's no rush..."

She nodded.

"Bye, Liz. Be patient with him, 'kay?"

And with that, he was gone, the door shut quietly behind his retreating figure.

She watched him until she could see him no more, until the darkness enveloped him and she smiled with a sad but warm tenderness. She felt so lucky to have had him come, to have had his unwavering support and sympathy. Turning on her heel, she shook her head gently.

Marko was a good-

She gasped a little, thoughts interrupted by the sight of the stoic man sat rigidly at the kitchen table. She jerked a little in her surprise, completely taken aback by Dwayne - she hadn't heard him, hand't even heard the scrape of the chair as he sat down.

"I didn't hear you" she told him, rubbing at her chest lightly.

He didn't say anything.

She thought of Marko's words, about how it was a primal thing, and she knew that it wasn't her and it wasn't really Marko, either - whatever Dwayne was feeling was his own problem but still...it was hard to stand, seeing him look so tense.

She had asked Dwayne to be patient with her and then Marko had asked her to be patient with Dwayne.

I guess we have to look after each other...she thought, watching the silent man.

Marko had been kind and understanding but not particularly clear in his explanation and she didn't understand what had happened, why Dwayne was acting so strange. Why would he and Marko have fought if the curly haired blonde had stayed any longer? Why did Dwayne want him gone?

She couldn't think as to why. She didn't know what to say.

"Is it me?" she asked quietly, coming towards him and sitting in the seat that Marko had not long ago vacated. She sat close to him and moved to link her hand with his, her knees lightly pressing into the side of his thigh, "did I do something?"

He shook his head, his body rigid still and his face scarred with a frown. Though she'd asked if it was her, she knew it wasn't. She knew he wasn't angry with her, she could sense it..but that didn't help or lessen her confusion.

"...weird day for me" she told him, watching his blank face as she spoke, "it was kind of messed up...I felt so alone-"

"-Elizabeth-" he sounded pained.

"-and then Marko came and...it kind of felt like I was with one of my brothers" she smiled tentatively, shrugging softly, "he felt like my brother, Dwayne..that's...that's kind of wild. He really helped me and now I feel like I...I need to help you?"

"I should have come as soon as the sun set, I thought-"

"-no" Elizabeth shook her head, "I think it was a good thing...Marko felt like, God he felt like Michael times ten"

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged, "he really did feel like a brother and he..he helped me so much to just..just process...I would never..Dwayne, I love you. I would never...you don't have to worry about-"

She couldn't finish her words. In a flash, a burst of movement that took her completely and utterly by surprise, his hands were up in her neck and then delving into her hair, his lips crushed tightly against hers. Her knees were digging into his thigh now, she could feel the pressure, the way he was tugging her close, pulling her close to him. His kiss was hard and full of need, full of love, lust. She splayed one hand against his chest, working to steady herself, to stop herself from falling into him.

His touch was electric, everything felt like it was on fire, her lips were tingling, even his fingers, digging delightfully against her head felt like they were thrumming. She felt so alive. It felt like their kisses before, stronger even than those. It reminded her of him, of how much she needed and wanted him, of how she felt before his true nature had been revealed.

It made her realize that his true nature didn't change anything, not one bit. She loved him and needed him. She met his kiss, she tried to, she tried to match him but the kiss was so sudden, so intense, she felt like she was drowning in it. As her back was starting to ache, protesting against their unnatural position, and just as she needed to take a deep, shuddering breath of air, he released her, his hands opening gently against her head.

Breathing heavily against his mouth, Elizabeth allowed both her hands to drop down onto this thighs, slumping a little.

He kissed her temple, moving to kiss her forehead.

"I know" he told her softly.

"Huh?"

Her voice was thick with sudden want and she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I know you would never do anything like that"

"Like what?" she asked, licking her lip a little.

He kissed her softly again, his lips barely a brush against her temple.

"I trust you, about Marko"

"Oh" she nodded dumbly.

"I should have been there for you today but I was worried. I didn't know if it would be too much for you and then I came here and his stink was-"

"He doesn't stink" she didn't know what else to say, she was still feeling overwhelmed.

She felt his smile against her and she closed her eyes.

"No, he doesn't" he conceded quietly, "but in that moment he did"

"Oh"

"Oh" he repeated, kissing her softly again.

"What does all that mean?" she whispered, still breathing a little heavily.

"You're my mate and now is a tense time" he told her, "I'm sorry"

"He said it's a primal thing?"

"Yeah" Dwayne sighed, "an overreaction on my part. Marko won't let me forget it in a hurry"

Slowly, Elizabeth sat up, her hands brushing against his thighs as she did so.

"What does primal mean..in this..in this um, in this case?" she asked him, blinking as she tried to right her mind. He shrugged a little, looking as close to embarrassed as she had ever seen him.

"You're my mate. Mine. He was there in you needed me and with the others, I was already pretty..." he seemed to consider his words, "angry anyway.."

"Oh"

"Not with you" he told her.

"I'm sorry..."

She didn't want him to be angry.

He shook his head, giving her a small, ghost of a smile.

"Don't be"

"I'm glad you're here" she whispered, reaching out to hold his hand once more.

"Did he explain everything to you?"

She shook her head, "not at all. It was more moral support and, like...things here and there"

She didn't want to downplay the support she had received, nor did she want to downplay how grateful, thankful she was for Marko's presence but she still felt so overwhelmed, almost stunned by their kiss.

Stunned by the feelings it had brought forth, the realization of her feelings.

She licked her lips again. She could still feel the tingle, the impression of his against hers.

"I have lots...I have so many questions still, I think"

"You think?"

"Yeah"

He smiled at her, "OK"

He glanced at the table, eyeing the remnants of her small dinner and the two, untouched mugs of coffee before giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "let's go upstairs?"

She nodded and took a small breath, trying to gather her senses.

She felt like a different person completely, a totally different girl to the one she had been in the afternoon.

"I'll clean up here"

"OK. Is it..is it OK if I go and um, brush my teeth and stuff?"

"Of course"

"Thank you..." he kissed her again and she stood along with him.

She knew that the night would creep up on them, that their time together would fly, would escape them completely. They would part reluctantly, mournfully and she would be too tired, too weary to brush her teeth, to prepare for bed. She knew that upon their parting, she would crash into a deep sleep and so it had to be now. She had to ready herself, complete all the human necessities she guessed he no longer had to.

"Um..can we meet in my room?"

She wasn't sure if she had to use the toilet. Like Marko had said, she'd had a somewhat heavy night and she felt like her stomach was finally catching up with it all. She felt little embarrassed, not knowing if he would be able to hear or, she blushed a little, smell it.

He was watching her, his eyes creasing a little through his smile.

"Oh God..." she muttered, flushing brightly.

His smile. It was such a welcome and beautiful change from his frown, his stormy seriousness from before but it was a fond, loving smile and she thought she knew why. She thought he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

How. Mortifying. she thought as she turned to leave the kitchen.

"I won't listen" he promised her, moving to collect the coffee mugs.

She bit her lip, half thankful and half still mortified, "I-I didn't hear that..."

He chuckled softly, a small laugh that broke up the seriousness of their meeting and it was to that wonderfully musical sound that she ascended the stairs, walking to the family bathroom.

She brushed her teeth thoroughly and washed her face right after, feeling revived as the cold water met her skin. Her day had hardly been an active one and she could almost feel the seconds ticking by, ticking away and so she decided to forgo a shower. She would take one in the morning, instead, when she had time to spare. She did, however, turn the shower on before making her way to the toilet. She trusted that he wouldn't listen, she did...but she wanted to do whatever she could to drown out whatever sounds he might or might not have heard.

In the end, she was glad she turned it on. It helped her peace of mind and she could do her business fairly comfortably. She didn't know how long it had taken her to get everything done but by the time she was washing her hands, she felt like it had been far, far too long.

Every minute was priceless. Their time together had a limit.

When she left the bathroom, the house was dark once more. There was no light to be seen down the corridor or towards the stairs, so she knew that he had cleaned and closed up the kitchen. She managed a small, ghost of a smile and moved to her room. The lack of light no longer felt ominous or scary, she felt settled and comfortable.

It was a big change.

She closed the sweet little wooden door that lead to her attic room, her penthouse suite as Sam had joked what felt like lifetimes ago, and, when she reached the top and looked into her room Dwayne was nowhere to be seen. A pajama set was folded neatly on her bed, along with a pair of fluffy sleeping socks she'd not used since a Christmas years ago and a fresh set of underwear.

She knew he had definitely been there.

"Dwayne?" she called out, smiling lightly away from the clothes, smiling at the kind gesture and glancing into her closet.

The shawl was still covering her mirror but she didn't have time to consider it. She turned, spinning gently on her heel when she heard his voice from the window.

It was low and careful and clear to her that he had made an effort to not creep up on her, to not scare her. She was thankful for his thoughtfulness.

"I'm here"

She raised her eyebrows a little as she looked at him. Her window was open and he was sitting, looking oddly comfortable despite how uncomfortable it should feel for him, with one leg in her room and the other dangling down outside the house and into the air.

"I had an idea"

"Suicide?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

He shook his head and smiled, "it's nice to see you joke" he offered his hand, "but no. There are no lights up here, the boardwalk isn't so close. Come up"

"Up?"

He nodded with a smile.

"To the roof?"

He nodded again.

"How can you do that?" she asked him quietly, taking a step towards him.

He shrugged elegantly and she paused a little, confronted for the second time about how he was...not like her.

No reflection and, "can you..can you...fly?"

He nodded again, slowly this time and his smile was a little bit smaller but understanding all the same.

"Oh..."

"We don't have to, I just thought-"

She took a step forward, took his offered hand and closed her eyes tightly.

She was going to do what felt right. She was. She wasn't going to think about before, about the fear and the terror. She was going to focus on Dwayne, on her love for him and and on the support, the kindness Marko had given her. She knew now that there was good in the dark world she had been shown and she knew she was going to do what felt right and try, try as hard as she could to forgive and forget, to explore her new world.

Tonight could be her fresh start.

She and Dwayne..together, they could erase the horror of the other night..they could start again.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, pulling her closer to him.

She shook her head, her eyes still scrunched shut as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Marko had said no rush and she felt better when she didn't think, when she let herself be comforted...so that was what she was going to do. Move at her own pace and in her own way...

She took a breath.

Automatically, she wrapped her own arms tight around his neck, "I don't want to see..I can...I can do it but I don't want to see it"

"No?"

"Not now"

"OK"

She squeezed his body harder in preparation and buried her head into his neck. She felt a chill but no rush of movement and it felt so strange because her legs were no longer touching the ground, they were no longer touching anything. She could feel his body, long and tall against hers and she couldn't place where they were. She knew she was being supported by him but other than that? Nothing. Were they flying? In her room? Had they even started?

"Hey" a kiss, "you can let go now"

She shook her head and he assured her gently, "really, you can let go"

She felt his body bend a little and then her feet met the floor..except..it was rough, textured, not her floor at all.

"See?"

She cracked open her eyes and took a shaky step back, releasing his neck as she did. He kept his hands on her hips and she took a breath.

"I didn't feel anything..." she whispered, a little astounded.

She swallowed thickly.

"I thought it would be...loud and..and fast"

He smiled down at her, "it can be"

"Right.." she nodded a little, trying and managing to crack a small smile of her own. It was shaky and her heart was thudding away in her chest but she felt OK. She was doing OK.

The dark night sky surrounded them and she could see some tree tops in the distance, the rolling waves of the beach and sea out before them. She saw that the roof was slanted on one side but with a small expanse of flat surface and she realized, thinking about the ceiling of her room, that that's where they were.

They were directly above her room.

She knew they were high up but because of their location, she couldn't see the ground below, nor the drop that lied beyond the slanting roof behind them. She felt safe and found her footing fairly easily.

"It's pretty up here" she said quietly, breathing in the crisp night air and he made a small, agreeable sound.

He let her inspect the view and she smiled at him, a more steady smile this time, "thank you, this is...it's lovely"

"Not as lovely as you" he assured her, moving to take her hand in his. He planted a delicate kiss on her knuckles and it was impossible for her to smother the small flame of happiness that was being ignited.

"Dwayne, I love you so much"

"I love you too" he murmured, maneuvering her body a little, "come here..."

She saw what he was gearing up to do and so she followed his lead, crouching down carefully to sit in front of him. The floor, well, the tiles of the roof were a little rough and she felt whatever material it was made of catch against her leggings a little, but she didn't care. As Dwayne opened his legs, she settled herself between them, sinking into him, using his chest as a buffer for her back. His arms wrapped around her chest in response and she folded her own above his.

"...how did you do it?" she asked him quietly, looking up into the night sky.

With the boardwalk so far away and with their house being as isolated as it was, the view was picturesque. She could see clusters of stars clearly and she was glad it was a clear night.

"Fly?"

"Yes"

"I don't really know" he told her, his chin resting near the top of her head, "I just can"

"Do you have to..to think? To do it?"

She felt him shake his head.

"You just...do it?"

"Yeah, pretty much" he placed a kiss on her head and she closed her eyes, feeling hesitantly peaceful.

"It's been a really weird day..." she told him, her eyes still closed despite how amazing the view of the night sky was.

He didn't apologize to her and she was thankful. She knew that it wasn't his fault and she didn't want him to feel bad, she didn't want him to hurt. She just wanted him. She was happy to just be with him, to be safe and secure in his arms.

She felt a sense of contentment.

It was almost as if the turmoil of the day, even from the night before had never happened. It felt like a scene from a movie, something that she had watched or even read...not something that had happened to her.

"Dwayne?"

"Hmmm?"

"Be kind?"

"Of course"

She took a little breath.

"...garlic?"

"Good. Delicious"

"OK" she said quietly with a little nod, "that's...that's not like the books.."

"No. Don't you remember the kebab?" he murmured softly before asking, "what books?"

"...it was one book, really..um...it was Dracula"

He nodded.

"Can you turn into smoke?"

"No, my love" he murmured.

"Bats?"

"Not exactly"

Not exactly? She swallowed. She didn't want to explore that at the moment, "OK...um, holy water?"

"Stings" he shrugged a little and her body moved with his, "annoying. Takes a lot to really hurt but it's usually just tap water, anyway"

"Really?"

"Lots of priests cut corners" he told her, "are you OK?"

She trembled a little, an involuntary movement but she nodded, "yes. I'm OK...it's just..it's a lot but..but it's not, at the same time"

She frowned lightly.

"Sunlight?"

"Burns"

"Do you...explode?" she asked him quietly.

"No, not at all. It's not nice but it's not an explosion"

"Oh..."

"Are you really OK?"

"I think so"

"We don't have to do this now, Elizabeth" he told her gently, his thumb rubbing against her elbow in soothing and soft circles, "I'm worried about you. It's a lot for you to handle"

She nodded, eyes fluttering as she felt him breathe in against her hair. She sunk into him even more, giving herself to him fully, letting him support her entire weight.

"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked, blinking into the sky above her.

"Not at all" he reiterated.

"Can you..can you manipulate me?"

She thought of Marko's words, about lures and their abilities.

"I wouldn't want to"

"Can you?" she pressed quietly.

"I honestly don't know" he said, his voice equally as quiet, "I didn't try and I don't want to"

She nodded, her eyes feeling heavy.

She turned her head, letting her cheek rest against his chest, turning away from the twinkling stars.

"I'm glad you're here" she told him in a whisper, yawning a little as she spoke.

He began to trace the line of her arm and despite the thickness of her old sweater, she could feel his finger clearly and distinctly.

"...crosses?" she asked, her voice a little drowsy.

"Fashion accessories" he dismissed.

"...crucifixes?"

"Paul wears them all the time...so tackier fashion accessories"

"...bibles?"

She closed her eyes, sighing as his lips met her head once again, a kiss forming before his words, "nothing to us"

There was a long pause before her next question and he held her patiently, lovingly during it, "garlic?"

"You already asked me that, baby" he murmured, his voice low and quiet.

She didn't reply.

He held her as her body slackened even more, her chin drooping down a little, "...will it hurt?" she asked him, her voice barely a mumble and thick with sleep.

As her breathing evened out and her limbs loosened in his arms, he made no movement. Despite her painful awareness of the shortness of the night, of their time together, despite her joy of being with him, sleep, sudden, cruel and uncompromising had crept upon her.

"Not at all" he replied, the longing and pain in his voice clear in the stillness of the night, "not if you want it..."

He kissed her again, knowing that she wouldn't remember her last question. He knew she had asked it as sleep clouded her mind but it filled him with hope. Painful, searing hope.

After everything that had happened to her, how could she ever want it?

His body was rigid and he held her there, under a glittering sky, secure in his arms.

He made no move to wake her.