One month went by. One month and nothing of my tall dark stranger. I kept going to that smelly old bar in hope to see him again, but he didn't show.

After that night in the public bathroom, I had a terrible fight with my parents. I yelled and whined about how betrayed I felt. They had given me their words they would keep themselves out of my business and yet mom and dad rushed out of the house as soon as Alice had her vision of me hooking up with the vampire.

I knew they meant well, but that didn't stop my anger. I was not completely stupid – nor deaf – I knew they spent most part of their days having hot vampire sex, every single one of them. Why was I not allowed to do the same? I was just as immortal, just as mature, though not as old and not as strong, and much more human.

After that, I marched up the stairs making as much noise as humanly possible. I locked myself in my room and leaned against the door. For the first time in a long time, I focused on my hearing. Sometimes I could do this sort of thing, focus on the vampire part of my blood and increase my hearing, my sight, my speed, my sense of smell... It wasn't easy and it usually made me very tired, but sometimes it was worth the trouble.

"You can't keep trying to control every step Nessie takes," Carlisle was saying. Thank god for grandpa, he was always stating the obvious even though the rest of the morons kept ignoring him. "Nessie is all grown up now, Edward."

"She's too young," insisted my father. "And the vampire –" he paused. "You didn't see him, Carlisle. He was ancient. I couldn't pinpoint his age."

"Did you read his mind?"

"Only barely. He wasn't thinking anything worth hearing. He was surprised, a little curious. But he was mostly lusting over her."

I felt my cheeks reddening. I covered my mouth stopping the giggles. I wondered if my father had read my mind that moment too. Hopefully not.

"Was he dangerous?" asked grandpa.

"He looked very strong," said mom.

"But he was not thinking about killing her?"

There was a pause. Of course he wasn't thinking of killing me. I was touching him. I was seeing the lust, the desire, the sex. There was no murderous thoughts in that vampire. And why should it be?

"But you did see him bite her, didn't you, Alice?"

So that's why they'd rushed after me. Now it all made sense. But what Alice saw wasn't the truth, right? It was an echo, it was a possibility. He wasn't going to hurt me, I was sure of that. We had a connection.

Shaking my head I stopped listening. The next morning, a new deal was made. They promised they would give me as much space as I required if I promised to stay away from the vampire. I agreed to that, and I meant it back then. But after a week, my desire was stronger than me and I went back to the bar looking for him. Only I found nothing.

Every night since, I went back and waited but he didn't show. And tonight was no exception.

With a sigh, I paid the bartender and left. The night was dark and cold but I liked it that way. I headed toward the street corner when a group of four men came my way. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed. I glanced up automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He took half a step toward me.

I rolled my eyes and walked faster toward the corner.

"Hey, wait!" one of them called after me again, but I kept my head down and rounded the corner. As I looked over my shoulder, I realized that they were following me very closely.

"Stay away from me," I warned quickening my pace.

"Don't be like that, sugar," one called.

With a sense of shock, I felt hands on my body, groping for bare skin. Never in my life had I been in a situation like this, far away from any help. I knew I could defend myself, but I also realized what that entitled and the consequences that would follow.

"Take your hands off me."

"I just want to warm you up all over-"

"Let go!" I wrench myself away from him and he stumbled back stunned by my strength. But then, before I could blink, his full weight was on me, crushing me to the wall. Anger took over me and I did something I hadn't done in years: I twisted my head and my mouth found his neck. I bit hard, tasting the deliciousness of the blood, hearing his agonized yowl. He tried to jerk away from me but I was suddenly enjoying the situation too much. I closed my eyes and sucked harder.

Then someone pulled me back and threw me on the ground. I'd forgotten there were more of them.

"She bit him!" I watched them trying to stop their friend's bleeding. Then two turned toward me, rage in their eyes. They came my way and something snatched them. For me it was a blur. It took only a few seconds, but when I finally focused I saw everyone was dead lying on the asphalt. And my tall dark stranger was there, blood spilling from his mouth. A feeling I didn't recognize took over me. I was – I was horny.

"A gentleman doesn't force his company on anyone," said the vampire. His voice was soft and cold and light and somehow it made me even dizzier. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he moved toward me and reached out a hand. He helped me up. "Is there anyone to take you home?"

I shook my head. If my family hadn't arrived yet, was because they were keeping their words. They weren't looking, they weren't paying attention to me.

"I'll take you," said he. Even through the lust, I felt a quick thrill of fear. I looked at him, a strangely elegant figure among dead bodies, his face pale in the moonlight. He had never looked so beautiful to me before, but that beauty was almost alien. I had never seen anyone killing before, nor anyone dying. Yet I wasn't concerned, I wasn't traumatized. I was just mesmerized by his inhuman aura of power.

"No," I pleaded. "Take me somewhere else. Anywhere."

He seemed pleased at that. Pale and silent, he walked beside me without letting go of my hand. I felt oddly sure he would kill anything that tried to get at me. And that enthralled me. Suddenly my fear vanished and I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, totally unconcerned about where we were going.

We crossed a bridge that was white in the moonlight, and under it the icy waters swirled over ancient rocks. The whole world was still and beautiful and cold as we walked through the oak trees to the narrow country road.

Then something occurred to me. "Were you following me?"

He hadn't expected that. He looked at me and smiled wryly. "Yes," he admitted. "I've been watching you since –" he paused. "You are a magnet for trouble. I don't know what it is about you. Dangerous things... invariably find you."

"Do you put yourself into that category?"

His face turned cold. "Unequivocally."

"You were very – fast," I told him. "I didn't even see you."

"You know what I am," he almost shrugged. "I didn't think you did when we met. But other vampires came for you. My strength shouldn't surprise you."

"No, but I makes me feel fragile," I said.

"But you are not quite human yourself," he pointed out. "You bit one of them. I saw you. You liked it."

I blushed. "I – I don't usually do that. I don't feel the need to drink blood. I am perfectly satisfied with human food. But once I tasted..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. Just tell me, what are you?"

"I'm just a girl," I said though both of us knew that wasn't true. "Anyway, I guess I was surprise because... my family, the other vampires, I mean, they are so careful, so controlled. I never saw any of them... I guess I didn't realize the full extent of your strength."

"We are predators. Over the years, we only get better and better at killing."

"So you've killed a bunch of people?"

"Some."

We passed fenced pastures and dark fields until we reached a long winding drive. The boarding house was a vast building of rust-red brick made from the native clay, and it was flanked with age-old cedars and maples. All but one of the windows were dark.

We stepped into a small hallway, with a flight of stairs directly in front of us. The banister, like the doors, was natural light oak so polished that it seemed to glow. We went up the stairs to a second-story landing that was poorly lit. To my surprise, he led me into one of the bedrooms. I couldn't take my eyes off the king-sized bed.

I realized he was watching me. "You're not going to tell me what you are?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'm Nessie."

He was amused. "Will I have to use my glamour on you?"

"You wouldn't dare!" I snapped. "Besides, I can fight it."

The vampire snorted, even managing to sound elegant doing that. "You are something else," he muttered as if still trying to figure me out.

I said nothing. His face was closed and he seemed to be looking far away at something that only he could see. He touched my face and I felt what he was feeling. Curiously, his feelings matched mine perfectly. "What should I call you?" I asked.

He bent his head down to my lips. And it was as simple as that. All questions answered, all fears put to rest, all doubts removed, if there were ever any. What I felt was not merely passion, but a bruising tenderness and a love so strong it made me shake inside. It would have been frightening in its intensity, except that while I was with him, I could not be afraid of anything.

This was where I belonged, I had found it at last. I was home.

Pleasure and desire raced between us, connecting us, drawing us closer. He wanted to hold me forever, to protect me from all harm. He wanted to defend me from any evil that threatened me. He wanted to join his life with mine. His love bathed me, shone through me. I trembled with pleasure, with love, with longing.

He drew back slowly, as if he could not bear to part from me. "Elijah," he told me finally.