Valdeos lifted his head and let the drained body fall to the ground. A whimper drew his attention and he turned. The young woman he had previously tied up was trying valiantly to free herself.

He knelt in front of her and cupped her face in his hand. She mewled and tried to pull away. "Shh, pretty one. This won't hurt. Much." He smiled evilly and attacked, biting the girl's neck.

Dwayne lifted his head and looked out the window. "I've got to go."

Lily stretched languorously and gathered the sheet around her. "You have to?"

"Yeah, David wants me back before daybreak." He pulled on his jeans. "Someone will come for you tonight."

She drew her knees to her chest. "You guys don't need to baby-sit me."

Dwayne leaned down and kissed her before pulling his t-shirt over his head. "Its not. We like you." He glanced out the window again. "I gotta go." He kissed her one last time and launched himself out the window.

Lily fell back and smiled. She was going to like living in Santa Carla.

"Are the boys treating you well?" Max asked when Lily poked her head into his study.

She leaned against the doorframe. "Yup. David's being nosy though."

"Asking about your mother?"

She nodded. "He had Dwayne ask me."

"I'll speak with him." He set the book he was reading down. "Are you going out tonight?"

"I think so." As she spoke, they heard the roar of a motorcycle engine. "And there's my ride."

They went downstairs together. A knock on the door made her look at her father quizzically. He shrugged and opened the door. Marko was standing on the other side; hands in his pockets, looking like the proverbial cat.

"Hi Max. Is Lily hom- oh, hey princess." He said when he noticed her.

Max stepped aside to let his daughter out. "Marko, tell David I'd like to speak with him."

"Sure Max." Marko slipped his arm around Lily's waist. "Come on babe."

"Babe?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you just call me babe?"

He climbed on his bike and held a hand out for her. "Yeah, why?"

She climbed on behind him. "Don't call me babe."

"Sure thing princess." He grinned, gunning the bike before he tore off.

Marko delivered his message as soon as they arrived at the cave. David glared at him and stormed out of the cave.

"Uh oh." Paul said. "David's pissed."

"What'd you say to him?" Dwayne asked. He was working on some bike parts.

Marko shrugged. "Max said he had to speak with him."

Lily grabbed one of the cushions off the couch and settled on one of the large flat rocks. "Hey boys."

"Princess." Paul dropped what he was working on and came over to sprawl next to her. Dwayne nodded hello and smiled at her.

"Why do you guys call me that?" She wondered aloud, leaning back against Paul.

Marko sat on the floor by Dwayne and started fiddling with his never finished carburetor. "What?"

"Princess."

"Well, Max is the head vampire," Marko started.

Paul interrupted him, "and you're his daughter."

"That kinda makes you our princess." Dwayne finished.

"Do you guys practice that?"

They laughed. Paul put an arm around her and she relaxed against him in contentment.

"What's it like Lily?" Marko asked thoughtfully.

She looked over at him. "Hmm?"

"Being a halfling?" Dwayne and Paul groaned but Marko's question was so innocent, Lily couldn't help but answer.

"I didn't even know what I was for the first half of my life. All I knew was that I was somehow different from the other kids in my classes. And that my father was a rich recluse." She laughed softly. "When I turned 13, father came to visit for my birthday. That was unusual. He normally just called. But he showed up at our door one night." She shook her head. "But that's not what you want to hear. Let's see, I have the enhanced senses. Sun bothers me but I can go out in it if I'm careful. I don't get the hunger like you do; it's more of a temptation than a need. And I can't fly." She added wistfully.

Lily tipped her head back so she could see Paul. "I never felt like I fit in with the kids my age. But I do here."

"That's cause you're one of us girl." Paul said, hugging her from behind.

"So what's going on tonight?" She looked around at the Boys.

"Hunt night." Dwayne said quietly. "As soon as David gets back."

Marko nodded. "That's why he's in such a foul mood."

"Who?"

Everyone turned at the sound of David's voice. He was standing at the entrance of the cave.

Lily got to her feet. "My father." She said quickly. David raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

He came over to the group, his hunger making him edgy. "It's hunt night. You'll stay here." He told Lily.

"What? Why?" She protested. She wasn't part of his pack and he didn't have the right to order her around.

"Have you ever seen a vampire feed Lily?" He advanced on her but she held her ground. His face changed, eyes becoming red and fangs extending. "Ever been this close to a hungry vampire?"

She shook her head, unable to look away from him. "No."

"Are you scared Lily?" He ducked his head; like he was going for her neck and she flinched, stepping back. His face went back to normal and he stepped back from her. "That's why I want you to stay here. Just this time. Please." David never said please. Lily realized this and nodded. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you."

Once they had fed, the vampires would gather at the railing on the boardwalk. David was the first as usual and Dwayne appeared moments after him. He leaned back against the railing and peered at his leader.

"What did Max want?" He asked quietly.

David turned and looked out at the ocean. "To tell me to stop being so nosy."

"Yeah, she wasn't happy I made her tell me."

"He wanted to warn me too."

Dwayne glanced over his shoulder at David. "About what?"

"There's someone new here. Left two bodies near the edge of town. I'm going back to the cave. Find the Boys and tell them to watch themselves." Dwayne nodded and David took off for the cave.

David jumped down onto the cave floor, scanning for Lily. She was curled up in a chair, a book forgotten in her lap. He shed his coat and made his way to her silently.

She looked up as he approached. "Hi David."

"Princess." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He pulled her to her feet and settled into the chair, tugging her down across his lap, her legs dangling over the arm of the chair. "Do you like it here?"

She nodded, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "I finally feel like I belong somewhere."

He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "You do belong here. Its in your blood." David gently traced the lines of her face. "We're going to make you one of us Lily."

"I don't want to be a vampire." She whispered.

"No. There's a ritual, to bring a vampire into a new pack. Your blood means you don't have to become a vampire to bond with a pack." He fell silent, contemplating the ritual. He wondered what Max would say.

Lily sat in the comfortable circle of David's arms. His body wasn't warm but at the same time, he wasn't cool. He was just comfortable. She liked the idea of becoming a member of the pack. She slipped an arm around his waist and snuggled closer.

The other vampires found them like that. Sitting together silently, Lily only half awake. Marko flopped down on the couch, Paul sprawling next to him. Dwayne sat in one of the other dusty overstuffed easy chairs.

"Sleepy princess?" Marko asked.

She nodded sleepily. Almost impossibly, she became even more boneless in David's embrace. "Time to go home?"

"I think so." David said, playing with the hem of her skirt. She nodded, zoning out again.

"Uh, David? We've got a problem." Paul spoke up. David looked up questioningly. "Its almost sunup."

Outside the sky was just barely beginning to lighten. They wouldn't be able to bring her home and get back to the cave before the sun came up. David cursed. "Damn it. Max won't be happy."

"Why? He wanted you to keep an eye on her." Dwayne pointed out.

Nodding, David got up with Lily in his arms and carried her to the bed set in a corner of the cave.

She woke up a little when he set her down. "I have to go home." She protested weakly as he slipped off her sneakers. "Father wants me home."

"Can't take you home. Sun's coming up. You'll be safe here and we'll take you back tonight." He brushed her chestnut waves back from her face before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Night Lily."

Marko and Dwayne waved to her before disappearing further into the cave. Paul followed David's example and kissed her forehead before heading to sleep.

"Night, princess." Paul's words were the last thing she heard before she drifted to sleep.

Lily slept poorly that day, haunted by dreams of solid black eyes and fangs. She moaned in her sleep and rolled over, opening her eyes. David was standing next to her bed, a hungry look in his eyes.

"David?"

"Shh, princess." David drew her to her feet, his arm around her waist. His eyes were completely black, not their usual cool blue.

"What's going on?" She looked around for the other young men but it was only she and David. David turned her face back to his and leaned forward, kissing her softly. Lily melted into him, kissing him back with eagerness. Someone behind them chuckled but there was no one else in the room. While kissing her, David reached down and undid the first two buttons on her camisole. His mouth moved over her throat and down to her chest. Lily felt a sharp pain at the top of her breast and she looked down. David was drinking her blood, his arms around her tightly, trapping her. She tried to cry out but found she was too weak. Lily began to feel lethargic, sinking into the embrace of the vampire. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt her body drifting away.

Lily shot up in bed with a little scream, her hand clasped to the spot David had been drinking from. The four vampires were standing a little away from the bed and she screamed again, scrambling back from them. They looked at her startled.

David stepped toward the bed. "Lily? What's wrong?"

"Stay away from me." She moved further away from him. "You killed me."

David looked back at the boys and then at her. "What? I've never touched you Lily." He held a hand out to her, trying to coax her out of her corner.

Lily's gaze darted to each of the vampires in front of her. There was no way she could get away from him; she knew how fast they could move. At the same time, she felt irrational. She knew it had only been a dream but she had an extreme need to get away from David. "Your eyes were black." She said softly, still staring at him in fear.

Dwayne stepped forward and waved David away from the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Tell me what happened." He demanded gently. She shook her head, her eyes never leaving David who was now on the other side of the cave. Dwayne put out a hand to her. "I won't hurt you." She bit her lip, staring at his hand. Gingerly, she put out her hand and slipped it into his. He tugged gently and she crawled over to him. "It was just a dream Lily. It can't hurt you."

"It was so real." Her hazel eyes shone with unshed tears.

Dwayne pushed back her hair and raised her face so he could see her eyes. "You know it was a dream. David would never hurt you."

Lily looked over his shoulder at the other vampires. Paul blew at kiss at her playfully and she giggled. Dwayne almost smiled. "That's the princess we I know. Come on." She let him pull her off the bed and over to the boys. David smiled approvingly at Dwayne.

"So what's up David? We goin' out tonight or not?" Marko asked impatiently.

"Patience, Marko, patience." David slid an arm around Lily's waist gently, pleased when she didn't pull away. "We'll let the princess decide."

"I want to go to the beach." Lily said quickly. "Have a bonfire."

"Then we go to the beach." David declared.