Chapter Five

          "What's the matter lover, cat got your tongue?"

          His voice fell over her like silk: seductive, teasing, always thick with dark charm. She wanted to believe it was a dream – prayed that it was another nightmare.

          Swallowing the hesitation that hung in her throat Willow stretched out a tentative hand and brushed her fingers across his cheek. Skin cold as death and pale as the moon; eyes dark and enchanting; lips full and blush. Tears clung to Willow's eyelashes as her lids fluttered softly shut, a sigh of relief passing through her gentle smile. "Oh, Angelus."

          Gripping her hand in his own Angelus pressed his lips to Willow's palm, placing butterfly kisses along her wrist to the crook of her elbow to her shoulder, neck, cheeks and finally her lips. His kiss was hungry, passionate, fierce and Willow returned it with just as must vigor and need.

          For two years Willow fooled herself, and her friends, into believing that she had put Angelus behind her but one kiss had so easily crumbled all her barriers. "I've missed you, Willow," Angelus grinned. "You've been such a naughty girl, my love. A persistent thorn in my side."

          "The same could be said of you."

          Chuckling, Angelus caressed Willow's cheek, running his fingers through her hair. Gripping the back of Willow's neck – and eliciting from her a painful gasp – Angelus' eyes glowed amber and his tone lowered menacingly, "Oh, how I love your fire but such insolence must be punished."

          Willow didn't flinch from Angelus as his demon visage slipped into view. Instead, she held his gaze defiantly and smiled coyly. "Promise?"

          His demon roared at her defiance and her strength and howled to dominate. Capturing her lips in a brutal kiss Angelus slipped his hands to Willow's hips, his fingers digging into her delicate flesh. Willow hissed when his razor sharp fangs sliced her tongue and moaned when he started to lap at the seething blood with his own.

          That was what Willow had missed most: the pleasure-induced pain. Angelus had spent hours training the redheads body to associate pleasure with pain and Willow had spent hours writhing in his bed, crying first tears of shame and agony then, somewhere amidst those first dark weeks, her cries became ones of pleading and bliss.

          "They'll come."

          Relaxing his demon Angelus looked down at the redhead in his arms. "Who?"

          "I was supposed to be a Giles' a half hour ago," Willow whispered. "They'll worry and come looking for me."

          Another grin spread across Angelus' lips. "They won't find me."

          Spike found Willow fifteen minutes later lying unconscious in the park, two bite marks still seeping with blood on her neck. Lifting his lover into his arms Spike hurried her back to Giles' where the Scooby's waited with held breath. All of them blamed themselves for Willow's condition and all for differing reasons.

          Exactly what Angelus had hoped for.

          An hour later Willow moaned and opened her eyes. It took her a moment to place herself and another before the pain swelled. The wound on her neck pulsed and her bruising hips ached while a strong pounding lay in her head. Sitting up carefully she became severely aware of the eyes upon her. Looking up, a bit uncomfortably, Willow saw Giles, Spike, Xander, Cordelia, Wesley and Laurel watching her with obvious expectancy.

          Groaning and rolling her eyes Willow pushed herself to her feet and shuffled her way into the bathroom to shower. Standing beneath the hot water Willow revealed in the steady throb of her body and the lingering fire of Angelus' kiss. He had promised to return to her and she was only counting the hours.

          "Willow?"

          Tossing the wet towel back into the bathroom the redhead ran her fingers through her damp hair and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. Opening the door and stepping out of the Giles' guest bedroom Willow smiled at Laurel. "What's up munchkin?"

          Laurel and Wesley exchanged glances that spoke volumes between the lovers. Willow read only worry in their eyes. "Don't you want to tell us something?"

          Shrugging, Willow brushed past the young Slayer and into the kitchen to grab something to eat. "No. Why? Is there something I'm supposed to tell you?"

          "Willow, Spike found you lying unconscious in the park."

          "I'm aware of that Wesley," Willow said while popping a bite-size cookie into her mouth.

          Another exchange of glances between the lovers and that time Willow read confusion. "How did you get there?"

          Swallowing another cookie Willow looked at the two with her own expectant confusion. "I walked."

          Both Laurel and Wesley grew angry then for Willow's obvious attempt to dodge the question. Inwardly Willow was grinning, taking enjoyment in watching them sputter around their words. Willow knew, of course, what had happened and why Spike had found her unconscious. It was, after all, her idea.

          After explaining to Angelus that her friends were bent on finding him and destroying him, Willow suggested that to take a bit of the pressure from the Scooby's efforts to track Angelus down – "which they'll do," Willow had confirmed – they stage an attack on Willow so as to give Angelus time to better secure his protection against the Scooby's "radar". Angelus had grinned and agreed.

          Willow had hated herself for placing him before her friends but what choice did she have? She was bound to Angelus and he to her. For all eternity only Angelus would be able to entrap Willow's heart and imprison her soul and she had grown tired of trying to deny it.

          "Wills, love," Spike eyed the redhead hurtfully. "What happened to you?"

          Willow shrugged. "Vampire."

          Narrowing his eyes Spike gripped Willow's arms and starred into her eyes. "Don't pull that nonchalant shit with me, red," he warned oblivious to the others watching the interaction with great interest. "I can smell him all over you."

          Shrugging out of Spike's grip Willow met his eyes defiantly. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Spike."

          Sadness crept into the blonde vampires eyes and he shook his head miserably. "I don't know what's happening to you, Willow. Why have you shuttered yourself against me? Why won't you talk to me?"

          Willow's face remained like stone as she lifted her head. "There's nothing to say, Spike."