A/N: I've decided to rewrite this chapter because I felt the other was a bit to rushed, and I really didn't like the small scene Anna had with Christine's uncle….well, I will be keeping some aspects of the last chapter. (for those of you who have read it already, you will know what it is when you read, lol) It will serve as a sort of intro into a more relevant scene to the storyline. I hope you like it better!

I haven't gotten a chance lately to thank everyone that has been reading my story! I appreciate the reviews and am glad to see so many honest reviews. I appreciate that! If it wasn't for the honesty, then my story would not be as good as it is! Well, I'm gonna start on it….hope you guys like it!

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Chapter 33

We ran for what seemed like miles, my legs pumping hard beneath me, struggling to keep the maddening pace that Velkan had set before us. I felt my breath growing ragged, my chest heaving badly. It felt as though my heart was beginning to fail me. My mind madly tried to keep track of the time that had passed since we had begun running. Ten minutes at least….

We continued our maddening haste, never stopping once for a single breath, or a second of thought. I felt Velkan's hand tighten around my own, almost in comfort, to know I was beside him and well.

"Where are we going!" I yelled to him. He never turned back to acknowledge my voice. I had slowly begun to resign myself to the fact that he would not speak to me.

"Velkan!" I screamed angrily. He did not even hear me, so maddened he was on keeping the speed we kept. "Velkan stop!" I screamed for a second time. He didn't. Fury overtaking my senses, I stopped suddenly, causing him to slow his pace to a screeching halt. Looking around myself, I found us in a tiny clearing. I fell to the floor, struggling to catch my breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked me. I nodded my head in affirmation, my eyes closing in thought. William was gone. I had lost him….

"I need a moment…" I sputtered out, my chest heaving in exertion. Velkan looked around us, his eyes searching for anything that might seem out of place. Finding nothing, I noticed as he hesitatingly sat down beside me, attempting to catch his breath.

"Only a moment…." I said again. "Please…."

"Alright, alright." He said in response, pretending as if he had grown annoyed with my pleading. "I am giving you time." I looked up at him for a moment, before turning my gaze towards my shoulder. And as I did, my thoughts inevitably traveled to the Count.

How could one man have so much power over me? Over William? My mind had become ransacked with these ideas over the last hours of our day. I was so sick of those thoughts!

"Let me see your shoulder." I heard Velkan silently order. It seemed almost as if he had become angry with me. I raised my gaze slowly to his to find it devoid of any feeling, as if I had betrayed him.

"Why?" I asked him simply, almost possessively. "So that you can berate me for allowing him to bite me?" I asked him. I noticed his eyes darken in anger, realizing that I knew what he had meant to do.

"Christine." I heard him say in response, straining to compose his temper.

"You have seen it already." I answered. As I said this, memories of what had happened only minutes before began to race through my mind. Thoughts of Velkan's surprise and disappointment…thoughts of his face slowly contorting into anger….visions of the Count's triumphant smile as he noticed this.

Slowly, I noticed him reach out to my shoulder. I looked up to meet his gaze, suspicion gracing my features. "What are you so worried about?" I asked him. "What is it that you have to fear?" I saw his gaze darken with worry.

"That you will become one of them." He said simply.

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All four of us, not including the men that had traveled with my family to Romania, sat in the large library, nursing our injured pride. We all sat beside each other, eyes downcast hands clasped on our laps, as we heard the angry words come from Boris Valerious' mouth.

Anna and my Uncle had been the first to arrive, only to be greeted at the door by the cold, hard look of the elder Valerious, his eyes tired and bloodshot from worry. He had spent the whole of the night before searching for his children, not finding a single trace of them. And now, as one had arrived, the worry was replaced slowly with anger.

Velkan and I arrived some hours after them, only to be rushed into the library where his father sat lecturing his daughter and my uncle. I smiled, noticing the tinge of humiliation and anger barely discernable in my uncle's face. But, as Boris Valerious' eyes slowly rose to meet his son's and, inevitably, my own, my smile was quickly eradicated. He was a hard man.

"I see my son has deemed it fit to make his presence known." Came the cold greeting. Anna and my Uncle's gaze shot to meet ours. I noticed the relief flood through them as they found us safe. My eyes I kept downcast, guilty, refusing to make contact with Velkan's father. I would have to soon enough. "And I see he has brought a guest as well! How pleasant! Tell me, young lady, what is your name?" I winced, hearing his cold voice greet my ears.

I took a deep breath, taking a moment to long to answer. I felt Velkan gently nudge me to reply. Carefully, I raised my gaze to meet the elder Valerious. My eyes widened slightly at the sight before me.

A tall man he was, a foreboding presence. Not a hint of pleasure I noticed in his eye, being that he wore a patch covering the other. Dressed rather lavishly, I noticed his intense scrutiny as he perused me, taking in the tattered evening gown I wore. His hair much lighter than that of his children, I assumed that both Anna and Velkan had inherited their dark features from their mother.

"Christine Aveire, sir." I answered simply. It took some moments before I heard a reply come from him, but not towards me.

"Well," he said, his gaze turning towards Velkan. "You have picked the perfect time to bring a young woman home." He said, smiling sardonically. "A perfect time, indeed." I looked to Velkan, noticing his slight blush at the mention of a woman. How angry his father would be had he known the truth. "Sit." He ordered us both.

We hurried as if bracing for a punishment, taking a seat beside each other, opposite Anna and my Uncle. He paced in front of the four of us, his hands on his hips, his eyes downcast, thinking about what he would say. I almost did not feel Velkan's hand travel to my own, covering it in comfort.

"Christine, isn't it?" he asked me suddenly, turning to face me. Velkan's hand shot from my own, noticing his father's gaze resting on me. I nodded quickly in affirmation.

"Yes, sir." I said simply. He perused me for some time, finally noticing the wound on my shoulder. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and for a moment, I could only see Velkan looking back at me. When his voice finally came, I hit reality once again.

"You are wounded." He said simply. He leant down suddenly, kneeling directly in front of me. He reached out to touch the cloth of my gown. So afraid I was to displease him more than he already was, that I allowed him to expose my shoulder.

"A bite." He said simply. "The Count." He continued. I could feel Velkan boring holes into me as his father caught a glimpse of the bite. Perusing the wound for some moments longer, he slowly raised his gaze to me.

"Tell me, Christine." He continued. "Did you drink from him?" I quickly and furiously nodded no. He smiled, pleased with the answer. I heard Velkan speak suddenly.

"Father." He said. Slowly, but surely, Boris Valerious' gaze came to rest on his son. "You are angry with us." Boris rose immediately and approached Velkan before replying.

"I am your father. I am supposed to be angry with you when you expressly disobey my order! Didn't I tell you both," he said stressing the last word and pointing to his children. "Not to go there! Did I not make myself clear!" he almost yelled. I noticed Velkan wince. My uncle spoke up at once in their defense.

"I am sure they did not do this solely with the purpose to disobey you." He said. I noticed the older man spin on his heels, directing his gaze towards him.

"And so I believe." He said in answer. I noticed a cold smile form on the man's face before he continued. "It would bode well for you, sir, if you did not interfere in the conversation between a father and his children." My uncle's eyes widened slightly at the sharp reply. He sat back in his seat, not venturing a single comment.

"Aveire." The older man said, looking between my uncle and I. "Are you both related?" he directed this question to me, an expectant look on his face. I nodded quickly in affirmation.

"Yes, sir. He is my Uncle." I said quickly. I noticed his eyes widening in surprise as I told him.

"Your uncle?" he asked me. He turned back to Christopher, who flinched slightly at once again receiving his attention. "Is this true?" I noticed my uncle nod quickly in response. "How old are you?"

"Eight and twenty." Was the simple reply. He laughed.

"You are a young one!" he said laughing. "Tell me, isn't it a bit strange to have a niece as young as you?" he asked. I noticed my uncle's gaze brighten a bit by the sudden change in tone. I looked to Velkan, noticing the surprise written on his face. He turned back to me, and as he saw the same look written on my own, he merely shrugged his shoulders. Anna remained seated stock still, her face staring blankly at the ground as the exchange happened.

"No, sir. It is all I have ever known." He answered simply in reply.

"I would suppose so." Velkan's father answered. His gaze lingered on my uncle for a moment longer, taking in the clothing he wore. After a moment of reflection, he spoke up again. "I will have some rooms prepared for you both." He said.

"I appreciate your kind and generous offer, but we have rented apartments not far from here. I would not want to intrude on your hospitality any further." I said suddenly. Boris Valerious shook his head in denial.

"No, I insist. You will stay here for the night, at least. I would like to speak to you both personally." His voice dripped with curiosity as he looked to me. "Until then, I will have someone bring your things here." He said. I moved to speak once again, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Anna slowly shaking her head as if to say I shouldn't push the matter any further. I slowly nodded in acceptance.

"Good." He said, turning to Anna. "Anna, since I've spoken to you already, would you mind showing them to the spare rooms?" he asked. Anna slowly raised her gaze to her father, relief flooding through her features.

"Of course." She said in reply. She rose slowly and nodded for us to do the same. I looked to Velkan, who smiled weakly and gestured for me to go. I nodded quietly and followed Anna to the door, taking one final look back at Velkan. He had taken a deep breath, anticipating the anger that was to come.