CPOV

When the boys came back, the only thing there was left to do was wait for the sun to set. So, Felix dragged me into the movie room to play a game with him. And by games, I meant the console he dragged out so we could play Soul Calibur. He bragged about how good he was at it, and he babbled on about how he needed a partner for Mario Kart, too.

Alec didn't join us; he looked much too distracted. He warned Felix to just play these games with me "and nothing else". He went to go talk with Jane while Felix stiffly promised him. Alec's eyes met mine briefly, watching me dubiously, like I was going to suddenly vanish into thin air. Then, he turned and left.

Felix's growls came into my ears as we went through round three on Soul Calibur II. He had all of the Soul Calibur games, along with the Mortal Kombat and Mario Kart collections, but I told him this was my favorite game. He challenged me, sizing up my skills. He was playing as Yoshimitsu, and I Talim, whom I always chose. The tiniest bit of my lip was snagged between my teeth as I attacked twice more, resulting in a K-O. I jumped up off the couch in victory.

"Ha!" I exclaimed. "See, I told you."

"You girls shouldn't know how to play these video games," he grumbled, pressing Start. "Rematch!"

I laughed, a real laugh, for the first time in a while. I hadn't played video games since that day on the tour bus, and with it came a bit of sadness. That day on the tour bus had been exciting, happy, full of hope. David yelling at Travis for eating his Doritos. Travis apologizing, even though he would definitely eat them again.

I'll get out of here. Eventually. I will.

I sighed quietly as I picked the same character, and Felix picked Voldo.

"You all right, little woman?" Felix asked with a cat-like grin. "Nervous this time? Can't handle the bodily contortions of Voldo?"

"No," I answered with a smile, shaking my head, though I've never been any good at hiding my emotions. No matter how hard I tried, my face always gave me away. He frowned, clearly seeing just that.

"What is it?" he asked seriously. "Tonight?"

"No," I answered dismissively, looking at the screen. "Let's just play."

Felix looked behind him, then at me again before leaning close to me. The close proximity made me turn my head and lean a ways back in confusion.

"It's okay. I'm going hunting tomorrow. He's going with us," he answered casually, but his eyes held a message. It took me a minute to figure out what he meant. He was giving me an update on David via code. Thankfulness washed through me, and I nodded. Then the image of David drinking from a human came into my mind, and I felt sick. I hoped that he would at least try to feed on an animal this time.

Golden eyes flashed through my mind, and I thought of Heidi's friend, the former Volturi woman. If she fed on them, couldn't David too? And me, as well?

"Can't he feed on animals?" I whispered, trying to speak as quiet as possible. "You didn't see his face when he told me about his first hunt..."

Felix blew out air, something unnecessary for vampires. He leaned back into his own space, turning back to the game. He started the battle, and I played, waiting tensely for him to respond.

"I wouldn't see why not. We have had two previous members who fed on animals. Aro prefers us to be at our strongest with human blood, but he will not turn one away from their preferred diet."

"But, Demetri told me that Aro wouldn't approve," I muttered at the same low volume.

"He won't, but it is only because of his preference. He never forced our previous members to change their diets. If that is what David prefers, then I won't stop him, nor will Aro. The same goes for you. But, the animal diet is a very difficult diet to maintain. It takes an insurmountable amount of discipline. It can be done, though. I can let him know that he is free to diet however he chooses."

I nodded hopefully, sighing in relief.

"Thank you."

"What?!" Felix bellowed so loud that the TV shook, and hurt my left ear. I merely laughed at it, even though it should have scared me.

"I win, again," I declared smugly, tossing the controller next to me. Mind-numbing video games worked wonders for my thoughts, and I was glad for them at this moment. I felt like a normal nineteen year old, instead of a nineteen year old prisoner. I got up off the couch and stretched. How long were we playing?

"Where in the hell did you find all this time to do that, little woman?" he exclaimed, his voice the same volume. "This is unfair!"

"Well, when you grow up with boys, you kind of have no choice," I said. "How is that unfair?"

"You didn't tell me you kicked ass at it!"

"I told you it was my favorite game," I defended with a chuckle. "I have about ten years experience with it. What about you?"

He just grumbled to himself and dropped the controller, shattering it into pieces in the process. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose.

"Fuck," he groaned. "That was limited edition."

"Felix, enough," Alec called in a bored voice from the door. My head whipped around on its own accord, and I hoped he didn't notice.

Of course he noticed. Vampires don't miss anything.

"It's not my fault, Aly," Felix whined. "She beat my ass. Fourteen times."

"How many times have I asked you not to call me Aly?" Alec deadpanned, his palm open at Felix as I made my way over to him, and I wasn't sure why. Didn't he come in here for a reason? What time was it?

I forced myself to stand at a distance as the crackling, electric dance awakened in my body. I pressed my lips together to hide the smile that was fighting its way onto my lips.

Aly. Heh.

I watched Felix hold his hands up in surrender while becoming a white and black blur as he flipped off the couch. He brushed imaginary dust off his Volturi coat, facing us.

"After this whole mess is over, I call a rematch," he challenged, pointing a finger at me. "And we're playing Mario Kart."

"Good luck," I deadpanned sarcastically as he narrowed his eyes at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, smiling.

"Heidi is asking for you," Alec cut in as if we hadn't said anything, and my heart sped up at his words.

It was time. This was it. Oh, god.

I sucked in a breath and nodded, making my way to her a floor below. Alec didn't follow me, and neither did Felix. All the nerves and feelings that the video games blocked out resurfaced as I went down the stairs. I thought about how short that dress was and what Heidi would do to my face and how Alec would react...

I asked again why I was chosen for this. With my heart thudding in my chest, Heidi's door opened before I finished my first knock, and she had a cat-like smile on her face.

Oh, lord help me.

I stepped in and she pointed to the same vanity bench, where I sat. I let her work, closing my eyes half the time and begging my anxiety to stop spiking.

"What time is it?" I asked nervously as she dusted eyeshadow on my eyes. For these twenty minutes, my heart hadn't calmed once. She sighed, and I could practically see her shaking her head at me.

"It is nearing seven," she told me carelessly. "And I am almost finished, so you won't have to suffer much longer. Open."

I opened my eyes and met hers, a breathtaking grin breaking across her face.

"Excellent," she breathed, and I wondered just how bad it was. I mean, she spent twenty minutes doing this. It felt like she was putting so many things on my face, yet I felt hardly anything.

She lastly painted a color on my lips, which I recognized as some sort of nude. It was definitely liquid lipstick. I wanted to sigh; this made me miss doing my own makeup before shows.

After a final blot, she took the braids out of my hair, and ruffled her fingers roughly through the waves, tousling them. She then picked up a heavily expensive-looking curling iron and wrapped only a few pieces around it to create a deeper wave. Finally, she grabbed a small can of what looked like texturizing spray, and spritzed my hair with it, scrunching and ruffling my hair once more. She came around to face me and gave me a once over, smiling to herself.

"Take a look," she insisted. Taking a deep breath, I slowly swiveled around on the bench, closing my eyes. I sat there for a moment before opening one eye slowly, and then the other at the girl in the mirror.

Who, dare I say, looked like a masterpiece. I hardly recognized her.

I gasped at her beauty, which was no doubt made classic, and not the heavy eyes I was expecting. She glowed, her skin a mix of a light olive and porcelain with seemingly no perfections. There was no blush on her cheeks, because she didn't need it. The lightest of contours shaded the hollows of her cheeks, making her face more defined, and something at the tops of her cheeks glowed in the light, almost like Alec's skin did in the sun. Her lips were painted, although not enough to overwhelm the shape of them. They seemed naturally fuller and more beautiful in color, and when her eyes met mine, I realized the girl was me.

The green of her eyes stood out so profoundly, thanks to the elaborate, neutral smokey look surrounding her eyelids. Dark, thick, voluminous lashes made her eyes appear more open, and the cat-like flick of the eyeliner gave her a feral look. Gone were the purple shadows under her eyes, expertly covered up like they didn't exist. The bright lights of the vanity mirror revealed the hidden red tint in her brown, wavy hair, which was purposefully messy and tousled into beach waves, adding to the sexiness of the look Heidi wanted to achieve.

I looked beautiful. I looked alive, and for once in my entire life, I couldn't stop gaping at myself.

As I did, I was thrown into memories of the bewildering dream I had weeks ago. The girl with the crimson eyes and impossibly beautiful face.

My immortal dream.

I saw the girl's face fall, and even in that state, it came out beautiful. What had Heidi done to me?

A low whistle from across the room broke me out of my reverie, and I snapped my head toward the sound. Standing at the now closed door was Demetri, who was looking appreciatively at Heidi's work, his brow arched.

"Now that...is something even I am having a hard time resisting," he said, giving me a charming grin. Heidi scoffed.

"She is not even dressed yet," she said, placing her cold hand on my back. I stood as she ushered me to the door. I barely heard her hiss at me to go get the dress; I was too busy trying to absorb the reflection I just saw. I had never looked so immaculate, and I was both curious and terrified of Alec's reaction. I plucked the dress out of my closet, warily removed the little knife from underneath the bed, hid it in the dress, and went straight back to Heidi's room, taking deep breaths.

Come on, you can do this. You only have to wear it once, calm down. One time, and it's over. This is just for tonight, for a few minutes. Relax.

I seemed to convince myself a little bit about not having to wear it long.

Until Heidi dangled a thong in my face.

"You forgot this," she said as if I would accept without a fuss. I gaped at it, noticing how it matched the dress in all its terrifying, lacy glory. Suddenly, the nerves were back. She raised a brow at me.

"Well, get moving, girl," she prompted, and I reluctantly took the piece from her hand and went behind the changing wall. Demetri apparently left when I did, so he wasn't in here.

"Remove your bra," she called. "You won't need it."

As if it couldn't get any worse.

My horror just spiked, tenfold. No bra, either? Why don't I just go naked?

"Am I going on a mission, or working a street corner?" I grumbled, to which she scoffed while handing me a pack of silicone pads to put over my nipples.

When the dress slid over my body, it felt like a glove. It fit perfectly and felt light, although it hugged my body like I suspected. I shoved the new undergarment on without trying to think about it, and looked down at myself. From this angle, I actually didn't look half bad. Lastly, I strapped the knife to my right thigh, high enough so that it wouldn't be seen, and I was glad when the dress smoothly fell over it. There was apparently a little more length to it when it was on the body; it fell nearly to the middle of my thighs and not right after my butt like I imagined. Slowly, some of my nerves went away from these things, and I stepped out from behind the wall to slip the heels on.

I looked up at Heidi, who was gazing over my body like it was her best work. She was still smiling proudly to herself with her hands on her hips, and met my eyes.

"I do believe I have outdone myself," she boasted, and beckoned me with her finger to stand in the full length mirror. I sucked in a breath and followed her, stopping short when I gazed upon myself.

Oh. God.

I looked...

My legs looked longer with the heels and the length of the dress, and the shade of pink seemed to illuminate my skin. The dress accentuated all the right places, and the obvious fact that I was in shape. I looked like, dare I say it, some sort of model. It was the complete opposite of who I truly was, and I couldn't help but feel beautiful in this form, but totally out of place from what the appearance might tell. It practically screamed, "I'm single, young, and I'm ready to have a good time."

Sadly, it also screamed vampire bait.

I sighed, and I wasn't sure what for; not fitting into this appearance, or being vampire bait.

"You look phenomenal," Heidi commented, her hands clasped in front of her. "Don't you like it?"

"It's just, um," I fumbled for words. "It's not me."

"It's you tonight, sweetie," she said, perching a brow. "You are going to play this part perfectly. Now, the boys are waiting. I can hear them outside." She rolled her eyes and walked away from the mirror. I turned, seeing her pluck a cream colored peacoat off of her chair, and immediately wanted to put that thing around me. I met her in the middle as she handed it to me.

"It will be a little cold tonight," she informed me, and I gripped onto it like a lifeline. She rolled her eyes and led me to the door.

"You'll be fine," she said as if reading my mind. "Don't be nervous. It's only for a little while."

She patted me on the bottom, which came out more like a smack, as the door opened, and I looked back at her in surprise, not realizing I'd stepped out of the room.

I didn't realize they'd all been talking outside the room, until it ceased and I heard absolute silence.

"You are going to have a hard time keeping this one away from her," Heidi said smugly, and I reluctantly turned my head toward the silenced boys, my cheeks ablaze, my heart pounding.

I wished I had put the coat on before I was plunged into this.

Felix and Demetri whistled while looking me over. Demetri looked hungrily, while Felix just looked impressed with Heidi.

"Damn, little woman. Is that you?" Felix said, looking stunned.

"You're telling me," Demetri replied, a cheshire grin creeping onto his face. He lifted my hand into his and planted a kiss on it, once again. "Absolutely breathtaking. Remind me to thank Heidi later." He slid his eyes to her suggestively, and I heard the door close behind me.

I reluctantly moved my eyes to Alec, the warm, electrifying pull coming into effect right as I did.

If Demetri looked hungry, then Alec was absolutely famished.

His eyes roamed all over me, and that enough told me what I was wondering all this time.

The look in his eyes screamed lust and appreciation, and most of all, that hunger. They moved over my neck, my chest, my middle, my legs, my feet, and all the way back up. I couldn't help that my own eyes roamed over him as well. A black fitted sweater, similar to the one he wore this afternoon, another pair of dark wash jeans, and an expensive-looking pair of Nikes on his feet made me suppress the groan that wanted to come out of my mouth. He looked better than me. Our eyes met at the same time, and I was shocked when they visibly darkened; they were nearly black, just like his sweater. He smirked at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Seeing him in normal clothes was doing things to my brain, and I felt half ashamed at the things that came into my mind.

"How does she look, Alec?" Demetri asked knowingly. Felix nudged Demetri's elbow rather hard, and it came out as a solid thud. My cheeks flushed even more as I anticipated Alec's answer. Even if he didn't say anything, I would be happy. All of the attention I was getting right now wasn't suited for me, and I begged them inwardly to look away.

"Approachable," Alec finally answered, pursing his lips. Then he smirked. "Sexy."

Now I really wished I could look away. I was sure that even my ears and neck were flushed pink by now, and I looked anywhere but at Alec, having no words to say to any of them.

"Well, you can both finish eye-fucking each other later," Demetri said seriously. "We have to get moving. I have his scent, and I want to keep it while it's still fresh."

Thank you, Demetri. You're a saint. Seriously, you're such a gentleman.

I decided to break the ice and prove that I was not checking Alec out; although the electricity running through my veins screamed at me to stay plastered to Alec's side, and my heart thrummed a million times a minute. I looked over Felix and Demetri's clothes; Felix's sweater was fancier than Alec's, like one you would buy out of a men's magazine, and Demetri was still clad in his Volturi attire, which confused me.

"How come you're wearing a sweater and you aren't?" I asked them confusedly, pointing to Felix, then Demetri.

"There's no need, love. I will be in hiding, while your right hand men escort you like we said," Demetri answered lightly with a smirk. "Time is ticking. Come along now."

All business now, he strode forward in front of us, leading the way while Felix followed suit, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I was about to follow them, until the coat was out of my hands in an instant. Bewildered, I looked left, right, down, and finally behind me, where Alec was holding the coat open for me to put on.

"You will get cold," he told me, smiling, but something told me it was for his own benefit. If I was covered up, he wouldn't have to be distracted. Sliding my eyes to the coat, I slipped my arms in, goosebumps raising on my skin when his fingers brushed the skin of my neck. I didn't know if it was on accident or on purpose, but it made my stomach flip and the current intensify. Then his lips were at my ear.

"Do us both a favor and keep it on, will you?" he said lowly as I tried to hide my shiver. I think it halfway worked, but I mutely nodded and put my hands in the pockets as a comfort mechanism. I immediately felt less exposed and was able to walk down the stairs more comfortably with Alec in tow.

"He's following her scent," Demetri reported as Alec gunned the car down the road. Felix and Demetri were in the back, and I was, what I would call forced to sit in the front, because Felix had the door open for me and winked when I got to the garage. Now, I was looking out my window, trying to not pay attention to the dazzling boy driving; I think it was working rather well, considering my thoughts.

We're halfway there, just calm down.

He's not even going to get close to you.

This will only take five minutes. Right?

Alec, why do you have to look so dang irresistible in normal clothes?

That black sweater really is...

The way his muscles look, just...

Demetri comes in and saves the day, and we're done.

Sleep is closer than I think. I can practically feel my pillow now.

Possibly nothing could go wrong tonight.

A sudden cold, marble hand on my knee broke me out of my thoughts, and the way my body suddenly warmed over and slowly calmed down told me whose it was. I looked away from the window to its owner, the spark in my stomach igniting, and warmth rushing straight to my knee. It felt wonderful, and I didn't want his hand to move.

"Your leg bouncing is unsettling. Please," Alec said politely, along with his smile. The sun had already set, so I wasn't able to see what his eyes might say. His hand lingered longer than I expected before it was gone, leaving a warm tingle in its wake. I nodded once, barely uttering an apology as I turned back to the window.

"I can smell him," Felix said lowly, and I pulled the coat tighter around me, trying not to listen to them. His words made my heart beat just a tiny bit faster, and I didn't know why. How smart was this vampire? What if he was smarter than all of us? Why did he even want me? There were millions of humans in the town square, so why was he lingering around the castle? It made no sense.

The car came to a stop, and I saw the club in view. It was the same club where I had my first performance here. It was the first place I laid eyes on Alec, and the memories of that night brought me nostalgia and a want for comfort. I wanted to go back to the castle, find David, and hold onto him. It also brought a heavy blanket of irony; how I saw Alec for the first time, completely unaware of our fate. And now, I was right back to what felt like square one. I forced back threatening tears, and brought myself back to this moment. This wouldn't take long, and I could cry about it later.

"Ready, little woman?" Felix asked from the backseat, and I could have laughed at my own response.

"No."

I opened the door anyway, blowing out a breath as I moved to get out. Alec's hand was there, then, offering to help me out. I looked at him briefly and took hold of his icy hand, which pulled me out smoothly and quicker than I could have on my own. First, I was sitting, and then I was standing inches away from him, the car door closing behind me.

Flattered and ignited once again by his close proximity and his hand in mine, I met his eyes, which I could see clearer now. They weren't the red I was expecting. His eyes were covered by dark blue contacts, and that's just what they were. Blue. Not the purple that usually occurred. I wondered then, if he got a better pair of contacts, or if his eyes perhaps weren't crimson underneath. Did that mean he was...

"Thank you," I uttered out, enchanted, as Heidi put it, by the color of his eyes and how normal they made him look. More human. They were beautiful on him, even if they were fake. They fit him so well, and I couldn't help but wonder if blue was his human eye color.

Focus! There's no time for that.

I pulled my hand out of his, listening to my conscience, and shoved my hand back into the pocket. Felix motioned us with his head to get moving. He looked as serious as Demetri, whom I now noticed was gone.

They both nodded at each other, and we began our casual walk to the club. I ended up being flanked by the two boys; Alec to my left, Felix to my right. I mentally thanked Heidi for the coat around my body, as she'd been right; it was quite chilly. There was a slight wind, and by the feel of the air, I estimated a calculation of forty five to fifty degrees.

I looked at the club not far away from us, the colorful lights beaming out of it into the sky, and the heavy, loud bass of whatever song was playing vibrating the place. I tried not to think of that night as we approached closer, and Alec's close proximity. I visibly made sure I wasn't getting closer to him as we walked, and put an equal distance between all three of us. I noticed a couple walking past us, along with a few others as well.

The girl was half a foot shorter than the man, who appeared about as muscled as Alec, if only a little. The man had brown styled hair, while the girl's was straight jet black. He held her possessively against his side, his arm looking a little too tight. For a moment, I thought they looked familiar, but I dismissed it as we got closer.

Felix suddenly halted, as did Alec. Confused, I stopped a step ahead of them, looking back at them. They looked at each other, sharing a message I couldn't read.

"Damn it," Felix whispered. Alec growled, closing his eyes tightly. He shook his head. What was going on?

"What's wrong?" I asked confusedly, warily. Neither one of them answered me; they looked off in the distance, somewhere I couldn't see, and then the wheels began to turn in my head.

Something was wrong. Something had changed.

"Guys," I called lightly to them, warily moving toward Alec. "Felix, did you forget your I.D.?" I asked as more people passed us, and he looked at me with hard eyes and nodded.

"Yeah. Something like that," Felix answered, patting his pockets for effect. "I lost it. We'll have to go back and get it." He gave me a look with his eyes, and I knew what he meant.

Demetri couldn't find the vampire. He lost him.

He wasn't here.

"I'll take her," Alec said, his hand automatically shooting out to touch my arm. Felix answered his phone, standing closer to Alec as he spoke to who I assumed was Demetri.

"He bailed," Felix muttered to Alec. "He's trying to find him, but he's running in circles. We'll have to retrace."

He wanted to go back? I would have to do this again while the vampire is out there on the loose? He could be anywhere by now, and if we were to go back, who says something wouldn't happen then? That vampire was smart like I feared, and I didn't want him to be anywhere near me, or anywhere around here. The boys wanted to get him so bad, and seeing the looks on their faces, Alec clearly angered and Felix disappointed, I knew there was only one thing we could do.

The bass thudded in my ears from the club, and the memories of that night freely came into my mind. I hadn't forgotten about my idea, and I contemplated then, if we would have to go through with it. I knew they hadn't forgotten about it, either.

I looked back quickly at the club, then at the vampires in front of me.

"I'm telling you, we don't have time to do this again. He's figured it out by now," Felix said sharply, and I assumed the two were arguing. I didn't know how far away this vampire was, but I didn't want him to get away now.

"I know how to get him back here."

"You aren't doing anything," Alec clipped at me, holding onto my arm. He moved us off of the curb while Felix followed. We huddled together in a parallel parking space.

"We can't stay here, Alec. We either lose him and extend this goose chase, or we..." Felix trailed off, his lips a hard line as he glanced at me knowingly.

"Do you want him or not?" I asked Alec pointedly, wrenching my arm out of Alec's grip. This was the first time I was wanting to use this to their benefit, and I knew how bad they wanted to get this guy. Although I inwardly cringed at the fact that they would kill him, helping them was my main focus.

"I don't want him around me any more than you two do. If you'll listen to me for once, I can get him back here so we can be done with this."

Alec studied me dubiously, narrowing his eyes. Felix's face remained hard as stone, but I knew he could see my reluctance.

"If I sing in there, he'll come back, and you guys can get rid of him," I explained carefully. "I know there's a stage in there. I can get them to let me perform. I can put on a show, and you guys can go after him. We have one shot, and I'd much rather take it than have my plan, that I know you know is foolproof, shoved to the bottom of the pile. I'm right here, and I have everything you all need to capture him. Not willingly, might I add. I just want to help."

"What makes you think we will allow you to do that?" Alec asked accusingly. "You are not going to be left alone in there."

"Alec..." Felix said sharply, impatiently. "She's got a point. We can't get him if we don't go through with this. He will know our every motive if we make a plan like this again. He knows it now, and he will know. There will be no way he would venture back to the castle, and there's a chance he would make a scene if you went out with her again. We have no choice; she'll have to use her gift." He placed his hand on Alec's shoulder, and Felix's choice of wording made my stomach flip.

"Went out with her again."

Yeah, because Alec would take me out.

Alec watched me, not paying any attention to Felix. He searched my eyes just as I searched his. I could see the questions in his eyes:

What kind of idea is this? What are you thinking? Are you crazy? Do you know what your gift will do to me?

He gazed at me the way he did earlier; like I was going to disappear. He stared hard at me, and I fought the urge to take his hand to show him I really was there. I waited for his answer with bated breath, hoping he would allow me this one thing. I was offering to use my gift for the first time, and I knew he had at least two reasons to not allow me to do it.

"We cannot be certain that it will work. Your plan has one flaw," he mocked me, and I melted at the sound of this tone. For some reason, it flared something in me, challenged me. I think he wanted to smirk at me, but there was definitely no time to play.

"What's that?" I asked back boldly, accepting said challenge.

"Your voice would leave us at your mercy. It is a lost cause if we are unable to voluntarily have control over ourselves to fulfill our duty effectively," he answered seriously, but I could see the spark in his eyes. He was enjoying this cat and mouse game too much. He was right, however. I lowered my head, rubbing the back of my neck as I considered that. I stared at the ground below me. With my singing, they wouldn't...

My eyes fell on Alec's hands.

I snapped my head up, my cheeks burning, my eyes wide.

I bravely lifted his wrist in my hand and looked at both of them.

"Oh, yes you can," I declared, a victorious smile on my lips. "Here's your antidote."

Felix looked at Alec warily, though he was clearly amused by our conversation. My eyes locked with Alec's as I savored my victory of the argument, and the physical contact with him again. The cold weather and its wind didn't exist as of now. I was buzzing with the warm, cellular dance inside of me as Alec and I just stared at each other. I was much too dazed to tell if he was amused like Felix or not.

"You know she gets smarter every time she opens her mouth?" Felix pointed out, his eyebrows shooting up. Alec broke eye contact to growl at Felix.

"Can you do it?" he continued. "You can eliminate our hearing, and we can search for his scent. Alec."

He removed my hand from his wrist, his face blank now, and nodded at Felix.

"Of course I can do it," he said smoothly, slipping his hand into mine, as he made his way toward the club. Confused by his sudden change in moods again, I followed him, magnetized by the warmth flowing through me. Despite the temperature of his skin, I was focused on the feel of his hand in mine. It felt right, the way that our hands fell perfectly around each other. It was as if they were created to fit together, like two puzzle pieces.

As I peeked up at his profile, I realized that I would follow him anywhere. I trusted him completely, and I trusted him to protect me.

God, what is happening to me?

"It's karaoke night," Felix said almost excitedly. "Perfect."

I smiled a little at that; of course Felix would know if it's karaoke night or not.

I snapped my eyes forward as we approached the entrance, where Alec spoke in smooth Italian to the bouncer. The bald, muscled man nodded once, fear evident in his eyes, and stiffly opened the rope for us. His brown eyes landed on mine, and I wondered what Alec said to him.

I don't think I want to know.

Alec's arm came around my waist as we weaved through crowds of people. The feeling was heavenly, my heart thumping a million times a minute. He pulled me tight against his body, and my whole body became a live wire as it enjoyed the sensation. I automatically put my arms around his middle, leaning into him. I wasn't sure if he accepted this, but he certainly didn't push me away at all.

The club wasn't as full as I expected it to be, but there was still enough people to fill it halfway. The bass was louder and heavier than ever in my ears, as some Kesha song played from the stage. It vibrated through my body, and the colorful lights almost made me a lost wanderer. The whole club smelled like various perfumes and alcohol, and I sneakily inhaled Alec's scent into my nose. I hid my shudder at its deliciousness, and tried to focus on where we were going. Felix stopped us at the bar, and I remembered it immediately. Cassie and Robert sat here while we performed, where they proceeded to give us our next gig in town square.

Alec's arm disappeared from around me, and I quickly did the same, trying to seem like I was clear in my head. I moved a few steps away from him, forcing myself to be focused. This was about getting the vampire at hand, not snuggling into Alec. The club itself was warm from all the body heat, and I knew I would no longer need my coat.

Felix leaned forward to yell in my ear, his pine scent surrounding me. It was fresh, and slightly cooling.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he said loudly in my ear over the music. I nodded, my eyes automatically going to Alec's. He was watching Felix, and then his eyes slid to me blankly. Something swirled in his eyes, and it looked like caution mixed with amusement. I darted my eyes away.

"Do one for me," Felix hissed quickly before pulling back, as if he didn't want Alec to hear. He obviously did, though. I cracked a smile and spoke in a normal tone, even though it felt strange to do so.

"I'll try," I said, and then Alec was next, bending down to my ear as well. He didn't have to bend down nearly as far as Felix did. There went my body, stirring up the electricity between us again.

"Stay in here, and do not go anywhere else. Do you understand me?" he said in my ear seriously, and I immediately nodded, the scent of berries completely washing away Felix's. "We will come back for you when this is done. Do not talk to anyone. Anyone. Stay up there if you have to."

He spoke last part cryptically, and I knew what he meant. He meant boys. Stay away from boys.

"I understand, Alec," I whispered, my voice lost in the loud sounds of the club. Honestly, I didn't want Alec to leave me alone in this club, but this was my idea, after all. I was the only chance of getting this guy caught, and I forced myself once again to focus on that. He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled back from me, staring at me intently. His fingers brushed along my cheek, and it took all my will power not to lean into it. So warm. So electrifying. So good.

Even if this was just for show, I didn't care. I would pretend with him all the time if it meant he'd keep doing this. His eyes watched me with interest, curiosity and caution, the same way he did earlier today. He didn't look as untrustworthy with himself now, but it was definitely still there.

Focus, focus, focus, focus. Remember the situation at hand.

I blinked once, and his touch was gone. I nodded at him and Felix, who put his hand on Alec's shoulder. I knew he was antsy to get out of there, so I simply turned away and made my way through the crowd to the stage. As my eyes fell on it, the excitement of being able to perform took over. I would be doing what I loved once again.

And I was going to take full advantage of it.

I wouldn't have my two boys by my side, but I was elated to be doing this anyhow. I could finally let my emotions out in a healthy way, and belt whatever I wanted, however loud I wanted. I was in luck; just as one girl was hopping off the stage, the DJ was asking for another volunteer, or so I assumed. He was speaking Italian, but the way he was holding up the microphone and speaking in a suggesting tone told me so. I pushed through the last few people, shedding my coat, and went right up to the DJ stand.

"I'll go next," I said loudly, noticing that I didn't have to speak as loud now. The DJ looked at me, stunned for a moment, until he gathered some words and spoke into the microphone. I can only assume what he said.

"Abbiamo stasera un americano nel club. Lasciaci una buona volta, eh?" he announced in an upbeat tone, raising his arm. I heard cheers, "yeah"'s, and a few whistles. He leaned toward me, pushing his Fedora back.

"What is your name?" he asked politely. I froze. I couldn't give away my real name; I was reportedly dead, and it took me until now to remember that. I wanted badly to tell him my own name if it meant a chance of being found out, but I decided against it. I was here for one reason only, and it needed to stay that way. There wasn't room for any more problems. Stunned, I blurted out the first name that came to mind.

"Sabrina," I said, chasing it with a smile. He searched my face for a moment, slightly narrowing his eyes. I recognized him then as the same guy who introduced us when we performed here. He couldn't have possibly remembered my name, but I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Questo รจ Sabrina, rinunciare!" he hollered in the mic as people clapped again.

He handed me the microphone without another word, and did something on his Macbook. He looked at me again, rubbing his hands together.

"What song you want to sing?" he asked with a grin, and I made my way up the steps onto the stage, tossing my coat to the side. I saw him glance at my chest once, and I ignored it as I thought of so many songs at once. What could I sing? Did I sing for my own emotions or for the crowd's personal preference? I had so much confusion, frustration, and determination surrounding my predicament, from Alec's feelings, to Felix's secrets, to protecting David, and my own loss. I still missed my brother so deeply and terribly, that I wanted to flee this club and find the police. For a while now, had I pushed this sadness away, and I knew I wasn't going to get another chance so openly like this for probably a very long time. So, I chose with my emotions.

"You have everything?" I asked, fueled by these emotions and my drive to perform. The excitement and passion overtook me, and I was in my comfort zone.

"Anything you want," he said with a whirling of his head. His eyes seemed to dance with anticipation. A genre and song seemed to choose itself in my mind, and I let him know what I wanted. I stepped out of the heels, not trusting myself to perform in them, and threw the coat over them. He offered to hold them for me, and I thanked him as I traded him my belongings for the mic.

I went up the steps to the medium sized stage, the lights no stranger to me up here. As I looked out to the crowd in front of me, it wasn't that big. Most of the club seemed to be in the back enjoying drinks or being way too intimate with each other in the booths. Only a quarter of the people were here to see me do this karaoke.

I said I would put on a show, and that's exactly what I was going to do. I'd been itching to do this again, and I would do it for David and Travis.

The DJ announced me one more time, the same way he did a few weeks ago, and I was in the zone. As the intro began, I was already lost, enjoying the feel of performing again as I opened my mouth, my voice strong and raw with emotion, showcasing everything I'd held back.

Have you had a million reasons why you wished you'd never seen the truth?

Have you looked into the mirror and the problem's staring back at you?

I can't control myself, don't know who I've been

And who is this monster wearing my skin?

A movie in black and white, when will it end?

'Cause everytime I scream, no one hears me

The opening didn't stir anyone until I completely belted the chorus. The sudden tempo and key change in my voice threw them off, and they began to clap to the beat and move. I heard whoops of surprise, and I closed my eyes, singing the words as my own thoughts and emotions. I bounced around the stage, jerking my head with the guitar riffs.

It feels like I'm paralyzed

And I can't escape from the prison I'm living in

I'm naming the voices in my head

They keep on telling me to give in

But it's making me stronger

Fight a little longer

I'm gonna bring me back to life

And I won't be paralyzed

Have you searched for something deeper out of fear that life's a lonely road?

Have you roamed the darkest corners of the Earth until you're just a ghost?

I can't control myself, don't know who I've been

And who is this monster wearing my skin?

A movie in black and white, when will it end?

'Cause every time I scream, no one hears me

It feels like I'm paralyzed

And I can't escape from the prison I'm living in

I'm naming the voices in my head

They keep on telling me to give in

But it's making me stronger

Fight a little longer

I'm gonna bring me back to life

And I won't be paralyzed

I watched the crowd grow with every beat. the people in front having edged closer to the stage. There were more cheers, and I saw half the crowd jumping with me. The rest were dancing and pumping their fists in the air. I was singing to the crowd now, nearly headbanging to the song. I leaned down to the people in the front for the bridge, and gave high fives to the ones who held up their hands. I could feel the song working its magic for me, allowing me to release everything I pent up.

I'm not afraid, I can face my demons

Even if they tear me down

If I fall, let me fall

It might take time, but I'll find my own way out

I stood up and sang softly, closing my eyes before belting the chorus again.

It feels like I'm paralyzed

And I can't escape from the prison I'm living in...

It feels like I'm paralyzed

And I can't escape from the prison I'm living in

I'm naming the voices in my head

They keep on telling me to give in

But it's making me stronger

Fight a little longer

I'm gonna bring me back to life

I knelt down once more, singing to all of them in my emotions, allowing myself to smile as I felt lighter. I gave more high fives, and was surprised that they were still into this.

It feels like I'm paralyzed

Feels like I'm paralyzed

It feels like I'm paralyzed

But it's making me stronger

Fight a little longer

I'm gonna bring me back to life

And I won't be paralyzed

I stood and rocked to the outro, headbanging one last time on the last beat. I laughed breathlessly as I listened to the roaring whoops, whistles and cheers once more. I basked in the sound, feeling normal and human for the first time in forever. I almost felt like I was back at home. I wiped the sweat off of my temples, knowing I would be short living this glory. I gave the mic back to the DJ, who wasted no time in complimenting me.

"You are awesome! That was fucking lit!" He added with a grin, slapping his palm in mine as well. He had to shout over the roar of the crowd, who only got louder. He glanced at them, and then me. "I think they want an encore!"

Alec did tell me to stay up here if I had to...and I won't get this opportunity again. Right after this, it's back to the castle. I need to take extra advantage of this time alone.

I looked at the crowd, who was chanting and whistling like he said. It excited me, called to me, and I couldn't resist. I looked at the DJ again.

"Is it okay?" I shouted at him. He motioned to the stage while handing me the mic with an excited grin. I quickly had my plan formulated. I needed to keep this crowd's attention. They were evidently impressed by my voice. I racked my brain for an artist, a title and a genre. I shouted in his ear what I wanted, and he pursed his lips with a nod. His eyebrows shot up, clearly gobsmacked at my choice. His eyes slid to me.

"You better get up there! I wanna see this!" he exclaimed, and I did what he said. I jumped back on stage, the elated cheers like music to my ears. I felt entirely at home on stage now, in my element.

"Okay, I'll sing a couple more for y'all," I announced with a huge grin as the DJ hit play. I decided that this song was both enough entertainment for the crowd, and a representation of my situation. That is, if one could read between the lines. There was no chance that anyone would. I slowly paced back at forth on the stage, taking a relaxed stance for this performance, like I was narrating to the audience.

I'm sorry if I seem uninterested

Or I'm not listening, or I'm indifferent

Truly I ain't got no business here

But since my friends are here, I just came to kick it

But really, I would rather be at home all by myself

Not in this room with people who don't even care about my well-being

I don't dance, don't ask
I don't need a boyfriend

So you can go back

Please enjoy your party, I'll be here

Somewhere in the corner, under clouds of marijuana

With this boy who's hollering, I can hardly hear

Over this music I don't listen to

And I don't want to get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here

I closed my eyes, facing the crowd, putting emphasis on the chorus, voicing my thoughts and gesturing as such.

Oh, here
Oh, here
Oh, I ask myself what am I doing here?
Oh, here
Oh, here
And I can't wait til we can break up out of here

I heard plenty of whistles and yeah's, and saw most of them nodding along with me. They moved with me as if I was a cobra, mimicking me.

Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this

An antisocial pessimist, but usually I don't mess with this
And I know you mean only the best
And your intentions aren't to bother me
But honestly I'd rather be somewhere with my people
We can kick it and just listen
To some music with a message like we usually do
And we'll discuss our big dreams
How we plan to take over the planet
So pardon my manners
I hope you'll understand that I'll be here

I sat down on a stool for effect, crossing my legs. I breathed through the chorus, practically speaking it instead of singing it, the inquisition of my situation working through me. Why did I have to be here, captured? Why was I here, in a club, obviously exposing myself again, and why, why couldn't this have been as simple as walking away? My life was changed and still changing, and I had been forced to accept it. I got louder as the verse went on, and all the way through the bridge, my frustration and exasperation coming out in my tone. The audience drank it up as they watched me, clapping with the slow beat, waving their hands in the air. They cheered at my frustration, mistaking it for a boisterous showcase of my vocals.

Not there in the kitchen
With the girl who's always gossiping about her friends

So tell them I'll be here
Right next to the boy who's throwing up

'Cause he can't take what's in his cup no more

Oh God, why am I here?

Oh, here
Oh, here

Oh, I ask myself what am I doing here?
Oh, here
Oh, here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out of here

Hours later congregating next to the refrigerator
Some girl talkin' 'bout her haters, she ain't got none
How did it ever come to this?
I should've never come to this
So holler at me, I'll be in the car when you're done
I'm standoffish, don't want what you're offering
And I'm done talking
Awfully sad it had to be that way
So tell my people when they're ready
That I'm ready, and I'm standin' by the TV with my beanie low
Yo, I'll be over here

I stood from my seat, drifting toward the front of the stage where party-goers were reaching their hands out for more high-fives and caresses. I returned a few, watching their faces with a detached expression, allowing my voice to do all the work.

Oh, here
Oh, here
Oh, I ask myself what am I doing here?
Oh, here
Oh, here
And I can't wait til we can break up out of here

The erupting applause was all I needed to hear. I bathed in it, hearing more sharp whistles and cheers. I could feel the sweat on my forehead, the thud of my heart, the adrenaline running through me. It felt good, and I felt free. The stress was slowly leaving my body, and I felt that one more song would leave me satisfied. I turned my head toward him, holding up a finger in question.

"One more?" I mouthed, imploring with a grin. He shook his head with his own grin, but I knew he meant yes when he turned back to his laptop.

"Who wants to hear one more, eh?" he spoke into his own mic, earning more cheers. I went over to join him, trying to think of one more song to sing. He tossed me a bottle of water, and spoke before I could.

"Would you mind if I picked a track for you?" he asked teasingly, scrolling on his laptop. "I like your style. I want to see if I can challenge you."

I gulped half the bottle down, feeling the emptiness in my stomach. Maybe I should have eaten that lasagna.

A challenge?

With the high flowing through my body, I was pretty much up for anything at this point. I was going to use my limited freedom for my own self, and have some fun. In the back of my mind, I wondered how the mission was going. Did they catch him? Did he get away? I would never know until they returned. I scanned my eyes quickly over the crowd, not spotting them anywhere. It had only been a little over five minutes, but it felt like hours with my performance. I always lost track of time in my little bubble.

"Challenge me," I said, wiping my forehead. I hoped for a split second that my makeup was still intact. He nodded, jutting his lower lip out.

"I got just the thing," he said. "Are you ready?"

I took my place back on stage, ready for whatever song he picked out. I was sure that I'd know it. Or at least, I hoped. I watched him in anticipation, his grin plastered in place as he messed with the soundboard a bit and pressed play.

I recognized it immediately, and I had a feeling that he chose this because he did recognize me from a few weeks ago. He was a DJ; I was sure he had the same people choosing to do karaoke all the time, and he was good at remembering faces. I didn't know if Aro announced my death to the entire globe, or just to my hometown, but this DJ knew my style. I pushed it back momentarily.

This song was on my top five, and I was going to kill it.

I nodded along, preparing myself. I had no trouble with the notes, knowing very well that I would win his challenge.

Just before I opened my mouth, I realized that the words could resonate easily with Alec. I let my confusion out, emotion leaking into the song.

How can I decide what's right
When you're clouding up my mind?
I can't win your losing fight all the time
Nor could I ever own what's mine
When you're always taking sides
But you won't take away my pride
No, not this time
Not this time

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well
How did we get here?
Well, I think I know how

I rocked with the verse, closing my eyes. The crowd roared louder than it had all night, almost becoming equally as loud as the music. If only Alec had been here, I know I would have looked him straight in the eyes with my burning questions. I drifted closer to the crowd, pointing briefly with the words, and jumping up and down to the beat as the chorus came up again. I asked Alec the burning questions, and spat my thoughts, knowing he might not be able to hear me.

The truth is hiding in your eyes
And it's hanging on your tongue
Just boiling in my blood
But you think that I can't see
What kind of man that you are
If you're a man at all
Well, I will figure this one out
On my own
On my own

But my thoughts you can't decode

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well

Yeah, yeah
How did we get here?
Well, I think I know how

I moved around the stage, nodding my head to the guitar solo that I wish I could be playing. The audience was jumping, clapping, throwing rock symbols in the air. I moved to a slow pace when the solo died down, standing right in front of them again, watching them. I closed my eyes halfway through the bridge, sucking in a deep breath, before belting once again, my voice raw, strong and real. I sank to my knees for the final chorus, singing to the audience, letting them see the emotion on my face. They were absolutely wild, their reactions just as priceless.

Do you see what we've done?
We've gone and made such fools of ourselves
Do you see what we've done?
We've gone and made such fools
Of ourselves

Yeah, yeah

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well
Yeah, yeah, yeah
How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well

I think I know
I think I know

I rose, moving in a slow circle, as if I was talking to myself, nodding hard with the guitar beats.

Oh, there is something I see in you

It might kill me
I want it to be true

The crowd's deafening, buzzing, roaring cheers and whistles overtook me, and I was only left thinking of Alec. I had to go and wait for him. I was suddenly concerned with his whereabouts, wondering why he hadn't returned. Numbly, I handed the mic back to the DJ and hopped off the stage, ignoring the cheers and whistles all around me.

I moved through the crowd, feeling refreshed, light and elated at my newfound release, despite being worried about Alec. The buzz was humming through me, as I made my way to the bar to wait for Alec and Felix. As I gulped down another water bottle, my eyes scanned the place, seeing no sign of two very handsome, unusually pale boys. Though my anxiety seemed to grow by the minute, there was nothing I could do but wait, because Alec said so.

Something caught my eye, however. My eyes landed on two people in the dark by the booths, standing really close together. As I watched them, I noticed it was the couple who passed us on the way here.

The guy with the styled brown hair was faced towards me, while the girl had her back to me. He was gripping her arms really tight and shaking her, and appeared to be livid. She struggled against him, and then her face jerked to the side, her straight, black hair whipping with it. Her profile gave me a flash of memory, and I recognized her immediately. No, it couldn't be...

I couldn't hear what the man was saying to her, but he seemed to jerk her more as she tried to push him off. I couldn't believe my eyes.

This was the very same girl who started a fight with me hours prior.

And she was being abused in this club, by who I could only assume was her boyfriend.

He looked terribly angry, and compassion flared up in me, just like it had for the girl I was defending. Understanding washed through me as I recalled her reaction to me grabbing her wrist. She was afraid that I was going to hurt her like he was now.

I didn't care what the girl might say about this; I needed to help her. There was a chance she'd try to fight me again, but by God, I was going to intervene. Yeah, she tried to kill me, and she let her gang help her, but I never cared about that. I never wanted to fight her. I held no ill feelings towards her, and now more than ever, she needed someone's help, even though she'd done me wrong.

I quickly made my way over there, pushing past several dancing people. I dropped my things on a nearby table, just as she was screeching at him in Italian the way she did to me. He shouted back at her, as she rubbed her arm. I rushed over, and put myself in between them.

"Stop!" I defended loudly. "Leave her alone."

The guy glared at me, looking me over as he replied. A spark of interest gleamed in his eye, which made me glare back.

"Get out of my way, bitch," he spat back in his Italian accent. He'd definitely had one or two upon arriving. "Julienne, tesoro, come on."

I turned my body so I could watch them both from the corner of my eye. Julienne, whose name I knew now, looked at me in shock and angry confusion. She held onto her arm, a shadow of a bruise on her jaw from where I punched her. Her nose was cleaned up, but a nasty purple bruise had spread across there, too. I felt remorse as I gazed upon what I did to her, and promised myself I would really avoid fights next time. I would walk away. I tried to tell her with my eyes that I was helping her, and I didn't want to fight; that I forgave her, no matter what.

"Get out of my way!" she snapped at me, echoing her boyfriend. "This is none of your business, bitch! Haven't you done enough?"

"Don't touch her," I ordered, turning back to him, wondering why I suddenly had a savage streak going. "You don't have any right to be putting your hands on her like that."

"Fuck off," he spat harshly, glancing over me once again. "I'll fuck you up too, pretty thing."

Yeah. Like you could. Man, if Alec was here right now, he sure would be scaring this guy out of his wits.

I shook my head, refusing to move.

"No," I told him.

He stared back hard at me, his face contorting into blind anger as he swung his fist at me, hard. I swiftly deterred his arm and sharply pinned it underneath my armpit, socking him in the nose with my other fist. He stumbled back in shock, holding his nose as blood trickled down his fingers.

"You bitch!" he roared.

"Consider that a warning," I said simply. I watched him, waiting for another attack. He moved his eyes between me and Julienne a handful of times, and I raised my eyebrows at him, daring him to try again. He backed up, cradling his nose, before stumbling away into the darkness of the club.

I made my way back to the table where I left my stuff, and I was surprised that she followed.

"Why would you do that?" she screeched at me, but she didn't look angry at me at all. Her brown eyes weren't heavily made up as they were this morning. She had long winged eyeliner on her eyes and false lashes, but that was it. She looked even more beautiful that way. Her eyebrows rose and scrunched together, the question lingering there.

"He was abusing you," I answered her simply. "It's not right."

"So, what, you kick my ass and then you come back and save it?" she asked petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest, which held a revealing top. "Trying to get on my good side because you're so scared? I ought to kick your ass right here, right now. You deserve it."

I exhaled loudly, gathering my belongings.

"Julienne," I said her name for the first time, shaking my head. I was grateful that the karaoke music stopped and I could nurse my voice. "I'm not trying to score points, and I'm not afraid of you. I don't care that we fought, or that you tried to kill me, or whatever. I saw you in trouble, and I helped you because I wanted to. I'm not mad at you. I never was. I said I didn't want to fight you, but I did because you initiated it. It was self-defense. But what he did to you was much worse. No guy should ever hit a woman, no matter who she is. Nobody deserves that, especially not you."

Her eyes grew wide in surprise, and her face softened slightly at my words.

"You're such a goody two shoes," she scoffed, but her face said it all. Her resolve seemed to crumble with every word, her voice growing soft. She moved her tongue around the inside of her cheek and cracked a smile.

"Grazi. Thank you," she finally said. "I guess I was the one who deserved it, huh?"

I shook my head sagely.

"No," I told her. "You never deserved any of it. Just because you've done some things, and made some mistakes doesn't mean you should be punished for it. You learned from it. I hope you're okay. And, I'm sorry about your face."

She smirked deviously at me.

"You have one hell of a right hook," she said. "And a hell of a kick. But, don't worry about me. I'm dumping him now. I never had the guts to, until now."

I nodded, glad to hear it. I remembered Alec and Felix as I glanced around curiously.

"Look, Julienne, I have to go," I told her, meeting her eyes for what I felt like would be the last time. "Be careful, okay?"

She looked at me dubiously for a moment, glancing to her left for a minute and relented.

"No problem," she said dismissively, reaching up to peck both my cheeks. "That's thank you in Italian."

I nodded at her, smiling as I bid her goodbye. I'd only taken a handful of steps when she called out to me, and I turned.

"Nice voice," she called with a wink. I called out my thanks, and turned to shove my way through people to find Alec and Felix. I didn't see them anywhere, and figured I would go back and wait by the bar. As I cleared into the empty space where the bar was, a face in the mouth of the crowd caught my eye. A face I know I had seen before. I turned my head back, asking myself if I was believing what I was seeing.

And I wasn't.

There in the crowd, I saw his face. The meek, serious face. His hair was dyed a darker brown with a large streak of platinum blonde in the front, and it was all in messy spikes. But I recognized that face. There, staring back at me with wide, shocked, and relieved eyes was Ned.

Ned, the agent that my brothers chose to take us to Rome the next day after our gig. He was here. His mouth opened in shock, like he'd finally found me, and I realized that he was looking for me. This was no accident, or coincidence, or fate. He knew I was alive. They had been looking for me and David.

I had no time to process this any further as I contemplated going toward him, toward safety. Toward home. My body was paralyzed with a mixture of hope and shock. I had a golden ticket to go home right here, and my mind was screaming at me to run to him, to tell him everything, to beg him to help me out of this so we could go home.

He began to push through the crowd, yelling at me to stay put. I couldn't allow him to get to me; David wasn't with me, and I promised I would get him out, too. If I left with Ned, there was no chance I would get David back out. Ned would just get dragged into that castle too, and I didn't want that.

Devastatingly, so much it crushed me, I forced myself to turn on my heel and rushed away from him, merging myself into a wave of people. I weaved farther and farther back into the club, feeling my way through darkness that I'd stumbled upon as my arm hit something that gave way under pressure. A door.

I pushed it open and rushed out of it, hoping Ned lost me in there. I mindlessly ran down the dark alley that I found myself in, trying to comprehend the facts running through my mind.

First was shock. Second was relief. They knew I was alive. They hadn't given up on me. However, my heart sank with devastation as tears trailed down my face. I breathed out a thanks to God for this, for knowing that there was a chance that Travis hadn't given up, and was still maybe here himself with Ned, Cassie, even Robert. It killed me to walk out of that club, and had David been with me tonight, I would have made a run for it with him. I would have cried with elation upon seeing Travis and Cassie.

A whoosh and some rustling broke me out of my reverie, and I froze, looking around. The wind whipped around me again, and I fought a shiver. A bang behind me made me jump, and I slowly turned toward it, wishing I hadn't.

Three figures loomed in the dark, the small street light barely any help. I took timid steps back as their outlines disappeared.

"Ned?" I whispered, afraid he'd followed me. Another whoosh came past me, as a sudden force knocked me to the ground. I was on my butt then, losing my shoes and coat in the process. A deep laugh came from somewhere around me, and slowly, I began to crawl backwards.

"Don't be afraid," a voice crooned. "We're not going to hurt you, sweetums."

Snickers erupted in the dark as the three figures made themselves known. I was directly beneath another street light in this dark alley, and with its help, I could make out the culprits' faces.

And their eyes.

Red. Blood red. Bright red.

Vampires.

My breath caught.

The front man, in a simple T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, had broad shoulders; half the size of Felix, and only a handful of inches shorter than him. His hair was spiked, light brown, and his face, although handsome, was sinister. The vampire to his right was blond, and appeared younger, about eighteen. He was more beautiful than his leader, clad in denim attire and Converse. The last one held curly, firey red hair on top of his head, dressed the same as his leader. His shirt was red, whereas the leader's was a dark blue. He couldn't have been more than twenty-one.

I continued to scramble back on my butt, having nothing to throw at them. What could I throw? Nothing would stop them.

"Was that you singing in there, baby girl?" the redhead called. "I'd like you to sing me a pretty little song."

They sauntered toward me, my scrambling useless, but I continued. Upon doing that, I felt something slice into my leg, and it stung. I gasped, looking down at the fresh torrent of blood that streamed down my leg.

Oh, god.

I lifted my head.

"Stop," I told them breathlessly.

"I feel sorry for whoever your boyfriend is," the leader tutted, his eyes growing dark upon gazing my cut. His face was hard, wild with thirst. "Seeing your pretty face one last time. What a shame."

His teeth gleamed in the light, and then he flashed toward me.

My back slammed against something hard, and my neck had an icy cold, marble hard vice around it. I cried out loudly, kicking my legs, but they only hit the vampire's rock hard chest. I struggled to breathe, taking in choked gasps of air. He wasn't going to kill me just yet. I could tell. My mind scrambled for ideas, for ways to get out, but I knew none of what Felix taught me would fare against this.

"Mmm, I dunno, guys. This one looks much too pretty to eat. Look at that face," the leader crooned as they all laughed. "What do you think, Henry?"

"Aw, Liam. Share," the blonde, Henry, said; his boyish chuckle echoed around me as his beautiful, boyish face smirked at me and looked me over. He ran his lips over his teeth, practically begging to jump at my throat.

"I get the first sip," Liam, the leader purred, his voice coming clearer to my face. His wild red eyes swirled in my vision, and I fought harder, my arm reaching down to pull the knife out of its sheath. I slid my hand underneath my dress, grabbing hold of the handle.

My hand was pinned against the wall.

"Oh, baby," the red head whined sarcastically as the strap was torn from my leg. "What's this here? Are you trying to hurt me? What ever have I done to deserve that?"

"Look at those pretty legs," he added. "Too bad I won't ever know what they can do, eh?"

The leader, Liam, laughed out loud, and it hurt my ears. I was beginning to see black spots in my vision, and I mustered up all the oxygen I had left to cry out one more time, if I should die.

"Alec!" I screamed out into the night. "Alec..."

I gasped for air again as his ice cold grip became tighter, and he growled loudly at me. My vision was beginning to close on me, and my attempt to breathe was now futile. I couldn't keep doing it any longer. I began to say sorry to David, to Alec, to Travis for not being able to see them again.

"Play time's over," he growled, and it was the last thing I heard before a louder growl-no, a feral roar-broke through the air, and the vampire's hand was suddenly gone, my throat free. An awful crashing sound, like screeching, scraping metal, ground in my ears. My head was thrown to the side as I gasped for air.

Two solid, cold arms wrapped around me as my body fell, and I felt like I was being thrown and flipped in the air. My arms shot out to grab onto something as I sucked in air and coughed forcefully in response, only coming into contact with a hard, cold waist. My feet were on the ground, and I didn't know how until I looked up to see the profile of my savior.

Alec held me tightly, his arms clamped against my waist, his body shielding me away from the three vampires. His face was purely livid, beyond murderous, as another growl ripped out of his throat. Suddenly, he moved into a defensive crouch, pushing me back against the wall gently as the vampires slowly came together. Alec's hand stayed planted against my abdomen as I breathed heavily. They were all practically swirling around me, and I couldn't concentrate on what was happening. I only noticed his hand on my body, and it was the one thing keeping me from losing consciousness. The warmth spread through me like a blanket, wrapping me in a cocoon of safety.

"Oh, it's lover boy. Come to share a meal with us?" Henry called sarcastically, grinning sadistically in a crouch of his own. The leader, Liam, looked completely annoyed, eyes set on going after Alec. Liam pounced at him, and Alec disappeared. I slid down the wall slowly, coughing again, as my legs felt like Jell-O with all the adrenaline. The smell of copper and rust assaulted my nose, and my hand found my leg, along with something warm, wet, and sticky. I grimaced.

The loud, horrible, screeching sound sounded again, and I watched as Alec slammed Liam into the wall, the same growl ripping through this throat, the dark mist seeping from his palms. I pressed my back against the wall, trying to decipher if this was really happening or not.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. What's. Mine," Alec ground out lethally, and even I was afraid of his voice. It wasn't his smooth, calm voice. It was frightening. "She is mine."

Liam's face contorted as his mouth opened in a silent "O", and I realized this was how Alec's gift worked. My eyes quickly darted away from them, as Henry and the red head stood above me.

"Guess I get the first bite," the red head lilted, his attempt to reach down for me cut off by a black figure crashing into him, landing far at the end of the alley. The same happened to Henry, but this figure was bigger, and I knew it was Felix.

"Alec, we've got them, get her out of here!" Felix ordered, and I felt sick at the sound of a much louder, gruesome, screeching, ripping sound; and it wasn't clothing. I slid my eyes closed, not wanting to see anymore, and I felt my body slumping towards the ground. I heard grunts, another clashing sound, a solid thud, and an unmistakable growl before the smoothest, melodic voice was in my ear and my body was being lifted.

"Cheyenne," the voice washed over me like a breeze, calling me with the sweetest sound. "Cheyenne, look at me. Open your eyes, cara."

I did what the voice said as my arm went around his neck, and I was cradled close to his body. Alec stared at me, a small crease in between his furrowed brows, which I didn't notice until now. His eyes closed briefly as his lips moved too fast for me to hear anything, and he opened them again, revealing coal black irises to me instead of crimson. He buried his nose into my neck and inhaled deeply, almost like a sigh of relief. My heart responded as such. He'd never been this close to me before.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," he told me slowly, enunciating each word with a growl.

"Okay," I whispered, unable to come up with much else as my mind was racing, trying to play catch up with what just happened. Alec saved me, and he was probably mad at me. Again. I could handle that. I just wanted to get out of here.

I couldn't handle my body shuddering as I remembered the cold grip of Liam's hand on my neck. It was so cold, evil, and Liam was so close. The thought of dying came through my head, and the glass slicing into my leg, and the look in Liam's eyes as he came toward me. Too many thoughts raced through my head, and all of the images blurred together and I couldn't tell who was what and which was what, and what happened where...

"Cheyenne. Cheyenne. Cheyenne!" Alec's voice called in my ear, but I felt so far away. I felt a breeze, and felt myself being placed in a car. I heard a clicking sound. A door close. Darkness. The hum of an engine. I looked at my surroundings and knew we were in the car, but my body just wouldn't register that.

"She's in shock," a deeper voice sounded. Felix.

"Her body temperature is getting lower," Demetri's charming tenor came next. "Here."

Something closed around my body. Something warm. Something soft. I saw red in my vision. I knew Alec was with me, and his face was in my peripheral, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"Alec, I think you should allow me to hold her," Demetri suggested seriously. "You are not in a state of mind to handle it. She's bleeding."

Oh. Yeah. I'm bleeding. I think.

Alec hissed. I shuddered at the warmth clinging to my body and felt something cold clamped against my leg.

"My l-leg is c-cold," I choked out as I shuddered again.

"You cut yourself," Alec told me, his voice sounding strangled. "I will fix it. We're almost there."

"Aro isn't going to be happy about this," Felix said lowly.

"Not now, Felix," Demetri snapped. "I don't want to talk about it here. He will be even more furious that she came back injured."

I didn't hear anymore talking as car came to a stop. I was aware of Alec's arms around me, and the coat covering me like a blanket. I looked at him, and his face was hard, his eyes blank. He exited the car with me in tow, and a breeze passed as the lights of the hallway assaulted my vision. The sudden brightness made me close my eyes and hide my face in his neck. I heard something being kicked open, which roused me to check out my surroundings. What I saw inside was breathtaking. Was this Alec's room?

It too, held a huge bed with a red comforter and a very old, classic rug beneath the huge bed poles. His room was shockingly bigger than Heidi's, a huge shelf of books lining the wall by the door, the floor carpeted with rugs. A massive fireplace sat against the left wall, burning brightly, casting a glow in the whole room. On the mantle were little trinkets, ones I couldn't make out. All of this made my heart beat faster, because it was all Alec's, where he dwelled. The room spoke classic, and it breathed Alec. It was so sentimental, and I had no idea.

He dropped me in a chair next to the fireplace, and my coat was gone. The sudden heat of the fire enveloped me, and goosebumps covered my body as another shiver hit. My bouncing leg gained my attention, and I grimaced as I looked at it. A long, deep cut ran from the beginning of my thigh to a few inches below where my knee began. Blood was smeared around the wound in the shape of a hand, indicating pressure, and it didn't show many signs of stopping yet. I couldn't even feel it; I just numbly watched as blood oozed and trickled out of the deep cut.

"Don't move," Alec ordered, and I looked up to watch him retreat into another section of his room. I ducked my head for another shudder, the image of Liam flashing through my mind. Alec appeared seconds later, placing objects on a table between my chair and his. Rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, a towel, and bandages. He stood still for a minute, and I noticed, looking up at him warily.

He raised his arms, and in one fluid motion, his sweater was over his head and...

Oh, god.

Nothing prepared me for what I saw.

Glorious, smooth, icy, perfect, pale skin with a lightly visible six-pack and perfect planes of muscle spanned across his chest. Not one birth mark, freckle, or scar of any kind marred his skin. It was just smooth. Pale. Untouched. His shoulders were perfectly sculpted as well, and the fluid way they moved as he brought his arms down made me force myself not to make the sound that wanted to come out. I desperately wanted to run my hand across all of this just to see if it was real.

I think I just died.

No, wait. My heart was galloping a thousand times a minute, and I snapped my jaw shut because I just audibly gasped. I pressed my lips together in embarrassment, seeing Alec's quirked brow and satisfied smirk. His eyes, black as coal, swirled with amusement.

"See something you like, human?" he asked, holding the sweater out to me. Stupidly confused, I furrowed my brows at the gesture.

"Put this on. You're trembling, and I do not have time to get you anything else," he told me urgently, his tone completely changing. I took the sweater in my hands, and he turned his back to me, waiting patiently.

A gentleman and able to make me lose my train of thought.

Great.

I nearly groaned at his back, but I forced myself to change as quickly as I could. Smooth, marble-like chiseled muscle made up his back, and I wanted even more to touch that than his chest. I wonder what would happen if my hands ran down...

My shiver broke me out of those thoughts, and I shoved the sweater on, noting how much softer it was than the dress, and more comfortable. It was obviously too big for me, but it fell just a bit shorter than the dress, if not almost the same length, and I pushed the sleeves up, plopping down in the chair again. I dropped the silky dress next to my chair.

"You're good," I said quietly.

Alec appeared in the chair in front of me, leaning forward to pull mine closer to him. Our eyes met as it happened, and even though the black irises should have scared me, they didn't. The purple shadows under his eyes concerned me, but I felt just the same; warm, electric, humming through my body, calling me to touch his skin. His eyes flashed at me with hunger, amusement, anger...

He scooped his hand behind my leg and propped it up on his chair, making the undeniable electric warmth flood through me.

He reached for the alcohol and soaked a cotton ball with it. He stared at my leg for a long minute with those same cautious eyes, and slowly lifted his hand over it. He glanced up at me once.

"This may hurt," he said lowly, and gently dabbed over the long cut. The burning, stinging sensation spread through my nerves, and I jerked my leg out of his hand with a loud, painful cry, momentarily tilting my head back.

"Ow," I groaned, blinking back tears. I never cried over alcohol on a wound, but this cut was deeper than I thought, and it burned like hell. I glanced at Alec, whose face seemed to soften a bit as he gently brought my leg back and blew ever so lightly on it. The stinging was gone immediately, almost like Novocaine was injected straight into my veins. I relaxed back into the chair, relieved. I watched him as he did this, solely amazed at the glorious half-naked creature in front of me. I wasn't sure if I was even breathing with this sight before me, but he hadn't reminded me to breathe yet, so I guess that was a good sign.

Watching him, like this, compared to the terrifying, growling, blind fury-filled Alec I saw before was bewildering. He could crumble a mountain with a simple swing of his fist, and break me just as easily. And here he was, being so utterly attentive and gentle as if I was the most fragile thing, cleaning up something that I probably could do myself. He didn't have to do this.

But he was.

Alec, who used to throw water at me, throw me out of bed, broke my cell phone, threatened to hurt David, and most of all told me he wouldn't be pulling my body out of a ditch if I didn't tell him my whereabouts, was being nice. He was being the exact opposite of who I met when I first arrived.

Heidi was right once again.

"Better?" he asked throatily, and I nodded mutely, enjoying the lack of pain.

He smirked before cleaning the smeared blood around it, the cotton moving ever so smoothly and gently across my skin like a cold, wet caress. The desirable, warm buzzing in my body was satisfied with the physical contact of his hand. His hand moved slowly, expertly around the cut, and I stopped breathing when the hand behind my knee tugged my leg closer. Worst of all, his thumb decided to run itself under my thigh and he remained serious as he gazed over my leg. His eyes, however, ran over my leg in a different way. A way that I preferred not to describe, but I could tell he was having a hard time looking at this cut while it was so fresh. Not just because he was thirsty, either.

"Alec," I said, my voice coming out just above a whisper. He looked up at me leisurely, tossing the soaking, red cotton ball into the fireplace without taking his eyes off of me.

I nearly forgot what I was going to say. He was too beautiful with the glow of the fire casting a warm color on his skin.

Frick.

He waited patiently as he averted his attention to the cotton balls, and took another one, soaking it in alcohol.

"Breathe," he finally told me, and I exhaled. I have to stop doing that. He smirked. "Yes?"

"Is it bad?" I asked in a small voice, mostly because I was fighting a cough and I was trying to tear my eyes away from him. He was silent for a moment, cupping the back of my knee in his hand again. I immediately felt relaxed at that.

"Tell me if this stings again," he requested, dabbing over the long cut again. The same painful groan passed my lips, making me grip the sides of the chair for dear life. My leg tried to involuntarily jerk itself away again, but Alec's grip prevented it from escaping.

"Shit, that hurts!" I growled at the deep, painful sting, clenching my eyes shut. I never, ever cursed, but it was that bad. I even surprised myself by letting the word slip out of my mouth.

He gently blew on it again. As cold as it was, it was the best form of morphine I ever received.

"You don't need stitches," he told me tonelessly. "But, it is quite deep. I am almost finished."

I nodded, watching as he perfectly tossed the second cotton ball into the fire, and picked up the towel. He applied pressure over the wound lightly, my skin erupting in goosebumps as his fingers held the other side of my leg. My nose tingled, and I twitched it slightly as tears spilled out of my eyes. This stung so bad, and I was so tired, and probably even hungry, but I just wanted to go to bed. No offense to the shirtless, perfect, god-like boy with his hands all over me.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked urgently, his voice holding an edge as his grip loosened considerably.

No, please don't stop touching me, I thought, and then chided myself. Get a grip!

I shook my head quickly, using the sleeve of his sweater to wipe my cheeks and eyes. There was no doubt the adrenaline was wearing off now, especially after being given a hefty dose of Alec. He watched me carefully, applying the pressure back onto my leg.

"You have never cursed before," he commented, but he was serious.

"It hurts that bad," I responded, my voice scratchy and tired. "I didn't mean to. It just...slipped out."

"Are you always so careful with your words?" he asked abruptly, slapping his question right on top of my answer. I was becoming confused, wondering why he was suddenly so interested in my habits.

"I mean..." I started, not knowing what to say. I just shrugged, exhaling through my nose. To be honest, I didn't even feel like talking, but I definitely wasn't going to ignore Alec. "I just never picked up the habit. I never saw any reason to do it. It's just kind of unnecessary."

"What about other habits? Drinking, smoking, drugs?" he continued. I finally looked up at him, knowing fully well that the question showed on my face.

But, when I saw the way his jaw was clenched, how dark his eyes remained, and how tense his grip was, it finally dawned on me.

He was trying to distract himself from my blood. He was trying to prevent himself from killing me, in whatever way possible. A small part of my performance came back to me.

There is something I see in you
It might kill me
I want it to be true

I automatically opened my mouth, talking as much as I could. I shook my head at his question.

"I never did those things. Never wanted to," I answered. "My dad smoked, but my brother and I never did. I never had any desire or temptation to even try them. If someone pressured me to drink, I always said no. Easy. I know that it's all bad for you in some way, shape or form, so I don't do it. There's no point in doing that, either. David would drink the most out of the three of us, but he was never an alcoholic by any means. I've never even had a sip. And drugs, well...they're pretty self explanatory. I've seen enough mug shots in my life to see how destructive they are. I think just not having any friends helped me to not fall into any habits. I've always stayed close with my brother and David. They may have had their share of drinks, and I think David tried smoking once, but I never was affected by it. I don't judge anybody that does those things, but I think I'm..." I paused, hesitating.

"You think you are what?" he asked softly.

I saw him studying me, interest and amusement crossing his features ever so slightly. He seemed deeply absorbed by what I was saying, waiting urgently for me to continue.

"I think I'm just the caretaker; I'm always the one watching out for everybody else, making sure they're okay. I was definitely the designated driver more than once when David got drunk." I exhaled shortly through my nose as a laugh, distantly remembering how goofy David was when he was drunk.

He didn't respond at first, placing his focus back on the towel. He removed it, seemingly pleased to see that the bleeding stopped. He picked up one of the large, rectangular bandages, easily removing the paper wrapping. It took three of them to fully cover the wound, and each time his fingers brushed against my skin, it tingled with warmth, sending the sensation straight into my stomach. He moved slowly, guardedly, but I swore he was doing it just so his fingers could linger just a little longer. When he smooth the bandage down, his fingers moved slower than necessary, barely brushing across my skin.

"That is very responsible of you," he spoke calmly, as he tugged my leg closer once again. I saw the ghost of a smirk on his lips when he did so.

Why does this have to be happening right after I've been attacked by a serial killer vampire? And why is Alec being so nice, and not making fun of me for being such a goody two shoes?

Lastly, Alec wrapped and fastened a thin layer of gauze around my knee, his fingers moving like a caress over the area. When he was finally finished, I stood to leave, wanting to bolt for the door. Yeah, I secretly wanted to stay in this room and never leave the breathtaking sight of this shirtless Alec, but I was much too confused and tired to stick around for any more of it.

Until I was scooped up by surprise.

"What are you doing?" I asked incredulously. He rolled his eyes, sauntering over to the door. He opened it with one hand, and effortlessly cradled me with his other.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked bluntly. "You can hardly walk."

"I can walk fine," I argued in surprise. "It just stings because you used so much alcohol."

He easily shifted me back to both of his arms and glared at me.

"You were practically limping on your way to the door."

"Gee, I wonder why," I said sarcastically, surprised by my tongue. Looking at him, I was once again thrown off by his attitude change. He was being so tender and intimate five seconds ago, and now he was arguing with me about something that wasn't even a big deal.

How can I decide what's right
When you're clouding up my mind?
I can't win your losing fight all the time

Oh, he saved your life, let him have it.

Except, the independent part of me wouldn't.

But you won't take away my pride

No, not this time

He rolled his eyes.

"You are acting like a child," he muttered, and I couldn't help but bite back my smile as I looked at him. The look on his face when he was mad; why was it so cute? And why was I wanting to giggle at it now?

It's the shock. Gotta be the shock.

No. You like him. A lot.

"I'll bring you some Tylenol," he said tonelessly once I was put into bed, the comforter securely covering my bottom half. I nodded, closing my eyes when he left in a blur. All of the shock and adrenaline was long gone, and my body was starting to respond to the aftermath. I was pulled under by sleep seconds later, letting the heavy blanket of it cover me in an abyss of peace, quiet, and rest.

LOL girl you forgot to take yo Tylenol! It's okay, I did it on purpose. She was that tired. it's not easy being targeted by three crazy ass douchebag vampires.