AN: At first I wasn't a huge fan with the direction I took this chapter (regarding Rebecca), but I left it for some time and the idea grew on me. We get a little more info out of Hughes in this chapter, which I thought was quite exciting to write :D I love the idea I put forward here, of course being inspired by other fics, such as Vacuous Heart of Blood (ugh man it is such a good one!)

I hope you enjoy it!

"Are you serious?" Rebecca asked Riza in disbelief, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Yeah," Riza nodded, noting her excitement.

"Damn, so we were right about everything then?"

Riza nodded. "We were. Sam was impressed we had been able to figure it all out in such a short time."

Rebecca sighed dreamily. "He sounds like a dream."

"I hope you are talking about me," Roy announced his presence, grinning as he entered the room.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Definitely not." She refocussed her attention on Riza, not letting her off with not inviting the attractive stranger back to their house.

"How come you didn't invite him back?" she asked with a pout. "You always get all the fun."

"Who is this?" Roy asked, opening the fridge and helping himself to an open packet of chicken breast slices.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" Rebecca asked, staring at him.

Roy looked between them both before shrugging. "I'm hungry."

"You have your own house don't you? Go and eat there and stop eating our food!"

"Hey!" Rebecca had lunged for the packet of chicken, almost knocking it out of Roy's hands.

"Now, now children," Riza scolded with a smile. These two were going to be the death of her, but at least it would be entertaining. She sat on the counter as the pair wrestled with each other for a few moments.

"Don't you agree?" Rebecca asked Riza, gesturing towards the dark haired man in disbelief.

"I mean, I do. Eat your own damn food Roy."

He frowned.

"Anyway," Rebecca began before Roy could respond. "Back to the attractive blonde, before we were rudely interrupted." Extra emphasis was put on the word "rudely" as Rebecca glared at Roy. "Why didn't you invite him here?"

Riza grinned. "He was heading for LA. Seemed pretty determined about it. I couldn't keep him from it."

"He could have made a small detour," Rebecca complained.

"If he did I don't doubt you would have scared him away."

Rebecca shrugged. "Probably. If I had, he wouldn't have been worth the effort."

Riza shook her head with a smile. "He also explained everything about packs, and warned which ones to be careful about."

"Seriously," Roy interrupted them again. "Who are you talking about?" Riza noted he looked extremely confused. It was cute, she wasn't going to lie. His forehead was wrinkled in confusion, but it didn't stop him from eating their food. He continued to munch away on the chicken as he looked between the two of them.

"He is a werewolf I met today on the mountain. Told me everything I wanted to know about being a wolf and confirmed what Rebecca and I thought was true about our condition."

Roy paused eating, a frown gracing his features. Luckily, the two woman didn't notice it as they continued to discuss whatever he had interrupted. He was barely listening as he felt a wave of jealousy creeping up on him.

"Who was this guy?" he asked abruptly, interrupting them a third time. Rebecca sighed heavily as Riza began to repeat herself.

"He was a lone wolf who was travelling to LA. I met him atop the mountain and we walked down together. He basically confirmed everything we thought was true about being a wolf. He gave me his number as well," Riza added, turning to Rebecca. "Said if we needed anything we should give him a call."

Jealousy surged through him, gripping his chest tightly. Before it could fester, Roy snapped out of it. Wait… Jealousy? Why would he feel jealous about Riza talking to another guy? He had just met her. Well, not really, but as an adult. They barely knew each other. What the hell.

Roy watched the blonde as she spoke. There was a grin on her face and she was very excited about her meeting with this guy. The jealousy receded slightly as Roy saw how happy it had made Riza. She had been desperate for information for months and she had finally got the answers she had been seeking. Roy smiled at her, happy to finally see her truly happy.

Fiercely pushing the jealousy aside, Roy put Riza before him. For the first time in a long time, he put someone before himself. She was happy, and he wasn't going to ruin it with his ridiculous feelings. There was no justification to them. Why would he feel jealous? Asking himself that question, Roy came to the conclusion he had no idea. Damn hormones.

"I might borrow that," Rebecca joked, winking at Riza as she placed Sam's card on the table.

Riza snatched it back, holding it close to her chest. "On second thoughts, I'll keep it to myself. He might change his number if he speaks to you instead of me."

Rebecca frowned. "I'm not that bad!" she exclaimed. Riza gave her a "look". "Okay, maybe I am. But what's the point in wasting time and beating around the bush. Better to ask the important questions in the beginning."

"Roy," Riza turned towards him unexpectedly. He had barely been paying attention, being lost in his own thoughts about his ridiculous feelings.

"Huh?"

"On your first date with a woman would you like to be asked if you were interested in getting married and having kids?"

"Um…" He really hadn't been paying attention. Shit.

"Look," Rebecca interjected. "All I am saying is it is better to know that beforehand before wasting time dating for months and getting attached, only to discover you are both on two different pages."

"I totally agree with you," Riza replied. "However, you are not dating a woman. Men are like deer. Spook them and they run all too easily."

"Pfft," Rebecca replied. "That's boys, not men. You've got to weed out the weak ones. What do you think Roy?"

He looked between the pair of them, still not paying attention. His earlier feelings had thrown him. He was confused, a common feeling for him nowadays, and he didn't know how to act on it.

"Hey, are you okay?" Riza asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. She searched his gaze in concern.

Roy found himself staring at her eyes, noting the colour within them. The rich brown colour drew him in unexpectedly. He shook himself, both mentally and physically. Riza withdrew her hand with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly, realising that his action would have shook her hand off of him. "I'm not feeling too great. I'm going to head home. I'll speak to you both tomorrow."

As the door slammed the pair looked at each other.

"What's up with him?" Riza asked.

Rebecca shrugged. "Maybe didn't like the idea of you speaking with another dude. Alone." Rebecca waggled her eyebrows in response, a suggestive look on her face.

Riza frowned. "Why would he be bothered by that?"

"Wouldn't you be bothered if he was with another woman alone?"

Riza blinked, confused. "Not at all. He's a grown man. He can do what he likes."

Rebecca sighed at her clueless friend. The brunette had observed the way the pair spoke with each other. She didn't know the extent of their friendship when they were young, but Riza had been fiercely protective of Roy before they had even met him. She also hadn't missed the way Roy looked at her when he thought no one was looking. There was a longing in his eyes, as well as a sadness. When Hughes had shown up at their door announcing that Roy had been poisoned, Riza had shook in fear. It was clear as day on her face. There was a connection between them, and definitely some unresolved feelings. Rebecca knew that much.

"I don't know," Rebecca finally answered Riza's initial question. "Maybe it was the chicken?"

"Are you insulting my cooking?" Riza asked, her tone deadly serious, but there was amusement on her face.

"Oh, I would never do that, your Highness."

Rebecca ducked as a pillow flew towards her head.

Roy hurried to return home, desperate to remove himself from that situation.

What the hell was that all about?

He opened his French doors and knocked the snow off his boots before entering. Kicking them off by the door, he shrugged out of his light, waterproof jacket. He wore it to simply keep his t-shirt dry as he had travelled through the snow.

He wasn't entirely sure why he had gone to Rebecca and Riza's house. He simply felt a need to be with them. There was a pull within him to visit. He wasn't sure if it was the wolf or something deeper within him. Ever since he had remembered his changing he had felt the same need. He had spent most of his time with them so didn't really notice it. However, he had recently returned home and the urge to see them was stronger while he was away from them.

Taking a seat on one of his couches he buried his head in his hands as he tried to make sense of everything that had happened. This seemed to be a more frequent occurrence, Roy had noticed. Every day there seemed to be something new to baffle him.

His stomach twisted in jealousy as he thought of Riza alone with another man. Roy scoffed in disgust, standing from his seat and beginning to pace. He had no right nor no reason to feel jealous. He barely knew her… He had liked her as a kid, sure, but those were childish feelings. Nothing more than a brief infatuation. Had these feelings followed him since he was a child?

That is ridiculous.

He hadn't recognised who Riza was until around a week ago.

Sure, she was an attractive woman. Rebecca was as well, but her personality was too boisterous for him. Plus, she teased him like an older sister would. She was infuriating. Riza however, was more subdued, but there was still a fierceness within her when there needed to be. Roy admired that. She would protect those she held dear at all costs, something Roy could relate to.

Giving himself a mental shake, Roy shook the notion from his mind. This was not the time to entertain such thoughts, as farfetched as they were. They had greater things to worry about than some silly crush from his childhood.

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration before chuckling to himself. "Things never seem to be easy nowadays," he muttered.

"Ah, Hughes. Come in," Rebecca greeted. They had called him to discuss his vampirism and what there next course of action would be.

"Thank you."

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"No thank you," he smiled, taking a seat across from Riza. Rebecca joined her friend on the couch, looking at Hughes expectantly.

"I won't waste your time," he began, sitting forward in his chair. "You know I am a vampire and I would like that secret to remain as so."

The pair nodded. "Of course."

"My wife and daughter don't know either."

That was a surprise. Riza figured that was something you told your wife, but she was guessing Hughes had his reasons.

"If you don't mind me asking," Rebecca began. Riza was about to scold her for asking why, but Hughes interrupted her before Riza could speak.

"You want to know why I have kept it from them?" he asked, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Well, yes."

"A fair question. Would you want to know you were married to a vampire?"

"Hell yeah. That's badass."

Hughes raised an eyebrow at Rebecca's response. "Are you sure? Think back to when you were human. Would it have scared you to know that both our species are real?"

"Not scared," Rebecca reasoned. "It would be terrifying at first, like it was after I changed for the first time, but I have learned to love this form. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Riza smiled at Rebecca's words. Despite all the hardship she had endured because of being a werewolf, she always saw the good in it. Rebecca had embraced this change fully, and had inspired Riza to do so as well.

"I think what Hughes means Becca," Riza began to explain. "Is that when you really think about it, it would cause a panic if people knew we were real. We don't parade the fact around because for one thing, people are trying to kill us, and for another, it is a terrifying prospect. Humans don't typically fall asleep in a pit of tigers because they could kill them."

"That's a fair assessment. But still," she added quietly to herself. "It would be badass."

Riza shook her head in amusement. She motioned for Hughes to continue.

"I didn't tell my wife because the knowledge could get her killed. Association with her could also do that, however I am capable of protecting them both. One day my daughter will be too."

The two woman looked at him questioningly.

"She's a vampire too."

Riza was surprised. The little girl she had met hadn't looked like, or even had the scent of, a vampire.

"Is she aware of her heritage?"

"No. She has no idea."

"Was she born a vampire?" Riza asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Her talk with Sam had revealed that people could be born werewolves. It would be interesting if that could happen with vampires as well. Riza had considered them the undead, so the possibility had never crossed her mind.

"She was."

"Interesting. I had no idea it was possible."

"We may be considered the undead by the masses, but there is a lot of fantasy surrounding vampires. Truth and fiction often get blurred."

Riza had learned that early on in her werewolf life. Things she had read in stories as a kid were often not true.

"Elicia will continue to grow and age until she chooses not to. Vampires have the ability to choose when they want to stop aging," answering the two woman's unasked question. "Well, those born as vampires can. Those who are changed are stuck at the same age for the rest of their life."

"Have you stopped aging yet?"

Hughes shook his head. "I will continue to age along with my wife. We promised each other we would grow old together and I intend to do that."

The realisation of his words hit Riza hard. That would mean he would have to watch his wife die. The thought terrified Riza. She didn't think she would be able to do that, watch the one you love grow old, knowing they will die while you will continue to live on without them for the rest of your life.

Riza found a new respect for Hughes. She admired his commitment to his wife. She only hoped she could feel that way for someone one day.

"Surely if you changed your wife you wouldn't have to though?" Rebecca asked.

Hughes nodded, but his face turned hard. "It would, obviously, but I won't subject her to that for my own selfish reasons."

"So you will let her die and not give her the option of a better life, a longer life, with you?" Rebecca asked, her voice holding a tinge of anger. Riza turned to her friend in surprise, but also in disapproval. That wasn't up to her to decide.

Hughes' gaze turned hard. "That isn't up to you to decide, Rebecca."

"Bullshit, you are just scared she will leave you once she finds out the truth."

"Rebecca," Riza hissed, shocked by her outburst.

"The truth always comes out Maes. You owe your wife that."

"Rebecca." Riza demanded her friend's attention. The brunette's gaze snapped towards her. There was a fire in her eyes which Riza could not ignore. While Riza didn't agree with Hughes, it wasn't up to them to decide. If he wanted to keep his secret, that was up to him. "Take a walk," Riza told her, giving her a pointed look. "Clear your head then come back."

Rebecca glared at her. The look was like a dagger in Riza's heart, but the blonde knew she needed to remove Rebecca from this situation. They would discuss this later.

Rebecca stormed out of the room, the front door slamming hard behind her. Riza heard a loud crack and the thunder of paws as she raced away.

"What was that all about?" Hughes asked, his face concerned.

"Don't worry about it."

"Sorry if I riled her up, it wasn't intentional." Hughes' face was wary as he spoke, trying to gauge Riza's reaction.

"It would have been hard for Rebecca to hear. She lost her parents about a year ago. That's why she was so upset about you not giving your wife the option of more time," Riza explained. She watched as Hughes' face turned to surprise, the sympathy.

"I understand where she is coming from, but I couldn't hurt Gracia. The change from human to vampire can kill people. I couldn't take that chance for a selfish reason."

"I understand," Riza told him, offering him a small smile. "But you don't need to explain your reasons. We're not here to judge. I must apologise for her."

"No, it's okay. Knowing her reasons, it is understandable. If I had known, I wouldn't have approached the subject so brazenly."

"I'll have a talk with her."

"It needs to stay a secret Riza," Hughes urged. His face was earnest as he leaned further forward in his chair. "I can't have Rebecca telling Gracia." He hung his head. "It would kill me to see the terror in her eyes."

Riza felt sympathy for the man. He clearly loved the woman dearly, and Riza understood. She had been terrified to see the horror in Roy's eyes when he finally discovered the reasoning behind their change.

"She won't tell anyone. We won't tell anyone. Not even Roy. That's up to you whether you want to share it or not. I know Rebecca," Riza added in an attempt to alleviate his fears. "She is angry just now but she wouldn't go running to your wife and tell her. It isn't who she is."

"I had considered telling Roy," Hughes admitted. "Especially now that he is one of us. However, I think he has enough on his plate right now."

"We have noticed he has been acting strange recently," Riza stated. "He showed up this afternoon and abruptly left," Riza explained. "I tried to ask what was wrong, but he left in a hurry."

"That is strange," Hughes agreed. "Like I said, he has a lot to deal with right now. It may only be that."

"What do you mean?"

Hughes stared at her for a moment, confused. "I mean turning into a werewolf. That's a lot of strain to put on someone, both mentally and physically. Especially with Roy being who he is."

"You said "with Roy being who he is", what did you mean by that," Riza questioned.

"He is… A big deal around here. This will prove his situation more difficult."

"He has never mentioned anything like that to us before."

"It is a big change for him. He's likely not even thought about how this will affect him socially."

"What, is he some kind of lord or something?" Riza joked.

"Not quite," Hughes replied, watching Riza's face drop. "But close. His parents were very important people and set up a life for him before they passed. After moving in with his Aunt he has continued to build upon that future. It put him in certain social circles and tied him to business deals that are too important for him to walk away from. Or so he used to think."

"So this is a massive upset for him?" Riza asked Hughes, already knowing the answer. Riza knew this whole thing would cause an upheaval in Roy's life, but she had no idea it would be this big. The excitement and happiness she felt after her meeting with Sam all came crashing down in an instant. Now she felt even guiltier he had been drawn into all of this.

"Yes and no," Hughes stated. "The old Roy I knew was never too bothered about retaining his social status. There was the duty he felt to honour his parents of course, but he did little and was happy. However, before the change came upon him and his behaviour changed, he became more ambitious and serious, working his way up the social ladder. He made important business deals that they will expect him to follow through on."

Riza sighed at the gravity of the situation. The guilt she held within her grew. Granted, she had no idea how Roy truly felt, but she couldn't exactly waltz up to him and ask. However, she had possibly destroyed his future and that hurt her more than the others could know.

Hughes noticed the change in Riza's demeanour. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," he quickly added. "Like I said, the old Roy was never too bothered about it."

"But he has responsibilities now, correct?"

Hughes sighed in defeat. "He does, yes."

Well, shit.

He couldn't stay with them. He had too much riding on him right here. That thought caused Riza's stomach to squeeze tightly. Now that she had met Roy, properly met him, she found herself not wanting him to leave them. The feelings from her childhood rose up at every possibility, almost making their way to the surface, but Riza pushed them back. Roy wouldn't want to get involved with the person responsible for doing this to him. Not now that Riza knew how much of an impact it would have upon him.

"So he needs to focus on them." Hughes sighed again, saying nothing. "I hadn't realised. We won't distract him any longer. Not if he has more important matters to attend to."

"Just… Talk with him. Find out what he truly wants. It is something he should discuss with his pack."

Riza nodded, already knowing how that conversation would go. Riza didn't want to admit it, but the prospect of Roy leaving them hurt to think about. She didn't want to lose her pack mate, and she didn't want to lose him again. As a child, she had wanted to get to know the first person who had properly paid attention to her since her mother died. But she had never got the chance.

"Anyway," Hughes announced, drawing Riza back to the present. "Shall we discuss the Hunters? Are you any further forward on their location and numbers?"

Riza nodded, grateful for the change in conversation. This situation was something that would need to be dealt with at a later date. That is if she wasn't too afraid to face herself and her feelings.

"Uh, yeah." Riza composed herself, refocussing her attention. "They are camping about ten miles south of here. There are ten of them in total. They don't seem to be here for any kind of purpose, just searching the area."

"That's a relief."

"Tell me about it," Riza agreed. "They have no idea we are here."

Thoughts from their previous conversation threatened to surface throughout the evening. Riza held them at bay, but the sadness still managed to seep through. The guilt returned and ate away at her.

While they had been helping and teaching Roy it had disappeared, leaving her feeling happy for once in her life. She had embraced it wholly, knowing it wouldn't last too long. When Riza was alone, it was hard. Thoughts swirled around her head, both self-depreciating and guilt ridden.

She would need to deal with this quickly. She couldn't have it affecting her judgement.

Things never seem to be easy nowadays.