Sorry for the delay, I ran out of inspiration. I think in last chapter there was some confusion. So, to clear that, Raven was dancing with Val all night and when Azarius pointed towards Pierce and Morgead, addressing them as Blackthorns, Raven realized that Val too was one of them as they all were siting together when she asked him for the dance ( In Chapter 3). And yes, Raven and Val are soulmates.

Disclaimer : I do not own Night World Series or any character related to it.

"Morgead?" "Morgead?" "Morgead!" "MORGY!"

Thistle kept shouting at him in different ways and pitches but it seemed like as if Morgead has been paralysed. He won't listen to anyone, neither react in any way nor would just even look up. He just sat on the edge of his bed, legs crossed and head down. He sat too still for even a vampire to tell if he was alive or not.

"Val! We need you here. Something's wrong with Morgead." Thistle shouted on top of her lungs. It really wasn't necessary though, Val would have heard it clearly even if she had whispered it. But right now she was tensed for Morgead and panic in her voice was proof to it.

Pierce came to Morgead's room in a flash. He narrowed his eyes at the scene, thinking hard. When nothing came to mind he eyes Thistle who just shrugged at him with eyes wide and panicked.

"Val! Where are you?" Thistle shouted again. When no response came, she went into Val's room. What she saw made her more scared.

Val was sitting on his bed, almost same position as Morgead's. What's wrong with these two? Thistle thought and went over to Val and shook him hard from his shoulders. "VAAALLLLL!"

Val blinked once and looked up at tear stained Thistle. She hardly ever cried, this got him worried. "Thistle, baby what's wrong with you? Are you alright?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you and Moread? You guys are acting so weirdly. You're not responding to anything or doing anything rather sitting in depression and sulking over something that neither I nor Pierce know about." Thistle was breathing rapidly after yelling on Val while he was rubbing his earlobes. How much energy does this thing has man!

He frowned and then asked her, "Morgead? What's wrong with him?"

"He is behaving exactly like you were 10 seconds ago! Only worse." Thistle's voice cracked at the last word. Val rushed to Morgead's room and Thistle followed behind. They entered the room and nothing much has changed. Actually. Except for Pierce's sitting position. Nothing has changed at all.

Val went away and came back in a second. He had a glass of ice cold water in hands which he poured over Morgead. Morgead shuddered and blinked number of times and finally looked up. His eyes directly made contact with Val's. It seemed as if they were having a silent communication through eyes.

After a long while Pierce lost patience and said, "Would anyone break the mystery to us too?"

Morgead and Val kept staring each other. After a few moments Val broke the eye contact and turned to face all his family members. "No more parties, no more stealing the Redfern's tools." He eyed to Thistle while saying this. "No one will cross the Muir Woods for a few days until the situation calms down. No more fun, grow up." He said in a husky and commanding voice. "And that's an order."

He stared at the faces of his family members, two of them nodding and agreeing to his commands seriously, where as Morgead just kept staring at him vulnerably. Val ordered others to leave the room and Pierce and Thislte left without wasting another second. He gazed at Morgead for a second too long and turned to leave the room when Morgead said something that stopped him dead cold in his way to the door.

"She's your soulmate." In whispered in a cracked voice as a matter-of-fact.

Val turned towards him and said, "Yeah she is. But that doesn't changes anything." He spoke in a hard voice and left.

But it didn't mattered to Morgead whatever he said, that wouldn't change anything, as Val said. What has been done, has been done! He has committed a crime dangerous enough for both the families.

He has fallen badly, unconditionally, infinitely and irrevocably in love with Jez Redfern.

Hugh could see the tension arising in front of him. He wanted peace, not war. But was he ready for it at the cost of Jez? His own love? Given that if the Blackthorn wanted to hurt her he could have the last night but here Jez sits beside, perfectly fine without even a scratch oh her body. Hugh loved Jez too much to take any risks. So he did what he can do, sitting in the Redfern's living room and helplessly watch as they discuss the strategy to slaughter Blackthorn's.

"Uncle Bracken please. There is no need of this, he did nothing at all. He didn't even know it was me." Jez has been arguing, fighting, pacing, yelling, begging, crying and do all she could to stop them.

"Quit it Jez we're not taking up any risks with you and your safety." Bracken said with a strain in his voice.

"Then what makes you think I'm really safe here? As soon as my secret would be out, everyone would be demanding my dead body and Azarius would be the first to tear my limbs apart. You know it very well Bracken."

Bracken was stunned at her little speech and so was Hugh. Jez has never ever talked about her secret out loud to either of them. She rather preferred to act like it never existed. Yet here she stands protecting the Blackthorns, the enemies. She was ready to accept herself, her weakness, the thing that she had hated the most, for the sake of a stranger who is found out to be her enemy.

"Hugh!" Jez came crying towards Hugh. Her tear stained face killed Hugh a thousand times. He hated to see her like that. "Hugh please. This can get ugly. You hate this family enmity of ours right? Please make it stop! Please Hugh." Her voice cracked at the last line. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore as they came furiously rolling down her sensitive-looking cheeks which were already too red from bearing salty water passing through them again and again. Hugh felt miserable but he knew Jez better than anyone else.

He gently wiped her tears and held her tenderly. "Jez, I really want to but I can't avoid the fact that he could have done anything to you and-"

"BUT HE DIDN'T DO!" Jez cut him short. "Why don't you understand this? He could have but he didn't. Why? Maybe because it was never his intention. Ever thought about that? Maybe he and others just wanted to enjoy the party like every other person of this town. God, he didn't even know me for half of the time."

"What's going on Jez? Why are you protecting him?" Hugh asked in a cautious, low and strained voice.

Jez sat silent there for a moment before opening her mouth in hesitation. She then spoke confidentally. "I'm not protecting them or either of their family members. I just don't want the blood bath to happen with my name as the cause of it's start!"

That snapped his mouth shut. Jez was right. Maybe they all were a little overreacting. But it didn't make any sense. Why would the Blackthorns come and not harm anyone or anything? Maybe they didn't want any war. Maybe they wanted peace ,afterall. Hope sparked in Hugh's eyes like a 220 volts bulb.

"What's going on here?" Raven came out of her room. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she'd been crying. Behind her was Claire in almost same condition. What the hell is wrong with these girls today? Why are they crying?

"Raven," Uncle Bracken began with a cautious tone, "Darling please make it Jez understand. Blackthorns have provoked us, really provoked us this time. They evaded in our mansion, our privacy, last night. We're not safe anymore."

"Is that so Bracken?" Raven began with a clearly frustrated mocking tone. "How did they provoke you? Did they harm or caused any type of damage to anybody? We all were there unarmed, totally into oblivion. Did they took any advantage? You say they evaded our privacy by entering our mansion. Shouldn't you be blaming that to every god damning person in San Francisco who attended the ball?"

"That's just because I recognized them. That's why we all are safe and standing alive here." Azarius hissed.

"They had enough time before that too Azarius. They should've brought an army with them if that was their intention. Why would they risk going in enemy's place that too outnumbered?" All eyes turned to Claire. Even Jez was shocked. Claire never spoke in discussions like these yet defended anyone specially the Blackthorns. Above all of that, her words were making sense.

Raven then spoke in her commanding voice. "I want this room to be cleared out right now except the family members. Call off all the commands of preparing to fight." She then looked at Azarius "There will be no fight. Not today. You're a guest here and I believe you to behave like one. Got problems with Blackthorns? Solve your personal issues outside our territory. Do not misuse our men." Her eyes were blazing with fury.

"Everyone out! Now!" With her command, all the servants and soldiers started to shuffle at once. Within minutes the room was cleared with only the Redferns and Hugh sitting there.

Jez let out a sigh of relief. Hugh noticed how her demeanor immediately relaxed. Uncle Bracken went to his room shaking his head all the while, no doubt regretting why he had given Raven such power of speaking into things. Azarius once glanced to Jez in betrayal and hatrate, then glared Raven who met his glare levelly. He too moved out of the room.

Once only four of them were left Claire let out a dramatic breath. "Phew! That went well. Thanks for protecting them Raven." Claire winked at her.

"I didn't protect them. I was just looking out for my people here." The tone made Hugh look up. So did Jez. Raven wasn't a very good liar and right now what she spoke was an outright lie. This puzzled Hugh. Why were they protecting the enemies. He turned to look at Jez thinking that he'd find the same confusion on her face. But what he found was a knowing look on Jez. This puzzled him even more until Jez finally spoke out. But it was to Raven.

"He's your soulmate isn't he? The elder one!" It wasn't a question. Jez spoke in a low voice so that only four of them could hear it. Hugh heard a sharp intake of breath and realized it was his own. He couldn't believe his ears. His hope now was bolted from 220 to 2200 volts.

Claire couldn't contain her excitement. "Wow! How cool is that Raven. We cousins get to date the cousins." Her high pitched voice was bouncing off with excitement.

"Speak low Claire." Raven hissed. Then something occurred to her. "What you mean date the cousins?"

"Well I was with Pierce last night. I think I've fallen for him." She giggled nervously. She stared up and saw six pair of eyes staring at her in utter silence. "Well that's why I was protecting them earlier. Now I got to know your reason too." She said to Raven.

"We are not dating anyone Claire. In fact it better to stay away from them as far as possible if you don't want all of us to be killed." Jez once again turned to see Raven. Claire frowned. She didn't understand why Raven said so.

"They'll kill us and them too if other Redferns found out about this. Whatever happened last night remains to be last night. Is that clear?" She met with each of their eyes. Claire was disappointed but she seemed to agree. Hugh was indifferent. Jez's face was expressionless and flat. "Jez! I know you were with Morgead last night. Promise me you won't see him ever again."

Hugh turned to face Jez. This was too much! He couldn't take anymore puzzles. Jez saw him in the eye. A pain look crossed her eyes and disappeared quickly, but not before Hugh could notice it. She shrugged and then spoke non-chalantly. "Yeah! Why would I see him anyway? I've got nothing to do with him."

At least Jez was a better liar than Raven. Everyone seemed to buy it. Hugh stood up. "I guess I should be going now." He hugged Jez once, nodded to Claire and Raven and went away. Claire, with her head down, made her way to her room. Jez also got up and started walking towards her own room when Raven's voice stopped her in mid-track.

"I mean it Jez. You shouldn't see if. You don't want him to get hurt. I know you don't." Before Jez can reply, Raven wooed away in thin air. Jez couldn't bear it any further. She sped to her room inhumanely, put her head into her pillow and burst into muffled sobs.

She cried and cried all afternoon. The dusk came and went away but her grief did not cease. After a while, her tears dried away but she was beyond agony. She lay there watching the sky from the window of her room. The moon came out, full, and peeked at her from in between the clouds. She stood up and went into the balcony.

Cool light breeze blew across her face. It was such a breath taking view from her balcony, the view was marvelous with night being so glorious. It was as if the nature was taunting her. Here she was, standing with her shoulder burdened down with all the depths of her sorrow. Yet the stars shined bright in the sky, the breeze blew leisurely. As if the world didn't care about Jez's sadness. She finally broke down.

"Morgead! Oh Morgead! Why, why did I ever meet you? Why did I ever get to know you? Oh why did I fell for you? You weren't supposed to, we weren't suppose to be like this. We are enemies, the hatrate in our families go way back then my love for you. Why the hell are you a Blackthorn? Why the hell am I a Redfern? And why the hell am I in love with you?" She knew she had lost her mind. That she was talking to herself out loud like maniac but she couldn't help herself. Unwelcomed tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Why? Oh why in the name of hell and heaven, why am I in love with you Morgead Blackthorn."

"Because I love you Jez. I'm in love with you too." It was Morgead's voice that replied.

Doom! Doom! Doom! A cliff-hanger, hah! Well, what do you think? Was it good? Was it bad? Was my decision to make a comeback in this story right? Or should I just abandon it? I'm dying to know your view about it. Please review if you want me to continue.

Love ya all,

VamplyWildCat