Vicki looked into the face of death and fought the urge to look away as he moved forward, forcing her to step back until she was up against a wall. He continued moving until he crushed her against it so that she could barely breath, his eyes were black and the light from the kitchen danced off his long white fangs. His snarl turned into a deep growl as he said, "You will die and if you come back you will never be the same. All the humans around you will be prey, including Mike, your mother, and everyone else you've ever valued. The loneliness will break your heart. At best other vampires will be distance acquaintances and at worst, enemies to be destroyed. You and I will have to struggle with the urge to kill each other in order to stay together after the first year of your transition." He stopped talking and ran his tongue along the curve of her neck from the earlobe to the notch at the base of her throat. He moved his hips from side to side against her thigh so that she could feel his erection and his hand slipped up under the hem of her tee so that he could unhook her bra and fondle her breasts. He was using all his vampire powers to arouse and repulse.

Vicki closed her eyes as her passion for him surfaced and said, "Quit stalling." Her hand found the tab of his zipper and worked at it until she freed his cock, marveling at the size and firmness of his erection at the same time savoring the softness of the skin. She felt his power rising to overtake her will and she gave it to him without reservation.

She rubbed her chin on his head and said, "I've been thinking about sex with you for the last year and a half. I've looked in history books trying to find all the references to you, your mother's family and the time in which you were born. Then I tracked down the documentation about the existence of vampires. By the time I finally accepted what my eyes were showing me, I was in love with you. No matter what I'm doing, you interrupt. I keep checking the clock thinking in a few hours, or minutes you'll be awake and my real life will begin."

Tired of tracing the blood vessels in her neck, the vampire mouthed her wrist where his sensitive tongue could feel the pin prick scars of his previous feedings. Until tonight, the feedings didn't include sex. He resisted biting down in order to say, "Let me come into you as your blood comes into me."

Vicki dipped her chin in agreement.

Henry growled and made quick work of removing the clothes that kept him from the living warmth of her sex. He teased her lips apart with his tongue as his fingers teased her clit. When she was wet and ready, he used his hand to guide his cock into her. He timed his movements to the relaxing and tightening of her cunt's muscles, and as they both reached climax, he bit down on the inside of her lower lip so that he could feed.

She scratched at his arms and chest trying to fight him off and at the same time urge him to continue. Every emotion she had ever felt for him roiled through her.

The vampire, satisfied with blood and sex retreated, allowing Henry to rule what remained of the night. He looked at her, grinned and said, "Did I hurt you in my enthusiasm?"

"No." Vicki said as she traced the quickly healing scratches on Henry's chest and arms and added, "It looks like I did some damage of my own. When are you turning me?"

Henry's arms held her as he leaned against the wall and said, "To the rest of the world you'll have to die. It's best if your body's found and there's a funeral."

Vicki stood straight and said, "I hadn't counted on that."

Henry stood straighter and said, "Your turning will start tonight but I plan on taking my time. We're going to plan carefully and do it right. We need to make sure you have every chance to succeed." He traced the curve of her chin and added, "There's enough of the night left for us to make love again before I start turning you. The vampire got its way, now what's left of the human in me wants its share of love."

Vicki smiled at Henry's boyish good looks and nodded in agreement then walked into the bedroom and pulled down the covers, "The bed's ready, let's make use of it."

Henry's deep blue eyes sparkled as he joined her with kisses and gentle strokes of his hands. Vicki matched him kiss for kiss and stroke for stroke. By the time their lovemaking was finished, no part of their bodies remained secret or on touched by the other.

Henry held her tight against him as he felt the first warning of the coming dawn, "It's almost time for me to head to the closet." He bit down on his own wrist and offered it to her, "Lick away the blood before it heals. Don't expect to feel anything yet. This is just the beginning."

Vicki did as he instructed then said, "Don't make me wait too long before the next step."

He kissed the nape of her neck and said as he slipped out of bed, "Believe me, I won't. But we must do this right."

Vicki and Henry spent the next few days making and eliminating ideas about the future. It seemed to both of them that timing was the biggest issue. While the discussions were cold and calculating, their lovemaking grew hotter and even more satisfying. The vampire got it's share of blood and lust. Vicki found she had the pleasure of two distinct lovers in one beautiful package, so she enjoyed the delay in her turning and Henry found he too appreciated the wait. His written words and graphic art took on a romantic tone and his publisher was excited with the changes, feeling there was a huge untapped market for romantic, graphic stories with just a hint of darkness.

***

Henry was sitting on the lighted table in Vicki's office, checking some galley proofs of a novel completed before the condo incident, when he heard Mike coming up the walk. He kept his eyes down, waiting to see Vicki's reaction. Mike hadn't talked to her since the day he told her he was married.

Mike opened the outer door and shouted, "Vick, is it safe to come in?"

Vicki came around from behind the desk and stood with her hands on her hips saying, "Depends on what you mean by safe. If you're asking if I'll slug you, the answer's no. On the other hand, if you're asking if I'm going to start yelling, the answer's maybe."

"I'm not apologizing, if that's what you're after. Can I come in the rest of the way?"

"The door's open until ten every night. There's an hour to go, so, yeah, come on in. Be careful though, there's a vampire behind the door and two ghosts in the bathroom."

Mike came into her office, "Very funny." He turned to Henry and said, "Hey, bite anyone lately?"

Henry looked up at that and said, "About an hour ago. I left the corpse on your door step."

Mike stared at him and said, "It's the corpse on the door step that I'm here about."

Henry sat up straight as Vicki demanded, "What the hell are you talking about? Henry been here with me since he got up and he doesn't leave corpses lying around."

Mike sputtered, "Joke."

Vicki said, "Not funny." Then balled up her fist and swung at Mike as he ducked. "Celluci, hold still so I can deck you."

Henry's eyes darkened, his lips pulled back from the sharp pointed teeth as he said , "You'll go to far one of these days."

Mike held up a hand and pointed to Henry, "He started it, Vicki. I was trying to be friendly then he said he left a body."

Henry's civilized mask settled back in place and Vicki said, "Mike, no teasing Henry. Henry, no baiting Mike. You haven't been together for two minutes and I feel like the referee at a hockey game." She pointed to the client chairs and added, "Both of you to the penalty box."

Henry picked up the proofs and said, "I'll see you back at the apartment."

Mike held out his hand, "Stay. Actually I came to ask both of you for some help."

Henry paused and tilted his chin for Mike to continue.

Mike sat and turned so that he could watch both their faces, "I accept the things that happened in the last year were real. Others, like Crowley, don't." He shook his head adding, "Ghosts, demons, and vampires are more than a person should have to face in life." Then Mike wiped his face with his hand and Vicki saw how worried he was.

He continued, "We've lost a lot of good people over the past few weeks to illness, accidents, suicide and three murders. It's well beyond the law of averages for a metropolitan police force to lose that many in so short a time. There's nothing I can put my finger on, but there's something unnatural happening."

Vicki felt ashamed that she hadn't kept up with what was going on in the force she had been part of for ten years and asked, "Who did we lose?"

Mike gave her a list of names and as she studied it she tried to recall the faces that matched the names. She looked up, then handed the list to Henry saying, "This doesn't make sense. Why so many and why in just one precinct?"

"It's not just one, it's all of them. Here's the rest of the names, from the entire city."

Vicki took the other page and slowly counted the names then counted them a second time, "Thirteen in two months and no one sees a connection but you?"

"All died from different causes. And I see it because you and prince opened my eyes to things better not seen."

Henry raised an eyebrow at being called prince, but chose not to say anything.

Vicki gave Henry a quick smile and said, "Mike, if you're going to call attention to his royal heritage, use his proper honorific."

Mike gave Henry a slight bow and said, "Sir."

Henry didn't bother to correct Mike, but asked, "How do you think we can help?"

Mike said, "Vicki can see patterns where no one else can, and you? You know what's really in the world. I tried contacting Coreen and Dr. Sagara. Coreen said she's not up to it, and Sagara won't return my calls."

"And Dr. Mohadevan?"

"She examined a few of the victims and certified cause of death. As a favor to me, she reviewed the records of a few of the others and didn't find anything." Mike stood and leaned over Vicki's desk, "I'm telling you something's not right with all this."

Henry stood and said, "I'll see if I can find out if there's anything going on with the others."

"You're not going to tell me who or what you're referring too, are you?"

Henry gave him a wicked grin, "Do you want me to?"

Mike shook his head no and said, "Not really, but whatever it is, it needs to be stopped. We can't afford to lose all the good ones on the force."

Vicki stood and said, "We'll do what we can. No promises. You know this won't be easy or fast."

"I know. I'm heading home, I've got the early shift. Call me when you've got something."

Vicki came around from behind the desk and said,"We will." Then she made a fist and tapped him not so gently on the shoulder and added, "Take care of yourself and your family. Make sure Kate watches your back."

"Kate watches out for me and I watch out for her. We're a good team, not as good as you and I were, but good enough to keep Crowley pissed." He walked out into the night with a lighter step than he had when he came in.

"You still care for him." It was more of a statement than a question on Henry's part.

"Yes. He's been a part of my life for a long time and admit it, you care for him too."

Henry didn't bother to deny it, just turned off the lighted table and said, "I need a private word with him." Before Vicki could open her mouth, the front door stood open and Henry was gone.

Vicki gave a snort, turned off the rest of the lights and waited in the reception area for him to return.

Henry was standing by Mike's car as he hit the remote to unlock the door. Mike almost dropped his keys as he said, "God, Fitzroy. Why must you do that?"

"I like watching you jump." Henry's eyes turned darker and he spoke with a husky tone, "Mike, you'll owe us for this help."

He agreed saying, "Yes, I'll owe you."

"When the time is right, I'll give you instructions and you'll follow them to the letter."

Mike tried to fight off the command saying, "I won't do anything to hurt my family or friends."

Henry increased the power and said, "It won't involve physically hurting anyone. You'll be helping Vicki to start a new life."

Mike stared at him and asked, "With you?"

Henry's eyes darkened further as he said, "That is no concern of yours. You have a wife and a son, give Vicki a chance to find her own way."

Mike closed his eyes, breathed deeply then said, "Stop vamping me, Fitzroy. You help me stop what's causing all the deaths on the force and I'll do what's needed to help Vicki."

Henry let the vampire power fade and said, "I'm impressed. Your resistance to me is improving." He opened the door to Mike's car and added, "I know you don't trust me, but believe what I say. Vicki will always be safe with me and I won't ever leave her."

Mike nodded and got into the car, "That I believe." Before Mike could add, " I'll be waiting to hear from you." Henry was gone.

Vicki felt Henry's lips brush her cheek and she asked, "What did you tell him?"

"That you're safe with me, that I'll never leave you and that he owes us both."

Vicki turned so she could put her arms around his waist, "What does he owe us?"

"He's the key to your turning and your death."