Justin awoke to a strange warmth in his arms. His eyes opened slowly, revealing his dresser, and the brown head of a woman. It was Elizabeth, sleeping peacefully in his embrace. Her torn cape had been tossed on the floor, mere inches from the bed, but he was sure he'd left her in the other bedroom. He suddenly wondered if they'd done anything, the scent in the air telling him no. She shifted, moving closer to him, making his heart beat uncontrollably.

How did she get here? He looked up, seeing an open door, realizing she must have been sleepwalking. She stirred again, moaning quietly. Justin moved as quietly as he could, moving her head to the pillow, pulling on his clothes the moment he was free of the sheets. He strayed in the doorway, gazing at her while she slept, heart racing as he thought of what he could do with her. But then he shook his head, cursing himself for thinking of such things.

Her children are more important, his conscience snapped at him. He sighed, knowing it was right. No matter how much he cared for her, Justin knew her heart would always be Jonathan's. She didn't love him, she couldn't. She's into you, I'm just saying.

Will you knock it off? He could have sworn the voice laughed, but it didn't reply. Justin gazed at the small clock on his desk. It was six AM. He still had thirty minutes before he had to report to his post, and the encounter with Elizabeth had robbed him of his appetite. He ran his hands through his hair, eyes drifting to a small shelf filled with books. They were his personal copies, most of them first editions. He picked one at random, barely able to focus on the words as his mind raced through possibilities for the future.

This is so unexpected…

(****)

Elizabeth moaned quietly, hands grasping the pillow cover. She was dreaming about that man again, his sweet embrace and fiery kisses. She still couldn't see his face, but his hands became visible whenever he touched her. They were covered in fine fur, dark brown, their strength warm and familiar. She wanted more than anything to know who it was, to know who had stolen her heart. She wanted to ask him, to hear his voice say that he loved her; but more than anything, she wanted to know his name.

He never spoke, aside from small, comforting sounds uttered in her ear, his quiet sighs coating her face. She knew she had seen him before, had met him sometime in life, but the little she saw of him made it impossible to figure out who. I love him...oh dear God!

The dream ended in a fiery blaze, the romantic shadows fading, melting. Dark laughter echoed around her, a grin of wicked teeth visible behind the flames. A black tongue lashed between them, coating them in glistening saliva, jaws parting wide to swallow her whole.

She shot up, panting, blanket held tightly to her chest. She was alone in a large room, though she could have sworn she'd been with someone the night before, having felt a comforting weight wrap around her. She immediately thought of Justin, blushing furiously, taking in his scent as she took a deep breath. She wondered if they'd done anything, air and body telling her no. She saw her cape on the floor, carelessly tossed aside. She suddenly thought of replacing it, then decided against it.

It was the first thing Jonathan gave to you. She stepped into the other room, seeing a nervous young man twirling a pencil.

"Justin?" she asked. He turned to look at her. She noticed then his eyes were the same shade as those in her dream, his hands just like those that caressed her. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, setting the thing aside. "I was just thinking," he got to his feet, walking over to her. "Do you have any idea where they took your children?"

She shook her head. "They came on birds," she had the distinct feeling she'd said it before. "It'd be impossible to track them."

He smiled, tilting her chin back with his hand. "Nothing's impossible for us," he said gently. He wiped a nonexistent tear from her cheek. "Come with me."

He took her to the library, pulling out a thick book with a brown cover. Inside were illustrations of every bird imaginable, listed from A to Z. "Would you recognize the bird if you saw it again?"

She shrugged. "I-I think so."

He flipped to the 'R's, pointing out a picture near the middle of the page. "What about this?"

She glanced at the name: red-tailed hawk, and pointed to it. "That's the one," she confirmed.

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "Yes, completely," she said. "Why?"

"I saw some of these birds flying east not too long ago," he explained. "I couldn't tell for sure, but I could have sworn something was riding on them."

He glanced at her, only to find her face buried in her hands. Her body was shaking with silent sobs. "Elizabeth?" he reached out and touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She looked up, embarrassed to be seen this way. "I'm fine," she said weakly, obviously a lie. He grasped both her shoulders, bringing her close.

"You can tell me anything," he whispered to her. He pushed soft hair from her face. "You've got to believe that."

She sniffed. "I do believe it," she told him. "I-It's just that…"

"Just what?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. "N-Never mind," she told him. She fought to pull away. "I-I just remembered…"

Justin sighed, knowing there was only one thing to do. He grasped her wrist with one hand, holding her easily in place as he shoved the book back on its shelf. Moments later he was leading her out a back door, one that led directly outside. The sky was clear, an even, beautiful shade of blue. He brought her to a spot mere inches from the forest, back behind a hill so they were hidden from the walls of the colony. He turned to her then, taking her hands firmly in his, gazing deeply in her crying eyes.

"Elizabeth," he said softly, almost nervously. "I know this isn't the time to tell you, but I want to say it, in case…" he trailed off, breathing deeply. One of his paws slipped to her back, pulling her close, her own gliding to his chest. He looked once more in her eyes, then he kissed her. It was warm, gentle, the one he'd dreamt of so long. He pulled away slowly, hardly able to believe what he had just done. "I love you, Elizabeth," he whispered. "I love you."

She could do little more than bury her face in his vest, too shocked for words.