Alec sighed and closed the door to his bedroom gently. He hadn't thought she'd been able to figure it out, but he wouldn't ever underestimate Rayven again. She was smarted than she looked, and sadly he had to admit it only made her more attractive.

He lowered himself slowly into the big armchair in front of the fireplace and reached for the remote to the giant flat screen over the mantle, then decided against it. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to relieve tension. He knew what he had to do, whether he wanted to or not. He had to change the time back, make her forget. None of this happened. Nothing after that brutal car crash. All she'll remember is that she was rescued and taken to the hospital. She'll forget Alec even existed.

Alec felt a tear escape his eye. He had finally gotten her to love him for who he was, this was it. And he'd made the stupid mistake of underestimating her with that damned box. Of course she would remember everything; he hadn't gotten there fast enough. God, how could he be so stupid. Alec wondered if she had talked to anyone before she took the key. If she knew what it was for?

He shook his head, Nah…she had just touched it.

Slowly Alec drifted off to sleep, forgetting about the groceries sitting spilled out of the floor and taking what he thought was a well deserved rest as he mentally cursed himself and the images of the evening came flooding back into his dreams.

I shut the door behind me, humming to myself as the events of that morning ran through my mind. Rayven was so perfect, from her soft pale skin to her thick blonde hair to her piercing green eyes, a green the color of the brightest emerald. I couldn't get those eyes out of my mind… they saw to my very soul. I smiled and hummed to myself as I thought of holding her close, her lips on mine.

Stopping by the driver's side door of my car I debated whether I should take the conspicuous white and black sports car or if I should just run to the store and back. It was only a good two miles away. I could make it in back in thirty minutes. Shaking my head I climbed into the car and set out into traffic, slow moving, ever infuriating, somehow more cheery today traffic.

As soon as I got to the store I ran through and grabbed the essentials: meats, cheeses, soap, soda, yogurt – I absolutely adore this frozen blend of fruit and dairy – and a few things for Rayven. I slowed my pace in an unoccupied aisle and turned the corner walking toward the cashiers to check out. Stopping at lane 31 I began to unload my cart.

Then I felt it. A panic in the very back of my mind. Cold fingers of fear ran down my spine, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I could feel my face flush and my eyes widen as my heart began to beat for the first time in thousands of years.

"Sir, all you alright? Excuse me. Sir?"

My eyes moved slowly to the tiny woman behind the counter. She looked to be in her thirties, with grey beginning to form in her dark hair.

"Sir?" she asked again.

In a flurry I grabbed all of my bags, leaving a hundred on the conveyer belt and walked out o the store as calmly as I could. As soon as my feet hit cement I took of at a run. As I ran I could hear the faint whispers of Dimitra's voice in my head. My heart ached. Dimitra. The woman I had first loved. Who first showed me what love could be. I would never understand why she left me. Was it the fangs? The heritage? The stupid prophecy? As if, I still didn't believe that was real. But her leaving my sure was. And it still hurt today.

The next thing I knew I was bursting through the door to my apartment, dropping the groceries on the floor and flying into my room to catch Rayven as she fell. As I dragged her back to my bed and I tried to think if I had closed the door and remembered that the force of my sharp turn into my room had caused it to slam shut. I sat on my bed trying to think of a way to fix this. There was a way I knew, but I couldn't do. Not to say I didn't want to, but I couldn't!

I looked down at Rayven's beautiful face and pleaded with my eyes to her unconscious form as my heart fought a vicious inner struggle. I couldn't bite her. But if I didn't she'd know the truth. I could not let her see that truth. I took a deep breath, swallowed my fears and drank.

It was like heaven on Earth. Rayven tasted of everything perfect, pure, and good. I don't know who I managed to stop, but I did, drinking just enough to remover her memory, but not enough to turn her into a vampire like me, which I knew would do horrible things to the world around us. I couldn't make her a vampire…not now at least. I hoped it would have happened soon, but as I laid her back into bed, I realized it may never happen at all…and she would die, never to left love's scar. Then I left, and contemplated what to do next. As I sat into my soft leather chair I decided to close my eyes to think more clearly and—

Darkness thicker than the pitch of midnight took me over and I screamed into the night as horrible clawing pain ripped at my flesh.

Alec bolted up right in his chair, falling to the floor. He ran his hand over his face, filmed with a fine sweat and an involuntary sob escaped his throat. He clutched his throat at the betrayal of his body and stood up slowly, looking back at his big, white, six-paneled door. His body trembled as he mentally shook off his nightmarish dream and headed straight into his nightmarish reality, knowing he may never see Rayven again.