(Soundtrack: "Afraid" – Nelly Furtado)

The sinking sun backlighted a series of abstract colored images. The holy images of stained glass and lead. Thin footsteps echoed across the marble floor.

Aurah Castle -a little older, more beautiful, definitely wiser, yet still very chubby, no doubt- was all alone in the house of the Lord.

And those doleful eyes of hers clearly telegraphed some kind of burden which rested upon her soul.

She reluctantly walked past the rows of empty pews toward a curtained confessional booth.

Aurah slid the drapes shut behind her as she entered, kneeling before the closed curtain. She took off her cardigan.

A priest entered the adjacent booth. He was barely visible through the wicker mesh. Aurah looked down, crossed herself, and began:

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been two months since my last confession..." After she swallowed, she continued:

"I became mean towards someone I care, someone I love. I broke his heart… intentionally. I never told anyone about how I feel now. But…"

"Yes?"

"Mom and my grandpa kind of figured, you know."

She balked at the memory of it. The priest bowed his head in the shadows of the other side.

"I see," The priest said reassuringly. "Why did you break his heart?"

"I was trying to ignore my feelings."

"Why?" The priest asked with a soft voice.

Aurah sighed. "Cause he's a werewolf."

"A werewolf?"

"Yes."

"And it matters to you."

"Not to me. It matters to my mom. She thinks that a werewolf is not a good match for me."

"Why does she think so?"

Aurah paused for a moment. Twisting her fingers, she mumbled; "I don't know."

"I think you know very well."

"What do you mean by that?"

The priest laughed silently. "Maybe I should go to him and convey your sincere apologies."

Aurah froze. A chill shot through her body.

"You're not a priest. Who are you?"

Clouds of icy steam shot through the partition. Aurah moved closer, trying to get a better look.

The priest growled; "Why don't you wanna join us, sweet Aurah?

A cold hand smashed through the wicker mesh right in Aurah's neck! She screamed!

Still screaming, she jumped out. She fought the white demon standing beside her. The cold hand's owner held Aurah's shoulders tight.

"Do you have to be this stubborn all the time?" He asked.

"I have to be and I will be… especially when it comes to the nasty vampires like you!" She growled.

Being offended, the vampire spoke; "You're one of us. You can't deny what you are!"

Aurah kicked him in the stomach with her elbow and broke free from his arms. "I'm nothing like you!"

He laughed. "Yeah, right. I almost forgot... You prefer to hang out with dogs."

Keeping a stiff upper lip, Aurah began to circle around him as she spoke. "How could you get in here?"

"Oh, please, don't tell me that you believe in fairytales which say no vampire can walk into a church."

"So you claimed to be a superior?" Aurah rolled her eyes.

"I used to be a priest before I was changed." He sighed. "I guess, that gives me a little more privilege."

"Whatever. I've told time and time again that I'm interested in joining your stupid vampire seethe. Nothing more to say. Now get the hell out of here!"

The vampire grimaced. "Oh, it's not very kind of you to curse into a church, sweet Aurah. You didn't use to talk like that. Well, it's probably because of your wrong choice of friends. Do you know that old saying? She that lies down with dogs will rise up with fleas." He laughed at his own feeble joke. "By the way, my name is Vulad." He extended his hand to Aurah.

Aurah crossed her arms. "Sorry, my mom told me not to touch a leech."

"Aww, you broke my heart, too now," The vampire said, placing his right hand on his heart. "Like you had broken that foul-mouthed British dog's, too."

"Stay away from him!" Aurah creaked her teeth.

"I don't think so." He scratched his nails to the wall.

"You know nothing. You're just bluffing."

"His name wouldn't be Ben, would it?"

Aurah, terrified, forced herself to speak louder.

"You're going to stay away from him!"

"What if I don't?"

"I'll tear the crap out of you!"

The vampire smiled arrogantly. Ignoring Aurah, he went by the door. "It's dark outside. My time now." Those were the last words he said. He disappeared in an eye-blink.

Aurah exploded out of the building right after him and she hurried down the sidewalk.

BEN

Ben was walking along the streets of Manhattan since he had left Dr. Castle's house. He had no destination. He was just walking until he could get too tired to think of Aurah.

His head was full thoughts. He didn't know who was to blame. Aurah? Angelina? Or himself?

Angelina was thinking that her daughter had feelings for Ben. And those feelings might be reciprocal -even though Ben strongly objected each time the subject was brought up.

Then why did his heart start beating like blazes when he saw Aurah this morning? She was older- like almost 18-, taller and her hair was longer. She was wearing tight jeans and a shed-like t-shirt which said "NYC GIRL".

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Ben jumped out of his skin. It was just a couple of teenagers who was letting off firecrackers as they flew past on bicycles.

Ben shook his head. "Think I'm going crazy."

He walked into a narrow back street. The street lamps were throwing dim light on the road. Although the music from the bars was resounding, it was still kind of desolate.

Pulling his cap and putting his hands in his pockets, he kept on walking faster and faster.

His wolf instinct was yelling inside that there was something wrong. As if someone was watching him… He felt a presence around him. Inhuman.

From the darkness, someone spoke - a voice low and rumbling, laced with an ominous gravity.

"Hello, little wolf."

Ben frowned. Although he wasn't familiar with this voice, he was smart enough to recognize that the owner of it was a vampire.

"What do you want?"

"I'm just checking you out. Whether you are satisfied with your New York vacation."

"Oh, how kind of you!" Ben made a sarcastic face.

A pair of red eyes pierced the gloom – and even though he remained partially shadowed, this guy had to be the scariest blood-sucker Ben had ever seen.

"Are you ready to go back to Tri-Cities?"

Ben curled his lip. "What makes you think I wanna go back?"

A hand emerged from the darkness. Ben wanted to bolt. Instead, he fought with the taloned fingers trying to brush his throat. He started to change.

The vampire gave a tiny smile. "You must forgive me, dog. It feels like centuries since I last fed. You ate one of us. Now I'm gonna eat you!"

"I'm afraid a werewolf's meat is a vampire's poison." Ben creaked his teeth.

Getting more frustrated by the werewolf's fearless threat, the hellish creature unearthed himself, roaring. It was difficult to make out in the dim light, but what Ben did see was terrifying. An elongated pale face with a blood-splattered set of hinged fangs - hinting at an inhuman physiognomy within. The hinged jaws open, coming at him. And just as the lights went out for good, something flew over them in an instant!

A half-vampire…

Quicker than the light, she flew, landing on the top of the wall and she sprang up at Vulad, all claws and gnashing teeth.

Vulad caught her by the throat, whirling her around. And he threw her to the wall.

Then he turned back to glance round. No Ben.

But he heard a GROWL. A formidable figure resolved out of the shadows.

It's a red wolf, striding towards him. The exaggerated sounds of his pawfalls were ringing out like drums of doom.

Vulad stared at the wolf. The wolf growled at him, low and menacing.

"I'm gonna kill you," Vulad hissed.

Simultaneously, Vulad turned and the wolf lunged forward.

Vulad showed his fangs just as the wolf sprang at him. The wolf caught him by the arm. Vulad kicked him away.

The wolf reached out and caught his leg before Vulad could fly. He pulled the vampire back to the ground.

The wolf relentlessly barked and latched onto Vulad's neck, dragging him down head-first! Vulad got kicked by the wolf's thrashing legs. He flew upward, hit the wall and fell back onto the ground, headless!

And it was over.

The red wolf turned back towards the half-vampire girl who was lying on the floor. He approached to Aurah, changing back to his human form.

She was bone-white and there were fresh bite marks on her throat. Blood was staining her cardigan.

"Aurah! Are you alright?"

She nodded, shaking, struggling to recompose herself.

"Is he dead?" She asked, trying to raise her head to take a look at the vampire who was in tatters.

"Yes he's dead." Ben curled a lip. "He learnt in the hard way that he should never mess around with a werewolf."

Trying to laugh at Ben's joke, Aurah made a painful sound.

"I'll take you home," Ben whispered.

"No!" Aurah objected. "If mom sees me like this, she'll blame you and she'll probably start yelling again. Take me somewhere else I can be safe till my wounds get healed."

"Okay. I'm gonna take you to my hotel. It's not as posh as your grandfather's house. You just have to handle it."

"Please, don't make me laugh. My ribs are killing me."

"Sorry."

"And, Ben…" Aurah said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. "At least put your trousers on!"

Ben stumbled at his own feet. "Yeah, right. I've forgotten that I'm naked."

After he wore what was left of his clothes, Ben took Aurah into his arms carefully and lifted her up.

He went on to the main street to find a taxi.