Rey was thankful for the hot water. She turned it on as hot as it would go, though even burning her first layer of flesh off wasn't going to change the events of the past few weeks. She stood for a long time, trying to chase the cold away from her fingers and toes. She cried, quietly, and when she was able to get herself together, she washed her face free of tears and finally turned the water off. She realized at that point that she had likely used up all of the hot water.

She reached for the towel, wrapping it around her frame and tying it up at her chest. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought that she didn't even resemble herself, but there was something fierce and sparkling about her eyes. It scared her, it was so unfamiliar. She'd become determined to outlive this, as it was the only option she could think of. Dying did not currently sit on her list of options. She brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she'd borrowed last time she was here, and opened the door.

The room was warmer than she was expecting. Ren had turned on the space heater, even though she knew it would drive Luke crazy to know he was using up power. It didn't seem to matter to him, they might have been an equal match. He glanced at her as she came out, barefooted and in a towel. His eyes had returned to their normal color, but he was still splashed with the gore of the evening. He stood up, and she watched him slide out of his clothing. She eyeballed the long line of his torso, turning to sneak a peek before he shut the bathroom door.

Finally, she felt dry enough to drop the towel, moving to pull on the clothes that Luke had tossed at them before he'd slammed the door. She didn't realize Ren had opened the door, and was standing behind her until she felt the puff of his breath stir the damp hairs around her neck. She was about to turn, until she felt his fingertip draw from the base of her spine up. He traced each bone in her spine, sending a thorough chill through her that felt as if it caused goosebumps across her entirely.

It was a simple, brief touch. She felt him pull away, and wondered at it. She carefully pulled her clothes on, watching him return to the bathroom towel-clad and with her towel in hand. She caught a glimpse of his inky black hair, curling at the nape of his neck, before she turned away and placed herself squarely in front of the space heater. She found herself wishing that Ren had continued to touch her, and when he came to sit beside her, she could tell that he knew it. She knew he had wanted to, but the reason why he'd stopped was foggy. Was he learning to hide from her already?

"It's not fair, you can hide from me, but I can't hide from you," She said, drawing her knees up to her chest and tilting her head as she rested it atop them.

"Who says I'm hiding?" He asked curiously.

They examined each other the low light, her eyes drawing along his damp hair and his scarred face. He wasn't any less handsome in her estimation, though the scar did add a bit of danger to his appearance. He reminded her very much of the men she had idolized in novels - but now, she couldn't imagine what she had been thinking in wishing for one. It wasn't that she didn't feel the way she felt, but that her life had been so completely upended by him.

"You should get some rest while you can," He said, standing up.

"I'm not ti-"

Rey hardly got a chance to respond before she found he had hoisted her up off of the floor. She gave a surprised noise before she found herself placed on the bed. She was about to argue, but she realized that she was exhausted once her head hit the pillow. She fell asleep almost immediately, despite fighting it.

When she woke up a few hours later, the room was dark. Ren had turned off the space heater, and a chilly pall had settled over the room. Rey briefly wished that it was summer, or at least spring. She was tired of the cold. She looked to find Ren stretched out beside her. The sweats Luke had loaned him hit him at his calves, too short by about half. The shirt rode up on his abdomen, revealing his flat belly corded through with muscles. She knew he wasn't sleeping, but his eyes were closed and he was far away.

She curiously reached out and let her chilly fingertips drift along the exposed flesh. He wasn't warm, but he wasn't exactly cold either. She heard him suck in a deep breath of air and she realized he wasn't so far away anymore. She moved without much thought, shifting out of her curled up position and sliding into his lap. If he was surprised by it, he didn't show as much.

It happened quickly. They were kissing, a fumble of lips and mouths and tongues. She rolled her hips down on his middle, enjoying the rasping gasp of surprise that escaped him. She was sure she had never wanted anything so badly in her life. His hands were in her hair, and before long they had worked their way down, underneath the warmed sweat shirt she'd thrown on after her shower. His hands nearly encompassed her, and she felt them warm up the more he touched her.

When he pulled back from her lips, his hand placed on her jawline, her eyes fluttered open. She saw those familiar red pinpricks, and she wondered if they were some signal of arousal. He looked fierce, and he pressed kisses along her jawline and neck before he pulled back, his mouth moving. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her.

"Are you sure?" He whispered, his tones rough.

She nodded, her mouth seeking out his in a flurry. She pulled those sweats down over his hips, her fingertips reaching for his (rather obvious) erection. She stroked the base of it, causing him to release another slight gasp, her thumb-tip curiously brushing the underside of the head. He gave another pleased noise, and she was sure she sensed surprise there. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to be so forthright.

He leaned up, and she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her frame more tightly against his. He returned the favor, pulling her clothes as far off of her as he might without causing her to freeze, though her skin felt so hot she had forgotten about the chill that was constantly there. Suddenly, they were in sync (perhaps for the first time), and he was inside of her. The quick motion caused Rey to gasp aloud, though she had to sink her teeth into her bottom lip to try and quiet herself.

Her breath hitched as she settled atop him. There was something in him that was holding back, but she could feel the sharp edge of hunger resting there beneath the surface. They began to move in tandem with each other, though at first the motions were unbelievably slow. His hands slid into her hair, along her neck. He gave her a few soft kisses, and their foreheads came to press together as they looked at one another. She could see the faint tip of his fangs, and instead of fearing the sight, she found the aching throb of arousal became more potent.

He shifted her, pushing her back into the sheets before she felt him sink within her again. She released another breathy moan, her fingertips grasping the sheets beneath her. He watched her carefully, testing each movement he made for reaction until she was begging him to move faster. She clung to him as if he might disappear, and he began to pick a more punishing pace that made it difficult for her to keep her mouth shut. He only seemed to become more focused as she became more fuzzy, the overwhelming sensations threatening to take her over completely.

When the motions reached a fever pitch, her hands grasped onto him, digging into his flesh. She barely saw him reveal his fangs, and even if she had, she wouldn't have stopped him. He sunk his sharp teeth into the soft flesh of her neck, and the movement caused her to release a shuddering moan as she came. He didn't draw much of her blood, and when he pulled his mouth away from her she found it placed on her own, a feeble attempt to quiet her down. She tasted copper on his lips and released a hot breath of air as the moment finally rolled through to it's end. She fell herself go limp against the bed, her chest heaving in an attempt to regain breath.

They stayed connected for a few more moments, before he left her, causing her to release one more slight gasp. He settled down beside her, and she felt his weight shift the bed. She leaned into him, finding the breadth of his chest comforting. He ran his hand along the curve of her bicep, taking a moment to brush her hair out of her face.

"You really are quite surprising," He said, his voice husky from the activity.

"One of us had to do it," She teased, thinking about the weeks of tension. She was happy to feel some relief from it, despite all of the other horrible things that were happening.

"I always expected it would be me," He teased back, and she saw him smile.

"I probably would have argued that fact with you,"

He laughed.

"Yes," He replied simply.

They were silent after that, breathing quietly together (even if his breath was much slower than hers). Once the heat of the moment fell away, Rey found she was cold. Ren wrapped the blanket around her, and without meaning to, she fell asleep again. She had more she wanted to tell him, but her human sensibilities got the better of her.

When she woke up, Ren was gone.

At first, she thought he had disappeared to find a place to hide out during the day, though the room could remain dark enough to serve that purpose. He hadn't left behind any note, which gave her a feeling of foreboding. He'd also left the car and the few belongings he'd brought with him behind. Rey realized she might have been abandoned here, but she remembered what Ren had said. He asked her to stop telling him to leave her. Why drag her all this way and then leave her? Why do what they did together only to abandon her? When she came downstairs, Luke and Lion were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast.

"Have you seen Ren?"

"Nope," Luke said. "No sign of him. Can't even smell him," Luke looked at her over his coffee cup with a look that seemed to say: told you so.

She thought he might show back up when the sun fell, but there was no sign of him.

Rey felt his absence terribly, her heart ached and her mind felt strangely empty. She was angry at the thought that he had abandoned her, and more concerned than she thought she could be. She reached out for him, out in all of that great darkness, but all she got back in return was echo and silence. She began to realize something was masking him from her, though she couldn't suss out whether or not it was him or something else. She didn't have her phone, and she knew he didn't have his, so she couldn't even try to call him. She couldn't remember his number, and eventually she went downstairs to try Luke's old rotary phone. She dialed information and asked for the number to SoloTech. When she was connected there, it simply rang and rang before disconnecting. The second time she called, it didn't even ring at all.

She went to bed feeling uneasy, and slept fitfully. He came to her in her dreams. He was moving his mouth but she couldn't make out what he was saying. He was splashed with red, his face un-scarred, dressed the way he had been when she had first met him. She tried calling his name, but the only thing she was met with was frustration that she could not make out what he was saying. The look on his face made it clear he was trying to warn her, but the words did not come out.

In the morning, she came down to find Luke on the phone. Once he realized she was there, he handed it off to her without so much as a warning.

"Hello?"

"Rey?" The man on the other end questioned. She recognized his voice, but couldn't place it. "It's Rose's dad,"

"Oh, hi Phil," She said, surprised that he had found her here. "How did you know I was here?"

"I called your foster parents when I couldn't get you to answer your cell phone," He said, his voice betraying concern. She thought at first it was concern for her.

"I'm sorry, I lost my phone," She admitted. "Is everything alright?"

"I was hoping to find you in the city," He said, quietly. "A few nights ago, Rose left. We haven't heard from her since," He sighed. "I was hoping you might know where she was, I haven't been able to get her to answer her phone,"

Rey's stomach dropped, and she felt panic rise up to the back of her throat. It wasn't like Rose not to answer her phone. She even talked to telemarketers.

"I don't know where she is..." Rey said. "I haven't had my phone for a few days," She admitted.

"Do you know where she might have gone?"

"I don't, I'm sorry. I hadn't heard from her in a few days,"

"Rey, do you think you would be willing to meet me in the city? Help me look for her? You might know some of the places she would go,"

"Okay, I can do that,"

Rey realized what she was agreeing to. She realized that she was in danger, but when she realized that it might have spread to Rose, she couldn't bear the thought of not trying to do something.

"Something's wrong," She said, looking and expecting to find Luke standing there. She was surprised to find Luke, Poe, and Finn standing there. "W-what are you two doing here?"

"I called them," Luke said.

"Why?"

"Bit of a coincidence," Finn said, firmly. "Luke and I are old friends. He asked us to look out for you at school. Didn't know you'd gotten involved with a vampire, though," Finn said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What, you two are werewolves too?"

"Just me," Finn said, raising his hand. "Poe's a regular old squishy human, like you,"

"Lucky us, huh," Poe said, giving her a handsome smile. "I didn't know until recently, if that makes you feel any better,"

"It does," She said, wondering how many more curve balls Luke was going to throw at her. "Rose is missing," She finally said.

"Rose?" Finn asked.

"My best friend," She said. "Her dad can't get a hold of her. Ren is missing, too,"

"Ren might have taken off when he realized what he'd gotten himself into. Vampires are like that," Finn said.

"He wouldn't have left me here without telling me why," She said, firmly.

"You don't kno-" Luke started.

"No," Rey responded, firmly. "Something is wrong,"

"Well, the shadows that come at night have been gathering," He admitted. "Something is going on, I just haven't been able to figure out what it is. Started the night you showed up. Almost like they're waiting for something,"

"I have to go back into the city and find Rose," She said, moving to go upstairs.

"Do you think that's a good idea? Parasite brought you out here for a reason," Luke said, picking his teeth.

"Don't call him that," Rey said, realizing she was defending Ren. "I have to go find Rose," She said again, and she realized nothing would stop her from this. She would take the car and she would go. She had to admit, there was a small hope she might find Ren, too, and hit him in the face when she did.

"We'll go with you," Finn said.

"No, that's not necessary,"

"Yeah it is," Poe said. "You don't know what you're dealing with at all,"

It was true, though she wished it weren't.

The drive out to Luke's farm felt fruitless. The drive back to the city felt a bit ridiculous. Rey let Poe drive, and that meant Finn sat up front. Her and Luke sat in the back, Luke with a huge shotgun placed over his lap. If they got pulled over, they were going to have a hell of a time explaining that one. Lion sat in between them, as none of them had been able to talk Luke out of bringing the geriatric dog with them. If they did have to face off against vampires, Rey hoped that Lion wouldn't have to be involved. He was too old.

The trip was awkward and silent. Rey would've been lying if she told herself that she wasn't mad at her mentor. She was mad at him, and she wondered, really, how much about all of this he'd known. Had he been as clueless as he'd claimed to be? She couldn't imagine that he had been, considering what he was. Poe and Finn's presence bolstered her a bit, though her mind raced, worrying for Rose. She hoped it was nothing serious. She had brought with her Ren's billfold, containing the one credit card he'd brought with him and a picture of a woman that she didn't recognize. She realized that she and Ren had the same brown eyes.

They stopped at her apartment first. Finn followed her, Luke and Poe opting to stay in the rental car. He had his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his bomber jacket, but she could tell by the line of his back that he had noticed something. When she punched in the code on the door, she realized that the keypad was completely black. Finn reached out and pushed the door open, and she realized someone had just used brute force. She pushed it open, looking to find that her apartment had been completely trashed. Her computer was upended, the screen cracked. Her dishes had been broken, the sheets on her futon had been ripped. Everything was destroyed.

Rey stood, her mouth agape, looking at the damage. She retrieved her broken laptop, trying to turn it on. It was beyond repair. She thought that they could go to the hotel, and try to retrieve her phone, but it was unlikely that it hadn't been thrown out. Ren wasn't there, obviously. Neither was Rose. No sign that either of them had been there, only the wreckage.

"What next?"

"I don't know," She said. "My phone is probably gone. I remember her number, but her dad said she wasn't answering,"

"You want to try mine?" He handed it to her.

She dialed the number and listened to it ring. Eventually, her voicemail picked up. Rey left a short message, begging for Rose to call her. They stood there for a few more moments before they went back to the car. Luke and Lion stared at them from the backseat, looking irritated that they were up past their bedtime. They got back into the car, and idled while Rey tried to decide what to do. She thought about SoloTech, but she couldn't imagine going there again. Then, Phasma crossed her mind.

"I know someone who might be able to help us,"

Phasma's place was dark. Again, Rey worried she might not be there. She told the others to wait, as she wasn't sure that the woman would even help her, considering how testy she'd been the first time. She seemed to owe Ren a debt of some kind, and maybe she now considered it paid. Rey began by knocking on the door, which was met with no reply. After a few moments of knocking and calling her name, Rey saw a light flick on.

Phasma's presence was always startling. She was so tall and intense that Rey was a bit shocked every time she saw her. She smiled as hopefully as she could manage, but she knew it didn't bleed into the concern that probably showed in her eyes.

"Oh no," She said. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help," Rey said. "Ren is missing, and I need help finding him," Rey didn't mention Rose, but she had a suspicion that if she found Ren, she would find Rose...especially if she had managed to get her caught up in this whole mess.

"You've got all kinds of strange friends, don't you?" Phasma said, looking out to the car. Rey read something in her eyes that was unusual, but it was gone too quickly for her to process. "Come in,"

Rey glanced back at the car, holding up her hand to tell them to stay where they were. She could see that none of them were happy with this decision, except for maybe Lion, who wagged his tail a few times before laying down in the back seat. Rey stood awkwardly in the parlor of this strange little shop as Phasma moved around, gathering up things that Rey assumed would be used to help her find Ren.

"Have a seat," Phasma pointed to a table that was covered in a deep red cloth.

Rey waited, quietly. She wanted to look to see what Phasma was doing, but her attention was drawn by the many strange objects she had. She realized that, pushed behind other bottles, she had a small bottle full of fangs. Rey wondered with a slight shudder if they were animal fangs, or something else entirely. Phasma sat down in front of her with a few items in hand, and she reached out for something. Rey stared at her helplessly.

"I need something of his," Rey thought to panic, she didn't have anything - until she realized she had his billfold. She handed it over to Phasma.

Phasma took the picture out of the billfold, and set it on the table, handing the wallet back to Rey. It was almost as if she had known it would be in there. Rey watched as she took the items out of their respective jars, piling them together in a small little cauldron. Rey was so transfixed that she hadn't taken note of what it was that Phasma was putting into the pot. She wasn't sure she would have known, anyway, even if she was taking note.

She watched as Phasma dropped the photo into the mixture. Rey was too late to stop her, and she hoped that Ren had copies of it. She felt so guilty that she didn't realize the faint haze of smoke rising from the pot. She thought it had something to do with finding Ren, so at first it was easy to ignore that she had begun to feel a bit woozy. She swayed in her seat, nearly toppling from it before she managed to catch herself. When she looked at Phasma, the woman was watching her with eyes so blue and flinty that when Rey moved, they seemed to leave behind traces in the smoke.

Finally, she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

Rey realized a moment too late that her first mistake had been in trusting this woman.

are you prepared? cause i'm bout to hurt'cha.