Ahhh sorry people I am behind on the updates buy my fiance has been ravishing me and I have been too lazy to actually get un-relaxed enough to update. I will make it up to you!

"Hey, this ice cream is actually really good!" Rebecca rolled her eyes in playful exasperation at Beth's exclaimed statement.

"And how many times did I tell you it was good?" Rebecca demanded, throwing a smile over at her friend from across her kitchen table. It was late in the evening, and she had asked Beth to come and spend the night with her. It had been two weeks since she had seen hide or hair of either Kalin or his sister, and she hated to admit it, but she was actually starting to miss him. She got riled up when he was here, but she felt better for it, and not having him here was even worse. Besides, she didn't mean to actually push him away, it was part of her makeup, the way things went with her, and she was starting to think she had seriously screwed up.

"A billion and one." Beth replied automatically, scooping another spoonful into her mouth. Rebecca wished she could feel so relaxed and enjoy the time they were sharing, but she felt on edge, like she was missing something important, and her gut was warning her that this time was somehow crucial and she didn't feel safe. But that was silly, wasn't it? How could a time be crucial? But she had to admit that whenever Kalin was not around she did not feel safe, like someone was watching her, tailing her, just waiting for the right time to make their move. She was worried it could be the Grit's but didn't know if they actually had any use of her without Kalin. True, they did still have Kalin's stuff, so she could still be used as a baby carrier if they could get their hands on her.

But at night, when she always feared the worst of the anxiety and fear was coming, it would flee. And it was the most wonderful thing in the world. She felt safe when she climbed into bed at night, and the feeling lasted well on into the morning, but then it would return with a clawing vengeance. She didn't know what caused her fear and she didn't know what caused her relaxation, all she knew was that Kalin's name was always on the tip of her tongue when her spine was knotted all the way up with stress, and she could still taste his name when she fell to sleep at night and met him in her dreams. And she also found a terrifying trust in him, a man she did not know well, that he would never allow their enemies to get that close to her.

Wow, their enemies? His enemies.

"So was their something you wanted to talk to me about?" Beth piped, getting up to put the bowl in the sink. Rebecca watched her, worrying her lip with her teeth, wondering how she was supposed to approach the subject.

"Um, well . . ." she looked down at the table, trying to just spit it out, but her body wouldn't just respond.

"Is this about sex on a stick?" that made her head snap up, finding her friend leaning against the skin, watching her with a smile. She forced a smile in return, even though she found that her body did not react well to another female thinking sexually of Kalin.

Mine some alien part whispered. A part utterly feminine that wanted to be ravished, taken, and loved.

Shove it, the more familiar part of her whispered to that alien part.

"Yes, this is about Kalin."

"I though the two of you were on the 'tests'. You know, then the hot steamy sex."

"Beth!" Rebecca gasped, her whole face flaming red.

"What? I know you did! The way you reacted to him was ice melting to heat."

"I did not."

"Why are you so scared of that part of you?" Beth asked, coming to sit back beside her at the table. She would have brushed off the comment had her friends expression not been so serious. Beth was rarely serious. "Any situation that involves you just being a female, you rebel. What can honestly be so bad about a guy that looks at you like you are the very universe itself? From what I gathered, you ran from him, left him in the wind, and he holds no malice or anger towards you and has allowed you to string him along on any little whim. Please, tell me the bad side of this? I mean, not to mention he is walking sex, and you run from him?"

"Because of him I was kidnapped!" Rebecca just about yelled. She hadn't meant to say it, but it had come out. Her head fell into her hands, because now she could not get away without explaining, and with that explanation she was going to have to tell her friend that she was in the for the same fate. Bound to a male for all eternity.

"Look," she said much more calmly, guilt slamming into her from her friends shocked expression. "I have some thing to tell you, and you must not tell anyone else. Can I have your word?" was she breaking rules by doing this? She could tell Beth some things, right? Oh crap, which things? Was it some sort of sacred vow that the male had to tell his female? No, surely not, since Fortis told her some stuff, and probably not the rest to force her brother to step up and take the plate.

"Oh god, why do I suddenly feel like I am in the middle of men in black? Do you have one of those memory things? Oh that would be so cool!" wait, her friend was actually excited about this. She again rolled her eyes and launched herself into a explanation of everything. From the goddess and her forbidden love, to her twin daughters and then the good daughters decedents, the Thorian's. She went into further detail, on the sex, the children, and then, the finale gory detail, the blood drinking.

When it was over, Beth just sat there, her face closed off, her eyes dead and deep in thought. Rebecca had never ever seen her like this. It scared her, but also gave her hope. Maybe this would allow her to have someone to share this with so she didn't feel like she was going to tear her hair out at every moment.

"Why did you tell me this?" Beth asked, her voice light.

"Because Kalin had informed me that you are also a Bride, like me. I thought you deserved to know and I honestly needed someone to talk to this about. And maybe with you knowing ahead of time you wont freak and take off like I did."

"So, you say that we have enemies?"

"Yes, they call them Grit's, because, from what I have learned, they do not know name of their goddesses twin sister."

"So, they drink the blood of their Bride's? To live?"

"No, from what Kalin said they don't need to it live, but I think he may have lied a little bite. Bit! I mean bit!" she flushed, but hope sprang in her heart when her friend smiled at her.

"I am glad you told me this. It is food for thought. I am also glad you do not have to go through this by yourself anymore. I would love to meet Kalin's sister, Fortis, you said? She seems like she I know what she is talking about." then she fell quiet again, once again thinking. Rebecca was about to scream from the silence, when Beth spoke again.

"So, he will drink my blood?"

"Yes." didn't she cover that part?

"And will he treat me even a fraction of how Kalin treats you?"

such an odd question.

"Um, better, I suppose. From what I gather they, ah, cherish their females. They are the light in their darkness."

"Then count me in."

"What?" had she just heard her right? Had her friend just willingly walked into this? No kicking? No screaming? No denial?

Damn, she made Rebecca look like a goddamn toddler in comparison.

"Yeah, for a lifetime of love and family, I don't care if he chomps half of my neck away in the process."

"But what about being on equal ground? What about getting to know each other before sex?"

"Beck, I don't know what planet you are from, but any female knows that if a man looks at you like that and agrees to anything you say, you are not on equal ground, he is your bitch, willingly. And sex does not always ruin a relationship, Beck. And who said we have to have sex before we get to know each other. From what you said the madness reaches them at a certain age, right? Don't you think I would have noticed a crazed guy running after me?" well, yeah.

"Do you have any idea on who it is?"

"Honestly? No clue, I have had quite a few guys chasing after me, but none that look at me the way you say they will, except for . . . well, I dunno if that's possible."

"Who?"

"Your ex?"

"Ben? Oh, no, no way, he is human, trust me," she laughed, "I have heard rumors about his sex life. From what I gather they cant sleep with anyone but their Bride." there was silence again, this time full of unspoken words. Till again, Beth was brave and spoke them.

"Stop running, Beck, please."

"Why? Why does every one say running is always a bad thing? It stops me from hurting."

"Does it?" she questioned softly, and without a word drew Rebecca into a hug. It was then Rebecca felt the tears spill from her eyes, the ones she always felt deep in her chest but they would never come. Why now? Why could she not cry when she needed too?

"Don't run from him anymore, he deserves that much. Think of what you can have, Beck. He can't leave you, and he will love you. Truly love you, not what you think love is composed of. He will give you everything, even I can see that and I have met him once. He will never be ashamed of what the two of you share." then, even more softly, she said. "He is not your family. He will not use you."

"But I don't know him." such a pitiful excuse now. How long was it going to take for her to let go and realize this was going to go forward whether she fought or not. And she was hurting him by fighting, she realized that now.

She would try.

"Then use your tests to get to know him. Use them for your advantage." softly she stroked her hair. "I know when love is staring me in the face, Beck. Don't you?"

No, she didn't. Because her family had only taught her that if you loved, you died inside.

Rebecca didn't know if she had anything left in her to give to get killed.