In just four days Lena got everything on her list accomplished and was ready to return to Barry to start her new 'career,' physically if not mentally or emotionally. She had packed up the clothes, books, and personal belongings that she would want at Honolulu Heights and had them shipped to her London office for delivery when called for. She had closed up her house; Ruby had her own home on the property and didn't need to take care of a vacant building.

Perhaps that most difficult job of all was turning her garage keys over to her long-time mechanic and saying good-bye to her automotive babies: the black Cadillac CTS-V coupe with the 556 horsepower Corvette engine and 6-speed manual transmission; the '67 Camaro SS 350 with the unbreakable Chevy small-block engine that ruled the automotive world in its time; and the 1903 Ford Model A that had ignited her love for the automobile.

In the end, it was dropping the tarp over her favorite motorcycle that nearly broke Lena's heart. It had been custom-built by Indian Larry* in 1997 based on the old-school short-fork chopper she loved. With a sword-wielding angel design on the gas tank and a tooled leather seat made to fit her butt (Larry had taken measurements), it was her prized possession. "Larry would kick my ass if he knew I was putting my baby into storage," she muttered, "but I just don't see Hal Yorke as my back warmer*, so I guess it'll have to stay home."

Lena dropped into London to pick up a few things, including property titles, reports, and her Audi, and hit the road for Barry. In an effort to prepare herself for her new life she had taken the time to create an appropriate playlist on her iPod: Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, a dash of Motorhead, and just for fun, a couple of tracks from Kid Rock's Devil Without a Cause CD, because nothing makes a road trip more fun than screaming "BAWITDABA" while head-banging down the highway. Lena was old-school like that. She suspected that the lack of long straight highways in the UK was going to be troublesome. She also suspected that the lyric "get in the pit and try to love someone" could be a harbinger of her own future.

She rolled up to Honolulu Heights as evening was setting in and approached the house with a duffle bag over her shoulder and the landlord's keys in her hand. Dressed in jeans and untucked button-down shirt, with slip-on shoes on her feet and her brown hair in a ponytail, Lena looked more like a college co-ed than a vampire nemesis.

She let herself in, calling out, "Honey, I'm home!" as she did so. Alex was holding a glass of water and straw for Hal, who was strapped into the chair but apparently coherent; Tom was sitting at the table with a sandwich. They all froze in mid-action and stared at her as she set her duffle bag on the floor.

"Hey kids, guess what? I just bought this place and you all get to live with me now!" She wasn't trying to make it sound like a plot twist in a cheesy '60's beach movie, but it came out that way.

"What?" Tom was dumbfounded. He put down his sandwich and approached her. "You mean you're gonna live with us?"

"Technically you are living with me, as I now own this place." She looked around the room. "And a major renovation is definitely in the plan."

Hal turned his head to look at her, speaking in measured tones. "I'm afraid you've run ahead of us. Could you please explain yourself?"

"Of course, sorry." Lena took a breath and directed her words at Hal. "I've decided that I can't have you running amok in the world any longer. As I am under orders not to kill you or do you harm, I'm going to live with you and keep you from killing. It's the only way I know to stop you." The trio exchanged uncomfortable looks as she continued. "If it weren't for the 'can't harm you' clause I'd just pitch you into a cave or toss you into the Atlantic or something and let you fend for yourself. As it is, I'm going to have to take a more personal approach to the problem."

She finished her explanation. "So, here I am, with a plan. Step one: In order to control the environment around us and give this—experiment—the best chance for success, I've purchased Honolulu Heights and the Barry Grand Hotel. I'm moving to Barry. Indefinitely. As of right now."

"That's crackers!" Tom shook his head as he spoke. "You can't just move in like that, take over like that. We won't let you."

She looked at him, smiling slightly. "Try to stop me."

"This is our home," Alex spoke in protest. "We should have a say in who lives here."

"Technically you are squatters with no rights. You have no lease; you've just been sending in cash rent and hoping nobody asked questions," Lena replied.

"That's it then!" the ghost said, getting wound up. "We'll just move right out of here and let you have the place. Right Tom?"

"Yeah, I reckon we can make do without this place."

"I would like for you to stay, of course, but if you choose to go I won't try to stop you," Lena said. "He stays." She looked Hal directly in the eyes, resolute.

"You can't keep him here if he don't want you to! That's kidnapping, ain't it? You can't do that." Tom was still thinking like a human. It hadn't occurred to him yet that Lena was quite capable of transcending human law whenever she chose.

"Try to stop me." There was definitely a threat in her voice as she moved to stand in front of Hal, still looking him in the eyes. She could see his curse shiver and dissipate as she approached.

Sensing a threat to his friend Tom rushed at Lena in order to push her away from Hal. Before he had completed a step she had a short double-bladed sword pointed at him, held casually in one hand as she continued looking at the vampire. Tom pulled up just inches away from the tip of her blade and scrambled in his brain for an effective attack strategy. As he recalled what he had seen of her in battle, he could think of nothing in his own arsenal that could stop her.

Alex began hurling things at Lena telekinetically, but before a single cup, book, or chair could reach her Lena simply unfurled her wings and wrapped them around her and Hal, protecting them both from the onslaught. She lowered her sword but kept it in hand as she waited for the ghost to figure out the futility of her actions. Hal sat poised, alert, cautious, looking at the great grey wings surrounding him and the resolute creature facing him. He was caught between man and vampire, half of him relieved to feel his hunger lessening with her approach, the other half furious and determined to escape from her grasp.

Lena sheathed her sword and called her bola into her hand. "I think it's time you found out what it feels like to be on the other end of the leash, Pet," she said as she tied a slipknot in one end of the bola and tossed the loop over his head. He struggled fruitlessly in the chair as she tightened the loop until it was snug around his neck, the two leather cords with metal shots resting on his chest like an absurd tie. She kept hold of the end with the single shot and wrapped the cord around her hand several times to guarantee her grip on Hal's new leash.

"Step two: Come to an understanding with you about how we can best get along with each other during the course of this little experiment. I believe that you need a firm hand and strict guidance in order to maintain appropriate behavior. Don't you agree, Pet?" She smiled as Alex's onslaught halted, then casually flipped her wings and sent debris scattering around the room. Lena furled her wings and stepped back from Hal's chair to let his friends have a better view of her handiwork. "What do you think, Tom? Do you really mind so much, seeing a vampire taking a dog's place?"

Tom stood with crossed arms and a silent frown. It was clear that he very much did mind seeing his friend at risk of being strangled. Alex moved next to Tom; she shook with exhaustion after expending all of her energy on her wasted attempt to argue with Lena. She didn't know why she had bothered, really, except that Tom had jumped in and she followed. She didn't like being bossed around, but seeing Hal with an improvised noose around his neck didn't upset her at all. In fact, Alex decided that she liked Lena's style.

Lena explained herself, "In order for this experiment to work I have to stay very close to my Pet for a while. I'm not going to camp on the living room floor and I'm not going to let him run loose just yet, so here we are. I think it's a nice look, don't you?" She turned to the furious vampire and smiled. "Don't worry, it's just until we get the curse under control enough that I can trust you not to make a run for it. Now, what say we unstrap you so you can get up and stretch."

Alex jumped to the task as Tom continued to watch. Although Lena's words made sense to him, he didn't like to see his friend being treated so rudely.

As the last strap dropped, Hal stood carefully and made sure he was steady on his feet before he charged Lena in an attempt to knock her off balance and escape. It was clear that he had planned the move, as she was the only thing between him and the door.

When Hal reached her Lena simply ducked, grabbed his arm, rolled her shoulder, and used his own impetus to throw him several feet until her leash jerked him up and he fell heavily on his back. She was on him in a flash. She grabbed an arm and leg to flip him onto his stomach, then pinned him with a knee on his lower back while she wrapped the bola around both wrists, effectively tying his arms behind his back. She moved quickly to his legs, pulling each one up by the ankle and tying them close to his bound hands. She worked with amazing speed and precision and when she was done she leaped to her feet and threw up both hands.

"Time, ladies and gentlemen, is 5.7 seconds, a new arena record! Let's give that little lady a big round of applause, folks! She sure does know how to rope a steer!" Alex and Tom stared at Lena, certain that she was absolutely stone cold crazy as she played rodeo announcer and performer all at once, bowing and waving to her imaginary audience.

Hal, on the other hand, was just trying not to choke himself. The weight of his legs pulled on the bola and caused it to tighten around his throat. His shoulder sockets and upper arm muscles were on fire but he didn't dare shift them because doing so would also pull on the cord around his neck. If he relaxed any part of himself it put strain on another part and threatened to choke him. Rage overtook him and he began struggling and cursing Lena while coughing and gasping for air.

Unfazed, she grasped the bola near his hands and feet, lifted him off the ground, and carried him several feet before setting him down on the floor in front of the sofa. She quickly and carefully loosened the noose around his neck so he could breathe before speaking to him. "I'm going to sit with you and keep your head raised so you can breathe a little easier. Before you go all bad-ass vampire on me, please remember that biting me is a death sentence for you."

She sat on the floor with her back against the sofa, lifted his head in her hands, and eased under him so she could rest his head on her thigh. She turned his head away from her as she set it down, and once again loosened the noose around his neck. She laid one arm across the sofa cushions and took hold of the bola where it held his hands and feet together and lifted slightly, bearing the weight of his limbs so he no longer had to contort himself to keep from cutting off his airway. She murmured a few syllables in the old language and the bola lengthened, giving Hal's upper legs and shoulders room to relax toward the floor. He should no longer be in any physical discomfort. He took a deep breath but remained silent, his eyes closed, his face tense.

Tom and Alex moved carefully to sit on the sectional facing Hal and Lena, afraid of what would happen to Hal if they made a wrong move. Lena watched them closely.

She continued talking to Hal, watching his profile as she did. "I'm not allowed to harm you, but there's nothing in the rules about shame, humiliation, or degradation, so apparently I'm free to practice them as much as I choose," she said calmly. "Of course, they are outside my purview but a quick read through your dossier gave me plenty of very creative examples to try. Do you recognize this one?"

"I never—" he gasped out the words, a reflex, a defense, a hope that Lena didn't know as much about him as she seemed. The last thing he needed was for her to turn Tom and Alex against him, and too much truth could do that.

"You don't remember your little game in the Luxembourg Ardennes in 1832? You tied up your victim just like this before hoisting him up on a rope and hanging him from a tree limb. She tugged gently on the bola to remind Hal of the torment such a hanging would have caused his human victim. "I can't hang you up like that because I'm not allowed to harm you. Not in any pain at the moment, are you?"

"No." He spoke quietly.

"You were very inventive, Pet, I'll give you that. Tying a rope around the poor guy's waist before having your boys hoist him up the tree was a stroke of genius." She leaned forward and almost whispered in his ear, "Clever Pet, making up a new tug-o-war game for you and your little vampire friends to play. How many of you did it take before you pulled him apart?"

"I don't recall. I've made up so many games; I can't be expected to remember all of the details." Hal opened his eyes to see Tom and Alex staring at him in horror. He quickly closed them again, sensing that he was losing any defense against Lena that his housemates might have been willing to give him.

Lena felt the mood in the room swinging in her favor, and she pushed her advantage. She had to make her point before she could dare to let him go. "Your naïve little friends are only just beginning to realize what you are, Pet, but I already know. You don't just kill people, you make them suffer; you torture and terrorize and rape and maim. Your freedom puts the world at risk. This is why I must keep you bound to me."

Tom interrupted. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Lena, but it ain't right. You're treating Hal like a prisoner."

"He is a prisoner, Tom. He's my prisoner until I'm certain that the vampire no longer controls him."

"Will you be carrying me around the house, then? Or will you allow me to maneuver myself?" Hal's quiet voice contained a delicate note of sarcasm, a form of defense against his own helplessness.

"I'll let you up in a bit, once I think it's safe. Did you need to go somewhere?" Lena replied with her own touch of sarcasm.

"Not at present, but I will eventually need to use the facilities, and shower and change clothes. How do you propose to supervise those activities, my lady?" Hal turned his head in an attempt to make eye contact, then wished he hadn't as Lena looked down at him with fire in her eyes and a cold smile.

"I don't propose to supervise anything that I don't think you need," she replied. "And I don't think you need nearly as many conveniences as you think you do. For example, I think you can go for quite a while without the luxuries of showers and clean clothes. After all, your captives don't usually get to wash up do they? And most of them don't get to keep their clothes at all, let alone get clean ones."

Hal was silenced by her return to his dossier of atrocities. He closed his eyes again and waited for the next blow.

"How many women have you chained up in basements and cellars and dungeons? How many have you kept tied to posts in barns and stables? How many times have you torn the clothes off a woman just to laugh at her humiliation before you mauled her to death, or worse, to near-death. Because it isn't just the blood is it? It's the power over your victims that really turns you on. Why else would you string them along for days or weeks, teasing them with death and taking it away while they beg you to kill them?"

"God in heaven!" Alex whispered with a shudder as she remembered his hands on her, his lips on her. The thought of Hal touching her again turned her stomach.

Lena paused for a moment, concerned that she was enjoying herself too much. Spending time near the vampire curse was risky for Lena; she had already proven vulnerable to its influence. It could be trying to reach into her again. She studied herself for a moment, carefully examining her leg where Hal's head rested on it. She could see a faint red shadow, like blood pooling and oozing out from him over her thigh.

"How do you feel?" she asked Hal quietly.

"Humiliated at being tied up like this," he said bitterly. "Defeated." He spat out the word as if he was saying what he believed she required of him.

"Defeated? Really? I find that hard to believe. Hal Yorke never admits defeat," she said with a slight tease in her tone, using his name for the first time since her arrival.

He twisted his head, trying to look up at her again. "Thwarted then, a temporary position," he said.

"That sounds more like the truth." She smiled. "So here we are. We have to decide what happens next. If you run I will catch you. If you hide I will find you. There is no sanctuary on earth for you any longer." She paused before returning to the specifics of their domestic situation.

"I can, in fact, carry you around the house if I have to. I can cut your clothes off when they get too rancid for me to stand any longer, and I can drop you into a bathtub when you start to reek. That's a bit labor intensive, however, and I'd rather you do some of your own self-care. I prefer not to be your nursemaid."

"I would rather you not attempt that position either. I fear you don't have an aptitude for it," Hal replied.

Without another word Lena untied Hal's feet and hands as quickly as she had tied them. He lay quietly for a moment to allow the circulation back into his limbs.

"The leash stays until I'm comfortable taking it off."

"I am not able to remove it, so I must accept it." Hal sat up carefully as he spoke, leaning against the sofa next to her.

"I will also tie you up when and how I see fit until I'm certain you won't try to run again. Take now, for example," she said as she tied his wrists together in front of him.

"I don't intend to run," Hal replied as he watched her. He made no attempt to stop her.

"What is your intent?"

Hal gave her a quick appraisal; a smile flitted across his face as he replied. "There are worse creatures to be bound to than you, my lady."

"Great," Lena replied sarcastically. "So, is there a bedroom in this place with two beds? 'Cause you and I just became roommates." She got to her feet and held out a hand to pull Hal up after her.

"There is one, as a matter of fact," he replied, keeping his voice neutral and his face expressionless. "Shall I show you? Would you like the grand tour while we're at it? You will be thrilled to learn the merits of your purchase." He couldn't resist a subtle return to sarcasm with the last sentence, and Lena responded in kind.

"Lead on, then. I can't wait for your presentation."

With that Hal led the way through the house, with Tom and Alex joining them for the trip. Lena had already studied the original house plans but she wanted to see how the space was being used. She also wanted to see how her prisoner handled himself. Hal didn't flinch or change his bearing in the least, despite having his hands tied together and a noose snug around his neck. In fact, he was so composed that Lena reckoned he was even more dangerous than she had suspected; quick to think on his feet and adapt to a potential threat; calm and able to assume a leadership role even under these circumstances. She filed the information away for later consideration.

The tour ended at the guest room with two single beds. They all looked at the accommodations Hal and Lena would be using: Tom and Alex with some trepidation, Hal with a touch of anticipation, and Lena with an eye for dimension.

"They aren't attached to the wall or anything are they? I need them to be moved closer together. I want about a foot of space between them," she said.

Tom jumped to the job immediately and shoved the near bed closer to the far one, while Hal gave Lena a look and murmured, "They can be moved as close together as you like my lady. Or if you'd rather, there's a good-sized bed stored in the attic…"

"Sorry Pet, but I need a little space. Thanks for offering though; if I get cold during the night I'll pop over for a cuddle. Oh wait, you aren't exactly warm-blooded are you?" She offered Hal a slim, cool smile as she continued. "I'm only interested in getting as close as the curse requires. As it weakens I'll be moving those beds apart. Eventually we should each be able to have our own rooms."

"So now what?" Tom asked.

"Now you go on about your business and we will go on about ours," Lena answered. "I'll need to bring up my bag…"

"Got it," Alex said as she deposited Lena's duffel bag on the floor. She had rent-a-ghosted it from the entryway while Lena was still speaking. "Now I'll just go on about my business, which is watching the telly." With that, Alex disappeared.

Tom stood awkwardly for a moment. "Right, well, I reckon I'll go finish me sandwich," he said, and he quickly left the room.

Hal and Lena listened to his footsteps fading down the stairs as they stood, less than three feet apart, each frowning and thinking of the logistics of their situation.

"Well. I need to piss." Hal looked at Lena as he spoke.

"What a coincidence," she replied.

They moved toward the bedroom door. "Ladies first," Hal said politely, gesturing with his bound hands.

"Not a chance." She wasn't ready to turn her back on him.

"Very well."

Hal tried the same move at the entrance to the bathroom. "Ladies first?"

"Nope."

He stepped into the bathroom and looked around. "Christ, how can he make such a mess in only four days!"

Lena whistled at the scene as she moved into the room. "Your Tom is a very sloppy boy," she said.

Hal gestured toward the grimy toilet. "Ladies first."

"You know what? Fuck it, I'll chance it," Lena said as she gingerly put down the toilet seat. "Although this does remind me of the old days and squatting over a ditch or a hole in the ground."

"You're old enough to have done that?"

"Older than you, Fangboy."

"Really? You're holding up well," Hal smirked. He was clearly waiting for her to pull down her jeans.

"No free peeks, Pet. Turn around, face the wall, eyes front."

He smoothly obeyed her command. "Are you shy? Or hiding something?"

"What do you mean?" Lena said as she perched carefully on the toilet.

"Hidden wings, hidden weapons. Makes me wonder what else you might be hiding. Do you resemble a human woman, then, anatomically?"

"I am human, anatomically."

"Female bits all in place?"

"Currently they're female bits."

Hal swung around so quickly that he nearly gave himself whiplash. His eyes went directly to Lena's crotch, which was covered by her shirt tail, then up to her eyes. She arched an eyebrow. He turned back around and stared intently at the wall in front of him until she finished her business, flushed the toilet, and moved to the sink to wash her hands.

"I love modern technology," she said randomly.

"What?" He handed her a semi-clean hand towel from the towel bar next to him on the wall.

"This," she said, waving her hand to take in the bathroom. "is the most amazing thing ever invented. She handed the towel back to Hal, who replaced it on the towel bar as neatly as he could. "I love modern transportation and communication but modern plumbing is by far the best."

"Thinking back to the squalor we used to live in—" Hal moved to the toilet and flipped up the seat.

"—and the stench in the cities—" Lena moved along, staying automatically within three feet of him in order to keep his leash from tightening.

"—it's no wonder there were plagues—" he undid his trousers.

"—and disease killed so many people." Lena completed their sentence as Hal assumed the position. He turned to look at her. "No free peeks."

"Right. But I don't trust you."

He arched an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll watch you in the mirror."

She turned her back on him and focused on the mirrored medicine cabinet hanging over the sink.

"You do realize that I don't have a reflection," Hal said as he began his business at the toilet.

"You don't, but the vampire does."

"I am the vampire."

"I mean the vampire curse. It looks like a red shadow. I can see your shape, but not enough detail to count as peeking. I can tell that you aren't trying to attack me while my back is turned."

Hal finished and tucked himself back into his pants but left his trousers undone as he moved to wash his hands. "I'd like to shower," he said, choosing to ignore her prior commentary about his personal hygiene needs.

Lena handed him the hand towel. "Okay."

He took the towel in his bound hands, dried them fairly well, and offered it back to her. Then he held out his hands to suggest that she untie him.

"Nope."

He sighed. "Shall I shower with my shirt on, then?"

She eyed the shirt. "How well do you like that shirt, anyway?"

"Much less than I did when I put it on four days ago."

"Good." She pulled a small switchblade knife out of the front pocket of her jeans, a pocket that Hal would have sworn was empty. She flicked open the blade and he noticed that it had the same odd soft glow as her swords. Another heavenly weapon, then. Where does she keep them all? he thought.

Lena caught his shirt sleeve at the wrist and held the fabric in one hand while she ran the knife blade up his arm and across his shoulder to his neck, slicing the fabric cleanly. She moved to the other side and did the same, but the blade slipped and grazed Hal's skin along his collarbone, leaving a burn where the blessed blade touched his body. He flinched and caught his breath. It felt like he had been kissed by fire.

Lena immediately put her hand over the burn, winced for a moment, then removed her hand from his shoulder. The burn was gone—she had healed him. He looked at his shoulder, then at her.

"Why did you do that? I regenerate, you know."

"Reflex." Standing slightly behind him, she tugged on the hem of his shirt and it dropped to the floor at his feet. As she watched it fall it occurred to her that Hal was standing very close to her with undone trousers and no shirt. Just like old times, she thought as she took a healthy look up and down his frame. Too bad he's a god-forsaken vampire. This could be all kinds of fun.

"You said that you don't heal people very often. How is it a reflex?" Hal moved to get his shower kit and a clean towel off of a shelf in the corner; Lena moved in tandem with him.

"I don't heal people very often because I don't spend much time with people. I live alone. It's easier."

When Hal opened the shower door a strange guttural noise escaped from his throat. Lena peeked around him into the shower stall and wrinkled her nose. "Do you suppose Tom pissed in the shower?"

"All men piss in the shower," Hal replied. "It's a privilege of our sex. Although other me never would do it, much too controlling to give himself the pleasure." He shook his head sadly before adding, "If he was here he'd be screaming for marigolds and boiling water right now," he said. "As it is, I'm still tempted."

Lena stepped back to the end of the leash. "The first renovation this house gets is a second bathroom. With a locking door and one key."

Hal gave her a look. "Okay," she said, "two keys."

Hal set up his shower supplies and kicked off his shoes. Lena stayed back the full length of the bola/leash as he leaned against the wall to pull off his socks and work his trousers down his legs one side at a time, slowed by the rope around his wrists. She watched the mirror carefully as he struggled to undress. He dropped his pants and stepped into the shower stall, turned on the water, cursed because it was cold, and finally got it adjusted to his comfort.

Lena heard his sigh of relief as the water poured over him and his grumbles as he washed his hair with his limited functionality. His frustration rose when he tried to wash his body and realized that he simply couldn't reach some areas.

"A little help?" he inquired.

"Nope," Lena turned around as she spoke and discovered that the shower doors were startlingly clear. "Nice ass."

"No help, no peeking," he replied as if he were in charge.

She turned back around and closed the toilet lid in order to sit down. The lid was surprisingly clean. Apparently it was seldom used.

Hal continued trying to wash himself with his wrists tied together. He dropped his bar of soap. "Bugger!"

"Poor word choice there, Pet," Lena laughed. "Never say that when you drop the soap."

"Piss off," Hal replied, his veneer of civility waning as his frustration rose. "There's no way I can do this with my hands tied! And I've got metal balls lying on my chest like bull's bollocks! Jesus Christ woman, what are you trying to do to me?"

Lena admitted that he was right, it would be impossible for him to shower effectively with his hands tied and a snug noose around his neck. Because she had gotten a few good whiffs of him since binding him to her, Lena decided that a clean Hal was to her advantage. She called the bola into her hands.

He picked up his soap. "Thank you," he said as he began washing in earnest.

"It's temporary."

"I assumed as much. Need me to save you some hot water?"

"No, help yourself. I'll clean up in the morning, after I've made you a blindfold."

When Hal turned off the water in the shower Lena moved to stand in front of the bathroom door, a position that gave him room to dry off while blocking his exit. She got her bola and began tying a slipknot in the end with a single metal shot, keeping her eyes downcast and listening carefully for sounds of aggression in his movements.

Hal looked at her, amused. "You are very carefully avoiding eye contact, my lady," he said as he dried off.

"No peeking," she replied.

"That was your rule, not mine. I'm not actually that shy."

"It isn't about being shy, it's about keeping a certain distance between us."

"Ah. No more kisses, then?" He had thrown away his shirt, put his dirty but salvageable clothes in a hamper, and now approached her with his shoes in one hand while holding a towel around his waist with the other.

She put the leash around his neck and settled it in place, careful to touch him no more than necessary. She was hoping not to cause any movement from the bulge under his towel. "Look Hal, you're a beautiful man and if you weren't a vampire I'd be on you in a hot second," she said. At his arrogantly pleased expression she continued. "But you are a vampire, which means that when I look at you I see you covered in a film of blood. It is a barrier between us that I cannot pass, a reminder of the edict against Seraphin Nepos commingling with cursed beings, and a visual turn-off that chills me right down."

"Ah." Hal was taken aback by her description of him. She stepped aside and let him lead out the door and down the hall to his room. "And this film of blood, is that how you gauge a vampire's strength?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't bother trying to delude you. It would be an insult to your perceptivity."

Once in his room Hal took off the towel and draped it over the foot of the bed to dry. He put his shoes in the wardrobe and put on a clean pair of boxers. "Do you intend to stay up much longer?" he asked Lena.

"No, I'm ready for bed whenever you are," she replied while carefully looking away from him. "Long day. Flew over from the U.S. this morning, been going ever since."

Hal usually slept in his boxers, but he hesitated for a moment, then got a pair of white cotton shorts that Alex had called his "Chariots of Fire" shorts. He wasn't sure why she said that, something to do with an old movie. They were lightweight and comfortable enough to sleep in, and he put them on out of consideration for Lena, a move that in itself puzzled him a bit. Apparently her influence went beyond controlling his hunger for blood and moved into the realm of calling to his better nature. Hal wasn't entirely sure he liked that realm, especially if it meant the reappearance of stuffy, boring, exhausting good Hal.

"I'd like to shave the beard," he said as he turned to Lena.

She nodded her okay and he proceeded to spread his damp towel over the sink in the corner of his room, after which he got an electric men's shaver with a 'keep the sexy stubble' attachment and gave himself a quick once-over, dropping the majority of his beard into the towel for later disposal. He folded up the towel and dropped it onto the floor by the sink, washed his face, cleaned the shaver head quickly, and turned back to Lena. "That'll do for tonight."

They went down the hall to the next room, the one they would be sharing, where Lena tied Hal's wrists together again and tied him to the frame of the bed further from the door. Only after he was secured did she get an oversized t-shirt from her duffel bag and prepare for bed. The t-shirt was bright green and had an empty picture frame on the front, with the slogan "World's Greatest Chameleon" under it. Hal eyed it dubiously. He was rather hoping for something more form-fitting, with a bit of lace and a ruffle or two.

"Turn around," she said.

He sighed and turned around on the bed, secretly planning to sneak a peek while she undressed. He hadn't gotten settled when the shirt she had been wearing landed over his head. Clearly she had anticipated his interest. Damned bloody curse, he thought. It must have given me away. He waited quietly until she plucked the shirt off of him, then turned around to watch her toss it into a corner where her jeans and bra were already laying.

She sat at the foot of her bed and removed the hair band from her ponytail, allowing her soft brown hair to fall around her shoulders. She spoke as she gave it a few quick strokes with a brush, put it back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and tossed the brush onto her duffel bag where it sat on the floor a few feet away.

"I'm tying you into bed here in a sec."

"Haven't you already?"

"Much more thoroughly than that." She untied him from the bed frame. "Let's get you tucked in, then."

Hal pulled back the bedspread and top sheet and slid into bed, feeling completely ridiculous, humiliated, and angry once again. He lay on his back with his arms on top of the covers while she tied the bola to one side of the frame, tossed it under the bed, brought it up to the other side of the frame, and finally tied the end with two metal shots around his wrists. He couldn't move without great difficulty, let alone sit up or reach her in the next bed over.

"I see the bollocks are back," he said in disgust as he looked at the metal shots hanging from his wrists.

"Within reach, for extra fun this time," she replied as she shut off the light and got into her own bed.

"I snore relentlessly when I sleep on my back," Hal warned.

"So do I," she replied with a chuckle. "And based on what I had for lunch today, I expect to be farting prodigiously as well."

"Could you be any more profane!" His disgust was apparent.

"Well, I could be a vampire," she said dryly. "Good night, Fangboy." And with that Lena turned on her side, facing away from him, and went to sleep.

*Indian Larry—motorcycle-building genius and biker extraordinaire. RIP

*back warmer—girl on the back of your motorcycle