Next Chapter! Enjoy!

Stevie Rae's POV:

Aphrodite kissed me. I kissed her back. I wanted to kiss her. I thought she was gonna hug me again from crying like before but she kissed me. Her lips were soft and sweet. There is no denying it now I have feelings for her. But I can't! I love Rephraim….don't I? If I love him so much why did I kiss her back! And…she said she loved me. I didn't say it as a question. Deep down inside I loved her to.

I tried so hard to hide my feelings for her. Rephraim covered up those feelings because I fell in love with him. But that kiss we shared just changed everything. I looked at her and met her gaze and asked "you…you love me?" she changed her view to see the wall next to her to try to hide her blush but I already saw it. She paused, exhaled loudly and said "Yes…"I just stared back at her, mouth wide open. A good 3 minutes passed as I stared back at her in shock. "Are you going to say anything?" I caught myself again when I heard her. I cleared my throat and said "You…you love me? But what about Darius?" I asked trying to come to terms of what is happening.

"Damn I don't know bumpkin….I…never used to have these feelings before we imprinted. And seeing you upset just triggered something …I love Darius but I love you to." She admitted as she returned her gaze to me sadness filling her eyes. I just stared at her because it was hard to believe that The Aphrodite loves me. How do I tell her how I feel? I know I love her. I wouldn't have kissed her back if I didn't. I took a long deep breath and said "I… like you Aphrodite" I couldn't look at her after that so I looked down, away from her gaze and continued saying "But I don't know why. I wanted to tell you before but I noticed that those feelings were fading away because of….Rephraim "I said looking back at her now. As soon as I said his name her expression changed to a compassionate gaze to an angry expression. Then she breathed deeply and went back to herself again.

"It's because of your imprint with him. The way it changed my feelings for you when we were imprinted is now changing how u feel towards me because you're with him now. Which by the way your late" She said. I gave her a confused look and said "huh? What are you talking about? ""Aren't you supposed to be at the surface now? Its 20 minutes past sunset" she said pointing her finger up to the ceiling. "Oh My Goddess! I…I have to go! He is waiting for me!" I shouted getting up from her bed and pulling back the blanket door. I stopped and looked back at her. She was staring at me with sadness in her eyes. "Aphrodite… if it's ok with you…can we talk about this some other time?" she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering me. "Yes…that's fine…I guess" she said giving me a smile that looked like it was force. I returned the smile and walked out into the tunnel.

Rephraim's POV:

I hate this. I hate not being able to fly when I please. Why did I have to give up what I love to be with Stevie Rae? Where is Stevie Rae? She should've been here by now.I said as I thought to myself. 20 minutes have passed since I turned back into a human and she hasn't arrived at her usual time. I hope everything is alright. I wanted to get up and head down into the tunnels to search for her but I had this weird feeling come from deep inside of me. What is this feeling?This feeling is….it can't be…This feeling is definitely pleasure. But I wasn't doing anything that would make me feel such a thing.

Is someone else making Steve Rae feel pleasure?Anger was starting to build up within me now. I never felt this angry before. The thought of someone else being with Steve Rae was unbearable. At that moment the pleasure instantly stopped. I shrugged off the feeling it left behind and started walking toward the entrance of the tunnel. As I was walking I saw a black shadow of some sort coming from the side of my vision. As I turned to see what it was it was gone just as fast as it appeared. I paid no mind to it. I turned and continued walking then suddenly a piercing pain was coming from my forearm. The agony had me on my knees. I looked down to see my arm and black tentacles were through my skin. Pulsing as they sucked blood. Black? This is darkness!

"Oh…seems as if darkness has found something to feed on has it Rephraim?" a voice said. This voice sounded familiar but I couldn't think straight because of the pain radiating through my arm. "Who…who is there? Show yourself" I said through gasps of air. Out of the shadows of the trees my eyes widen as a body appeared. It was Neferet. "You! What do you want?" I yelled. I had no time for this. Someone is with Stevie Rae! As much as I wish to break Neferet's neck with my own hands and make her suffer I know I can not in my current state.

Why is she here? Does she intend to kill me? That won't happen. As much as I am an easy target, because I am human, she wouldn't dare to. Knowing her she would've killed me before revealing herself. So what does she want? "Oh…stop squirming. I am not going to kill you Rephraim. I come here to grant you an offer. An offer I know you won't refuse." She said as she smirked confident about something. "What is your offer?" I said. What offer can she possibly think that I can't refuse? She has nothing I want. The only thing I want is to be with Stevie Rae and I already have her. There is nothing I want more.

"My offer is for you to join me. With your father gone I have no one to share my world domination with. "She said as she acted out an innocent expression on her face. Then she went serious and added. "I can give you everything you lost Rephraim. Your freedom back, your wings, your brothers. All you have to do is say yes." She said seductively as she walked closer to me. She bent down and placed her fingers on the side of my check and traced her fingers down to my lips as she traced them with her thumb. I looked at her and felt her lust as she came closer to my face. Just barely missing my lips she went to my ear and in a whisper said "so what is your answer….Rephraim?"

I couldn't focus. She could give me what I lost? But how? The Goddess herself took my raven powers forever. I can have it all back? I …I do feel like I don't have freedom. I can never leave the tunnels as I please, because of Stevie Rae and her problem with the sun. And during the day I transform into a complete raven. The thought of the pain as I transform made me winced with anger. I do hate this. I longed to see my brothers and be by their side. I want to see father! What have I done to myself? I want her offer…I could have everything back. Despite the pain of darkness I got up from my knees and faced Neferet. Her eyes were serious and the lust she was showing was gone now. She stood there still waiting for an answer and I gave her one. "Yes… I accept your offer. "She smiled and evil smile. "Very good Rephraim. You have chosen wisely. If you would have decline my offer it would've been the end of your pathetic life as you know it. Now bow to me and grasp a hold of darkness and allow it to engulf you. Then you will have everything you have lost." She said as I began to bow to her. I did as she said and let darkness take over me. I was suddenly being filled with power! Out of nowhere pain started radiating through my back as if someone was pulling knives from my shoulder blades. My hands caught me from falling to the ground as I was in a bowing position. Screaming in pain and gripping the grass my wings were starting to emerge. When the pain was finally over I went to my foot and stood up and widened my wings in laughter. Breathing heavily I brought my hands to my face wondering what I hated the most about being a Raven Mocker was there also.

But there was nothing but smoothness. I looked to Neferet and asked "I do not have a beak?" I will not allow a beak to intrude on that beautiful face of yours. Your father is beautiful and his looks were given to you. You can always hide your true form from now on. Just simply focus and your wings will disappear. I cannot have humans or other vampyres seeing a Raven Mocker at the House of Night so now make them disappear so we shall go. " I can make them disappear? I closed my eyes and started focusing on my wings, picturing myself without them. And just like that I felt them no more.

I opened my eyes and Neferet smiled evily. "Now come we must return." She said as she started walking back into the shadows of the night. "Wait…there is something I must do first. I will return to the House of Night when I am done." I said as she turned around. "What is it do you have to do?" she said. I looked down to the floor and back up to her and answered "I must kill Stevie Rae."

Stevie Rae's POV:

l felt bad for just leaving her there alone. What just happened in there? How am I gonna get through this? And what about the dream? I still don't have any answers to my questions.I was so caught up into my own thoughts that I didn't hear Darius come up in front of me asking "Priestess is everything alright? You look troubled." Oh bull! Why did he show up at a time like this! "Uh…hey…umm...Yeah I'm fine." I said trying to hide the guilt on my face with a smile.

I walked pass him and headed to the ladder that led to the surface to Rephraim. It took awhile before I found it. I was a couple of feet from it when I stopped short and screamed in pain falling to the ground. The pain was familiar. I felt this pain when darkness was feeding from me. As I screamed I rolled over looking down at my arm where the pain was coming from but there was no darkness. That can only mean Rephriam is in danger! I heard footsteps then. Darius was running up from the direction I was walking from. "Priestess! What is wrong?" He said kneeling down with his hand on my back. "I…don't know…my arm!" I said clenching my arm to stop the pain but it didn't help. I tried tapping into our imprint but because of the pain it was impossible to focus. "Priestess there is nothing here…" He said examining my arm. "It won't stop…its Rephraim…" I said between my sobbing. I felt a shot of another intense pain. This time coming from my back. It was a horrible pain. Felt like knives were going through my back and slowly being pulled out. It was hard to breathe because of the pain. I started to become weak. Darius was just staring at me not knowing what to do. There was nothing he can do because there was nothing causing the pain. There was no blood.

Then out of nowhere the pain stopped. I breathed deeply as the sudden relief of the pain disappearing. I laid there catching my breath. I started to sit up wiping the tears from my eyes. "Priestess…are you alright? " Darius said looking confused as he helped me to my feet. "Yeah…it just stopped. What in the world is going on? "I said looking at him. Rephraim! I remembered that this was happening because of him. He was in danger! I turned around and ran the extra few feet in front of me and started climbing the ladder that led to Rephraim. When I got to the top I saw him. Just standing there looking up in the sky. I ran to him grabbing his hands as he grabbed mine to and intertwined our fingers. He turned to look at me and there were tears in his eyes. Wait…what? I didn't have time to think as he brought his hand to my face and touched my check. I closed my eyes and reopened as his hands went away from me. He brought his hand up and breathed deeply. Oh no! It can't be! I thought as a knife appeared. Before I could pull away my thought was answered as he stabbed me. I fell to my knees holding the knife still in my body and fell to my back. This can't be happening. This was my dream. Tears started filling my eyes as I looked up knowing what he was going to say when I asked "Re…Rephraim…why? What's…happened…to…you?"

"Because I've longed to fly in the sky again. But because I fell in love with you…the Red One…I lost my father, my brothers, and my wings. I lost everything because of you. But all that changes tonight. Tonight you will die here and I will leave and return to my father's side." He said looking down. Before I could ask anything else he brought his foot up and stepped on the knife that was still in my body. I screamed and then went silent. I saw Rephraim's wings coming out of his body as he turned and flew. Not even looking back. After a couple of minutes passed I stopped bleeding. I had no more blood. Which means I'm really gonna die. I closed my eyes waiting to leave this place when I heard a sound of a door opening from the other side of me. I didn't need to turn my head to know who it was. The sound of the voice was enough to know it was Aphrodite.

Aphrodite's POV:

I can't believe I kissed her. And said I loved her! What is wrong with you? You just made a complete fool of yourself! But did I? She kissed me back to. I need to do something with Darius. As much as I love him I can't do this to him. It's not fair to him. Ugh! I thought to myself as I plopped back on my bed. I was looking at the ceiling replaying the kiss over and over again until I heard an awful scream. I know this scream. It's Stevie Rae! I quickly got up from my bed and pulled back the blanket door and tried to listen in on which direction the scream was coming from. Then I heard Darius voice. It was coming from the right side of the tunnels. I ran in that direction. I took at least 3 different turns in the tunnels. It just felt like I was going into circles until I ran right smack into Darius back. "Ow! What the fuck!" I said rubbing my head as I looked up. "Oh my love I'm sorry…" he said as he turned and hugged me apologizing for hurting me.

"Darius…whose screams were those?" I said as I pulled off the hug. I know whose screams they were but I had to make sure. "They were Stevie Rae's…you just missed her."What happened?" I yelled but not to him. I was just started to get scared that she could be hurt. "I ran into her and she looked upset about something. She insisted there was nothing wrong and continued walking. After a few minutes I heard her scream and rushed as quickly as I could but there was nothing I could do. She was just screaming. Yelling that her hand and back were causing her agonizing pain and then the pain just stopped." he said looking at me. "Just stopped? What do you mean?" I said getting confused. How could she be screaming in pain and then saying its gone? "I do not know. She just stopped screaming. She got to her feet and sprinted off towards the ladder." He said pointing to the ladder. "What that doesn't make any sense. She just took off? Did she say anything else?" I asked. "Not that….oh! She did say that everything was happening because of Rephraim." Huh? She was in pain because of him? Their imprint! He was in trouble and she took off! "Darius why didn't you follow her? Rephraim is in trouble! She took off to help him! And she could be in danger to!" I shouted. I didn't wait for his answer I addmediatly ran to the ladder and started climbing. What I came upon was the worst thing I have ever seen.

Stevie Rae was just laying there. The ground drowned in blood. Grass the color red. Her dream happened. I fell to my knees and brought her body towards me hugging her. I heard her moan and looked down to see her face filled with tears. She was alive. "Aphrodite….I'm sorry…." She said between gasps of air. "Shhh… everything is ok I'm here now. You don't need to be sorry for anything ok?" I was crying now. She was pale white. A color white I haven't seen since an arrow was stuck in her chest.

She faintly smiled and closed her eyes. "Yes…I do…I'm sorry for not saying I lo…" her words were cut off as she began coughing up blood. My heart sunk as I looked down and failed to notice before there was a huge knife still in her. I turned to her and said "Stevie Rae…I…I have to get this out of you. If I don't you will die." I said caressing her cheeks with both of my hands. Before I could hesitate I pulled the knife with a strong jerk and a scream came from her. "Sorry sorry sorry…it's done its all over now." I told her with our foreheads pressed together. I pulled away and looked at her and could see her eyes already wanting to shut. I looked at her wound and saw that there was no blood coming from it. All the blood was around her body. She was slipping away and she needed blood. I rolled up my sleeve of my sweater from my right arm and bit my wrist enough for blood to appear.

I brought my wrist to her mouth and said "Bumpkin…listen to me…I need you o drink from me ok?" she shooked her head "I can't…I won't…be able...to stop" she said her eyes slightly open. "Yes you will…I promise…if what you were about to say is true then you will." I said. I knew what she was going to say. I wanted to cry just knowing it but I needed to be strong for her. She nodded her head and sluggishly took my wrist and bit me. I knew it wasn't the right time but the sexual pleasure was starting to take over me. I wanted so badly to wrap myself around her but I shouldn't…I couldn't. I couldn't help but just fall next to her moaning in pleasure. I felt the blood being sucked out of my wrist as she continued sucking. I looked at her and could see her eyes were wide open tinged in red. That's not a good sign. It was telling me that her instincts were talking over and she was going to have to stop soon or I am going to die…

kind of made myself cry while writing this :'( lol

so what you guys think? please review review review! :D