Star woke up and found herself alone. Michael had gone and she lay there thinking about him, of how happy and warm she felt inside for the first time in years, then her painful reality hit her. She was going to have to tell David she hadn't killed Michael and suddenly her heart felt like it was in a vice again and she was finding it hard to breathe. Then she thought further and she remembered she'd fallen asleep with him in her bed, she didn't know what time he'd left but she knew he had laid with her for a while and panic enveloped her. Had David come home and seen her with him? Maybe he'd left before the boys got home. Was there a chance David didn't see him? A chance he didn't know Michael was still alive?

'I know you disobeyed me.' His deep voice rattled her chest and she quickly sat up, holding the sheet around her body, looking over to see him leaning against the back of the couch staring ice daggers at her. 'And I know what you have done.' He said looking her up and down and she turned her head and her face reddened with embarrassment and anger at herself for being so stupid. 'I know everything.' She was absolutely terrified about what he was going to do, there was no way there would be no repercussions from what she'd done and she knew it. David stood up and walked to her, his face pure evil in its true form, and her stomach dropped. This was it, he was going to kill her for sure and her breathing became shallow in anticipation. He grabbed her face hard with one hand and pulled her to her feet so she was face to face with him then she felt the numbing sting across her cheek and along her jawline and she tasted blood as he back handed her. She kept her watering eyes to the ground. 'You've left me no choice now Star, I'm going to have to give your boyfriend a dose of reality. Our reality. Your reality. You fucking leave this cave and you'll get far more than a sore cheek. You can be sure of that.' He growled at her and he shot out of the cave. She sat in a state of shock, beginning to tremble, she held her cheek and began to cry. He didn't kill her but there was no way he was going to let Michael live knowing what they were, especially after what she had done with him and she began to get dressed quickly. She had to go to him and warn him, despite what David had just said, her urge to protect him overcame her but then she looked over at Laddie, who was waking up and she stopped.

'Where's Dwayne?' He asked before he'd even woken up properly and she felt guilty having to tell him that they had gone out without him again and then she felt torn that he had to stay at the cave for the night. He took it better than she expected though and he went off to find his skateboard while she sat there internally conflicted over what she was going to do. She began pacing, as scared as she was of David and his volatile moods, her fear for Michael's safety was stronger and she knew she had to do something.

'What's wrong?' Laddie asked her picking up on her discomfort.

'Um, nothing. Laddie, I have to go out but I need you to stay here.' She said to him putting her jacket on and he dropped his skateboard.

'That's not fair.' Laddie pouted. 'I don't get to go with Dwayne and now I don't get to go with you. Where are you going?' He looked almost panicked.

'I know,' she went to him, 'but this is really important, I have to do this. Can you forgive me this once?'

'Yeah.' He said looking down.

'Look, I won't be long. I'm sorry. I will make it up to you, I promise.' She smiled at him and he half smiled back. 'But there's one more thing. I need you to keep it a secret. OK?' She knew she was probably asking a bit much of him but if she didn't tell him, he would tell Dwayne for sure. 'You can't tell any of the boys that I left, especially not David.' He nodded and she kissed him on his head and she left.

She flew inland and fear filled her, she had no idea where David and the boys were and there was every chance that when she found Michael, that David would have already gotten to him first but she had to try. She steered real clear of the Boardwalk and went to the larger properties closer to the mountains because that's where Marko had mentioned Michael lived when he had taken him home and then she remembered something about Rancho Palos something and she was going to have to find it, and fast. She dropped behind a service station and walked inside and asked the attendant if he knew of such a place and he told her he'd never heard of it so she compelled a drink out of him and she walked outside, contemplating her next move.

'You looking for Rancho Palos Verdes.' She looked over to see an old man seated on a crate smoking a cigarette.

'Yeah, do you know where it is?' She asked and he looked at her quizzically.

'Why would you wanna go to old man Grey's house?' She figured he must be talking about Michael's grandfather.

'I need to talk to his grandson. Can you tell me where it is?' He looked at her closely then he stood up and threw his cigarette away.

'Hop in. I'll give you a lift.' She glanced around nervously and reluctantly got in his truck. This guy could be a serial killer but, really who was she kidding, she already lived with one of those and whatever this guy could do to her would pale in comparison to what David was going to do to her and she sat there as he got in and started up the beat up engine. They drove off up the road and butterflies rocked her stomach.

'How far away is it?' She asked him and his smirk didn't ease any of her anxiety.

'Why? You don't like being in the car with an old man?' He joked with her and she laughed awkwardly. 'It's only twenty minutes away.' He told her and they drove in silence for the next five minutes. 'So, where are you from?'

'Oh, I live here.' She answered.

'Here? In Santa Carla?'

'Yeah.' She said looking out the window.

'Where abouts? Oww, shit.' He said and the familiar smell hit her before she saw what he'd done and she instantly clenched her teeth as she turned her head to see him sloppily wipe the blood from a fresh cut on his forearm. She didn't even know how he'd done it but that was irrelevant to her now and she gripped her glass bottle so tight she thought it might smash in her hands trying to maintain some sort of composure and the ability not to stare at the glistening blood rolling down his arm.

Are you OK?' He asked her and she sat there as stiff as a board.

'Mm-hmm.' She answered, her eyes betraying her and seeking out the blood, making her salivate at the situation. It had been far too long since she'd been around blood and it was driving her crazy.

'Ahh, It's just a little blood.' He said absentmindedly. Yeah, just a little blood, just the substance that would take away the grinding pain in her gut and what would make her boyfriend eternally happy if she drained the old man of his. 'Here we are. It's up this drive.' He said pulling up outside the gate and after mumbling a thank you, she couldn't get out of the truck fast enough. He rumbled off down the road leaving her standing at the bottom of their long dirt drive and she suddenly felt very alone. She slowly walked up the path until she saw the glow of the lights coming from the house and she looked around for any sign of Michael or Michael's bike but there was none. She closed her eyes and leaned against the tree she was hiding behind feeling sick knowing he was probably with David. This put her in a precarious position, it was now too late to warn Michael and David would be furious if she wasn't there when he returned, she prayed Michael was still alive, then suddenly Michael's bike screamed up the drive and he stormed inside. She put her shaking hands to her head and took a deep breath in, steeling her resolve and she walked around the side of the house.

'Michael!' She called up to one of the windows. 'Michael!' She called louder and Michael and his brother appeared at the large window. 'I have to talk to you, can I come up?'

'No!' He said moving back inside the room and she took her chance and flew up into the room.

'She's one of them!' His brother screamed and jumped in his bed. 'And don't tell me it doesn't make her a bad person Mike!' He said wrapping himself in his blanket.

'You know where David took me tonight, don't you Star?' He accused her.

'Who's David?!' His brother called out.

'Yes and it's my fault. If you hadn't met me, if I hadn't liked you. I tried to warn you.' She said holding back the tears.

'Well I'm just like David now Star.' He told her in a matter of fact.

'No you're not, you're like Laddie and me. We're not one of them…'

'Until you make your first kill.' His brother whimpered, finishing her sentence and she looked down.

'Why didn't you kill me last night?'

'You were supposed to be my first. That's what David wanted.' She looked up at him. 'But I couldn't Michael.'

'Why? Because you care so much about me?' He asked and she put her hand to his face.

'Yes I do.' He violently pushed her arm away from him, he was angry with her and she looked away again, hurt.

'What are you doing here? What do you want from me?' It was a question she didn't want to have to answer.

'I wanted to tell you that it's not too late for you, but for me it gets harder and harder to resist. He stepped towards her and roughly grabbed her shoulders. 'I'm weak.'

'What do you want from me Star?!' He demanded from her and her tears began to fall.

'I was hoping you'd help Laddie and me.' He began laughing at her and pushed his face close to hers and she glanced at him.

'Where the fuck are you?!' David suddenly burst into her head and she had to leave. He let her go and he turned away from her and she instantly flew from the house, going as fast as she could back to the cave. Her heart ached, he blamed her for his predicament and she'd lost him to David now. Her chance for escape and true love was gone and now she was at the mercy of a volatile and very angry vampire. She shot into the cave, landing beside the fountain and the room that was thick with tension went quiet. David just stared at her and she had to explain.

'I'm sorry.' Star walked towards David.

'For what?' David drawled at her. 'What exactly are you sorry for?' She halted and looked at him, picking up on his tone. 'For fucking Michael last night? Or for going to him tonight after I told you not to leave here?' She could barely breathe. 'Which is it?' He stood up and she felt every pair of eyes on her and she swallowed thickly but said nothing. What could she say? He knew exactly what she'd done and where she'd been, there was no point in lying to him, that had always made things worse. 'Hmm?'

'I had to see if he was OK.' She admitted.

'And why would you want to know if he is OK Star?' He pushed and again he made her blush scarlet as he stared deep into her soul, filtering through her dark secrets that weren't so secret anymore.

'Because I don't want you to hurt him.' She said quietly, speaking the truth.

'He's not your concern. You don't belong to him, we've established that.' He reminded her.

'I know. I feel guilty when you hurt someone because of me.'

'Don't fuck them then.' His comeback stung and it made the boys laugh at her. She was being humiliated before the punishment and she just wanted it to be over. 'You were told to stay put, do I need to start tying you up?' He smirked which made her feel even more uncomfortable. 'Paul, you got some handcuffs or rope or some of that kinky shit don't you?' He called over to Paul and Star closed her eyes.

'Sure do. You know me!' Paul laughed and she opened her eyes to see Marko looking at her, smiling behind his thumb mocking her. She was hating this, she would rather be slapped again than to be put through this in front of everyone. Laddie stood beside Dwayne watching.

'David, please, I won't do anything again. I promise.' He stalked towards her and grabbed her at the back of her head by her hair bending her backwards.

'Why would I believe anything you say anymore?' He said in his controlled tone and he abruptly kissed her hard. It wasn't kind or loving but rough and forced and she was scared. He pulled away and smiled his evil grin at her. 'Tomorrow night, you're mine. Or this ends.' He said pointing from him to her and back again. He spun around and walked away and she stood there slightly shaking as Laddie came up and hugged her.