Selene jolted back shocked at her own actions, both staring at each other in bemusement. She had been dreaming of Michael and how he used to creep up on her and steel a kiss when she was asleep, now she sat startled and staring at the man she just met.

Both Marcus and Michael shared the Corvinus genes, their facial structures, scents and hybrid presence held many similarities, easily be confused when half asleep.

Marcus wanted to smirk at her, he instead he remained composed and used the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his mouth as if nothing had happened. Her expression quickly changed back to stone, annoyed at herself for showing vulnerability. He stood up without taking his eyes off hers; his eyes held much amusement and seemed to smile at her on their own.

She hated him already. His arrogant posture and silence he held while staring at her was getting under her skin. She didn't know what he wanted or what game he was playing at but she refused to be his toy to taunt.

She sent a low hiss only he could hear as a warning for him. She had had enough of those deep green eyes constantly staring at her, she felt like they peered into her soul making nothing secret.

Marcus was very patient and could control his anger unlike Viktor or Amelia, who would have instantly struck the mouth of anyone that dare hiss at them. She expected a reaction, again nothing. He remained composed and watching. It was the second time she showed aggression toward him, he didn't even flinch. He was the first immortal who didn't try kill her on sight.

Calmly Marcus picked up the jar and held it up for her to see it was still mostly full.

Her mouth salivated at dark crimson temptation; it was fresh and every part of her screamed for it. Her hunger was insatiable, she was unsure if he tampered with it. He held it out for her and took a step closer so she could reach it.

She leaned back and tried to slide away from him, she couldn't understand why he was helping her.

"You need it," he insisted finally speaking up and moving closer again to keep it in reach.

She gritted her teeth and painfully slid herself off the make shift bed and onto the cold dusty floor, refusing him again. Her legs had started to heal but were still broken in some places making them useless and a heavy weight to drag across the floor.

Like waking suddenly from a dream Duncan snapped out of his shock saw her trying to move away from Marcus.

"Oi!" he yelled running to Selene's side to aid her.

"I think you should back off," Duncan warned Marcus with what might he had.

Marcus didn't even look at him

"Selene, listen," his voice was calm, this time his tone seemed a little more compassionate.

She pulled away from Duncan trying to support her and painfully dragged herself back with her hands until she hit the stone wall behind them. Near the corner of the small room she knew she was defenceless.

"What do you want with me?" she growled

"I want you to drink the blood. You both need it." He said making the liquid swish a little. This made the smell stronger causing her nose to almost twitch at the metallic delight and making her crave it even more. She maintained her still glare and did not give in.

Duncan screwed up his nose and crumpled his face in disgust. He partly knew the liquid was blood, but hearing him say it confirmed it. He stepped up and stood between them both

"Look, I dunno what little cult ya in, but she clearly ain't wantin to be a part of it, or near ya, so do the lass a favour and sod off." Duncan said pointing his finger at Marcus so close he was practically poking him in the nose. Marcus snorted in disgust at his insolent gestures.

"Get out of the way!" Marcus said in a growl and changing his eyes black to frighten Duncan. Selene almost felt bad for him; he really was clueless and had well and truly barked up the wrong tree.

Duncan stood motionless with his finger in the air still pointing at Marcus, his eyes transfixed in fear of Marcus' changes. Marcus lifted his upper lip to bare his silver pointed teeth.

"Oh," Duncan quietly squawked, his face drooping down as much as his eyebrows lifted. Duncan swallowed hard and stepped back knowing he was well outmatched and had no idea what Marcus was. He quickly looked back at her; she had dragged herself further into the corner away from them and was clearly in a lot of pain

"No," he muttered to himself fighting through his fear and pounding heart. Feeling sick to his stomach he knew he had to stick up for her even at the cost of his own safety or even his life. He threw his fits up like a boxer ready for him, his fists slightly shaking. He jumped up and down on the spot to hide the shake

"Oh can do freaky face to eh!" he yelled rolling his eyes back until only the whites of his eyes could be seen, then rolled in his lips to show pink gums and teeth, then tried to make a growling sound that sounded more like a drowning cat.

Marcus's face dropped in astonishment, never has a mortal confronted him like this let alone make a face to mimic him. He had never seen anything so ludicrous in all his years.

The small room was instantly filled with Marcus' roar of laughter. Duncan rolled his eyes forward and stopped jumping about.

"That was ridiculous." Marcus said though the laughter then calmed

"You have guts, but she will want this sooner or later. With the baby and those injuries she will need to feed." he said placing the on the floor.

Marcus walked over to the stairs that lead out of the room and sat down blocking the only exit they had. He could barely be seen in the faint light, he sat with his eyes closed in a meditative manner.

Selene knew he was not going to allow either of them to leave.

Duncan stood shoulders drooping, he didn't know whether to feel offended, angry or relived. He shuffled over to her and flopped down onto the ground next to her deciding to convince himself he had won.

Who was this… idiot? And why did he want to help her? It was going to get him killed. He wanted to ask him questions but decided against Marcus hearing any conversation between them. Duncan wasn't much, but he was the closest thing to a friend she had, a moronic one, but a friend none the less. Or at least until he found out what she really was.

It was silent for a long time. The candles slowly burnt down keeping the room barely lit in warm colours. Marcus secretly listened to all their heart beats, most of all Selene and the baby's.

He was fascinated how his hybrid ability could pick up the baby's heart rhythm it was almost soothing. Duncan watched him with large dark eyes trying to see in the dim light, he was sure they had only an hour left before the light would burn out. He was sure Marcus was some sort of monster waiting for the darkness to attack so he remained vigilant.

Silence was heavy, the atmosphere tense. Even though Selene's black raven hair covered her face, Marcus knew she was looking at the jar. He knew she had a stubborn reputation, much like Viktor, she maintained this even now. She would give in, he was sure of it.

Duncan ceased his watch to check on her. He saw a little of the bright blue though the dark stands of hair. He could have sworn her eyes had been dark on the bus, at this point he had accepted this was not a normal situation and did not bring it up. She was clearly emotionally caged off and a woman of few words. His eyes followed hers to the jar.

He sighed and climbed to his feet and fetched the jar. He was curious to if Selene would drink it or not, he was sure he had before. He wondered about the rumours of real vampyres were true, he had heard of some while living in the city. The sun burning her was probably the biggest clue and now people with changing eyes and a solo jar of blood. His curiosity was burning in his mind. Sitting back down he placed the jar next to her.

Selene had been silently weighing her options. Did she risk the blood and drink it? Marcus could have put any manor of drug or poison in it. Upside was she needed every drop to feed them both and there was enough to feed and heal. Downside was if it was contaminated she would fully be at his mercy. If she didn't drink she would become weaker and a chance of either of them possibly dying, she had no idea what effect not feeding with such injuries would do to her unborn child.

Now closer it was harder to resist. It was a little thicker now because it had started to naturally congeal, but still good to consume. Duncan doubted his theories seeing her still stare down at the jar.

He had expected Marcus to react and open his eye, instead he remained still. Marcus was monitoring but with his ears.

She finally moved and picked up the jar. She took a deep inhale over the top checking for anything off. She had decided. She was already too injured and at Marcus' mercy, there was no point in starving them of what they needed. Veracious hunger took hold and she greedily guzzled the liquid life, there was no point resisting it any longer.

Duncan's mouth dropped open

"You're a vampyre?" he asked quietly, she heard him but was to focused on her meal to answer. The blood was sweet, and fresher than the stale animal or cloned blood she usually drank. This was human blood, fresh human blood. She didn't care or hesitate, it was delicious and overwhelmingly good, her heart fluttered and everything tingled.

Too soon was the jar empty and she took in a deep inhale. She had guzzled it so fast she never stopped to take a breath. He could see her blood sneered fangs now and how her eyes had a brighter radiance to them.

He lifted his own lips and rolled his tongue over his small incisors as an unintentional mental comparison. As a response to his curiosity she lifted her upper lip showing him her full set or inhuman teeth. They retracted to normal and her eyes became their natural earthy brown.

"I thought your eyes were different when we met and that's why you panicked in the bus, the sun was rising," he whispered confidently proud of himself for figuring it out. It was unreal, yet here he was in the middle of it all.

She lifted a single brow in astonishment at his reaction. She's seen people scream, run, freak out or faint, never anything like this.

"Is that how you got out the bus?" he asked curiously.

She looked up at him then leading with her eyes looked over to Marcus.

"Oh, so he is one also?"

"Part."

Duncan nodded understanding.

"You should really sit on the bed I made for ya, not good for you to be sitting on the hard floor."

She looked over at Marcus again. The bed was close to the stairs in which he sat, she shook her head refusing to go any closer. Before Duncan got up he heard a groan, not from Selene's voice but her stomach. Duncan raised his brows as Selene lowered her head in slight embarrassment - it had been a while since she last ate, and clearly needed more.

Without a word Duncan reached into his other pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar and placed it down where he placed the jar. Selene hesitated at the shiny purple wrapped morsel staring at it unsure. She had never eaten anything like it before, only seen a comrade death dealer eat things like this from time to time.

Duncan didn't wait for her to eat. He cheerfully hopped to his feet and proceeded to drag it along the floor towards her as quietly as he could. He reached her to see the bar was now an empty wrapper and Selene appeared to be tiring to lick off the sticky sweet caramel that got stuck to her fangs. It was nowhere as good as blood, but wasn't entirely unpleasant either. She could now see why the Death dealers ate the bars, even though food had no nutritional purpose to a vampyre and too much would make them sick.

Duncan smirked pleased with himself and sat down next to the make shift bed. He let her get onto the bed in her own good time.

"I'll keep watch while you sleep." He whispered. She hesitated and waited while on of her legs was realigning and repairing, and make a snap as is returned to its place. With an aching back she shuffled herself a little freer onto the bed. Duncan put his hand out to offer help but she didn't take it.

She laid down facing Marcus. She continuously shot opened her eyes few minutes trying not to sleep too heavily. Each time, he was still there sitting eyes closed in the exact same position. And of course Duncan remained awake, he was not sitting still, he was flicking his feet back and forth and nodding his head along to a tune in his head only he could hear.

Duncan noted when she finally fell asleep and smiled to himself. A vampyre, finally something exciting and extraordinary in his life was happening, he could still barely believe it. There she was - a real living and breathing vampyre in the flesh. And Marcus, a half vampyre half... What? She never elaborated on what else he was. He certainly didn't look anything like her. Was the other half of man he saw sitting on the steps any human? He never thought about it till now. If vampyres were real, what else was real? The possibilities flooded his mind.

It was the last thought's sent his mind accidently wandering off into sleep, right before the candle finally went out.

Marcus never slept. He had hibernated for over one hundred years and had no desire or need to sleep. He sat awake the whole time, listening every breath and movement in the pitch black. His excellent hybrid eyes gave him night vision and he could still see them easily if he opened his eyes.

It was late afternoon before Marcus finally opened his eyes. The two of them where fast asleep in the small dark space and would not expect a thing. It was time. His ability to be patient never failed him. He reached to the small leather pouch on the back of his belt and pulled out a two syringes, pulled the caps off and held the first one up to assess the clear liquid.

Duncan would be first.