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I remembered next to nothing except being very warm- not so intense as to burn, and definitely very strange-feeling... but I felt comfortable. My eyes opened to soothing sunlight streaming through open blinds on the green wall in front of me. The warmth of a body supporting me, the beauty of the light... I thought perhaps this was all a dream. The vampiric fear of the sun, dependency on blood was only a farce, a long and detailed nightmare. Perhaps the human in this bed with me is Christina. I sighed contentedly, leaning my head back into what I assumed to be her stomach. I wonder if Leila is still sleeping-

"Vincent?"

I frowned. That voice is most definitely not Christina's. At least, I am fairly certain hers is not gruff and deep... I opened my eyes again and raised a hand to rub my tired pupils. Attached to my left wrist, I noticed for the first time, was an IV connected to a hanging bag of blood about half empty. A tanner and much more well-built arm wrapped around my chest as the body pulled itself over mine. When Ivan's dark eyes hovered over my own, the events prior to my passing out resurfaced. Now I did not feel nearly as self-conscious or concerned about participating in intercourse as I had at the time. Then again, I was having trouble feeling anything. From the smell of the room and our bodies, I could tell we did not engage in such acts. I wonder what we did, then? "Good morning, Ivan." I yawned and swept a hand through his hair in a sudden rush of maternal instinct of some sort. He just seemed so depressed for some reason. "Are you feeling well, love?"

He bent his head down to my neck and stayed silent for a good long moment. I began to wonder if indeed something more serious than I knew of had happened while I was asleep. "I should be asking you that question. You've been in a coma for almost two days." His voice cracked, and suddenly I felt several cold splashes against my shoulder.

I pulled him closer to me, my arms stretched around his broad shoulders, and shushed him quietly. "Ivan, darling, what's wrong?" I cooed softly. How strange, comforting this very independent, very buff male who looks like he should be leading armies. Here he is crying into my shoulder instead. It is not uncommon for vampires to hibernate for longer periods of time. Why is he so worried?

"I thought I killed you!" He yanked back and stared at me wide-eyed and teary-faced like I had gone insane. "I thought I fucking sucked everything out of you! Do you know what I was thinking about those first five minutes before I got to your vampire-guy's house for help? I was going to kill myself! I couldn't live if I'd killed you. I was going to get in my car and drive off a cliff-"

"Ivan." I shook my head and looked away from him, unable to listen to any more. "Please no." Now I saw the bite marks littering my skin, from my arms to my legs to my stomach, all over my body. From the ache in my neck I could assume there were more in that area as well. I reached a hand up to gently search for bruises and located three- two on the left side and one on the right, just below my jaw. "I see I've become your personal chew-toy," I joked in an attempt to lighten his mood, wiping away at his tear-stained cheeks. He smiled sadly, but more for my benefit than his. Once the IV was removed, I leaned up to him and pecked his lips softly. He returned it without hesitation, burrowing into me almost as if I would disappear at any moment.

He pulled away quickly and held me by my forearms looking like he just had an idea. His shaggy hair and brown eyes seemed hazel in the natural light, the toned muscles of his abs making me jealous of his living and therefore easily strengthened body. "Live with me," he whispered desperately. "I'll take care of you and we won't have to be apart as often. And you should bite me, so our bond is stronger and we'll be able to feel each other more easily. And if you join the pack, we could really communicate through our thoughts- the mating bond does that, but not as clearly."

I knew eventually that we would have to live together as mates, but I guess I hadn't truly thought it through. But what could be so bad about it? I smiled and nodded to express my agreement, then frowned. "I do not even know your last name, or your age, or where you grew up... I know nothing about you."

He sat cross-legged in the mess of bedsheets, taking my hands in his with eyes full of determination. "Let's do that now. We'll ask questions and anything you want to know, I'll tell you. My full name is Ivan Mikhail Adamczyk. I'm 23. I grew up in Michigan before my parents switched to this pack. My mom, Sveta, immigrated from Russia when she was in her early twenties and married my dad, David. They kept her last name when they married because he thought it was so awesome. He's a werewolf, she isn't." His fingers played with mine, running over them repeatedly. His eyes stayed focused on my own. "What about you?"

What a loaded question. "My full name is Vincent Coulton Matthews, my body is 20 years of age and I have lived 129 years. I grew up in what is now the Isle of Man off of the northern half of England, then moved to the mainland to stay with my uncle and aunt while my sick mother left for her vacation home to 'better air', she said. Her name was Rachel. My father, Joseph Bynum, was a lord of some estate. He did nothing but travel, and for no reason." Thinking of my family made me feel as though I were dreaming. It was so long ago... "They were neither of them vampires. What is your career?"

"Well the pack has a bunch of job opportunities, but they encourage working outside the community to blend in better and to branch out some. But I work with the animals on the reserve and then at the vet's office downtown. I already know what you work as." He frowned sadly and hesitated before speaking again. "I don't know if it's ok for me to ask..."

"You may ask me anything and I will answer to the best of my abilities." I sent him a reassuring smile.

He relaxed slightly, breaking eye contact to muse over my fingertips. "You said you were changed. What happened?"

I licked my parched lips. For years I had not thought of the night I was transformed. "It was weeks after my daughter died, and I had descended into such a depressed state that I lost my will to do absolutely anything, even to kill myself. I drowned in alcohol that night, ten days after the funeral, walking through town without purpose. When I reached a bridge in town, I stumbled beneath it, lay down in the mud and the filth, and slit my wrists with a broken bottle, eager to be free of the world and my existence within it." A flashback of the darkness, the foul smell, the waves hit me like a slap to the face. The sorrow I experienced during this time hurt almost like a constant bullet through the lungs. I glanced down at my wrists held in Ivan's hands and saw the thin, pale lines I worked hard to ignore, only now a deep bite mark and a green bruise covered one of them. "I passed out, but Hamir says he found another vampire draining me." He was also raping me, but there is no point to working Ivan into a fit now. He seemed distressed enough after hearing about my death. "Hamir chased him away and thought that by keeping me alive by any means possible, he was saving me. He did not realize I was not being murdered, that it was suicide." I shrugged. "I could have killed myself afterwards, so it did not matter really. I am thankful he changed me, if it meant I could meet you. I suppose I do not want you to be mateless."

He released a growled whimper, bowing his head low as his eyes glazed over yet again. I hugged him close. This emotional side of him must reveal itself during his heat. "Let us not talk about this anymore," I whispered as I held him close. I placed a soft kiss on his cheek, but before I could pull away he held me by the back of the neck, gently leading it to his own.

"Mark me," he growled.

I nuzzled his neck and smiled. "Is it what you really want?"

He only pulled my face closer in response. So I cradled his head, inhaled his canine scent, and pricked the surface of his skin. He jolted slightly and was very tense under my hold. I sucked once, claiming maybe two ounces of the blood pounding through his veins, and licked the small puncture wounds before sitting back on the bed. "That will last me a good long while," I sighed happily, hoping that I didn't repulse him too badly. I took his hand and wiped away stray tears from his sad, puppy-dog-eyed face. "Come, are you hungry? I will prepare something for you, and perhaps we can discuss our living conditions over breakfast. Or lunch, whatever the time is."

He jumped up excitedly at my words, his hand never leaving mine. After opening and closing his mouth in shock, all he could say was, "...It's lunch."

I laughed, feeling the ache of my stiff bones retaliating against my stretch. I tugged him along out of the room, making my way down the stairs until I found the kitchen. He moved quickly to close the curtains of the four windows, two over the sink and stove, two by the small, four-seater table in the dining area. "What would you like?" I asked while peering into the fridge.

"Anything you're willing to make me." His body pressed into my back, legs against legs, but the warmth was enjoyable. It caused me to hum in pleasure. "We're still in heat, but I think yours'll be going down pretty soon. I want to be as close to you as possible," he whispered into my ear, nuzzling my head and sniffing my hair. What an unusual habit.

I grabbed two eggs, an onion, a tomato, the bag of spinach, and butter from the refrigerator, starting the process of some kind of scrambled eggs. His arms stayed hanging about my waist until I plated the meal. Then he held my boxer-covered thigh while he ate, fingers grazing lightly over my flesh. He paused for a moment as he chewed, glancing at me hesitantly. "I can wait," he broke the silence. "For you to be ready to live with me. I'll wait."

I smiled. "Ivan, it makes me incredibly happy to hear you say. But I am ready to attempt this with you, if you are."

His smile was blinding, and his hug would most certainly have choked me had I needed to breathe. "You wanna do it now? We can go get your stuff. Actually you can look around and see if you like this house first. If not, we can go check out another one. Or we could look into a house or apartment off the pack lands, because I don't want anyone giving you any trouble." He growled again, frowning at something. "Actually it's probably better that we find someplace else. There are some apartments nearby that are pretty cheap. I'm not making a lot right now, so we'll have to stick with that until we can afford better."

I shook my head. "I will be content to live here until you desire to leave. Though I will require a vehicle now that my work is so far away."

He reluctantly let me go to place his dishes in the washer and faced me. "You sure you want to do this? I don't wanna push you."

I rose from my seat and walked towards the stairs in the direction of the room to retrieve my clothing. He followed closely behind, I could tell by the heat he emitted. "I am absolutely positive, Ivan." I slipped on my jeans and scoured the room for my shirt. After pulling his own outfit on, Ivan tossed me a shirt. I furrowed my brow at the design on the front- some band of the many I have never heard of. I rolled my eyes at his cheeky smirk and yanked the thing over my head, hoping whatever symbol printed on the front was not in any way offensive.

"What's your favourite colour?" he asked as he opened the front door for me.

I thought for a moment. "Hm... Perhaps mauve. And yourself?"

He locked the door behind us and led me to the car. "Green. Like the green of maple leaves, though- not dark like seaweed or something. What kinda music do you like? I like a lot of old rock, some Elvis too."

He started the car with excitement and anticipation, most likely of us living together. I hoped this would not backfire. I've heard this is how young, unmarried couples break apart. "Most music from the Romantic period, I will enjoy. I particularly find piano, harp, and guitar music to be gorgeous. I also have a soft spot for jazz. Modern music somewhat... intimidates me. It is almost like a science that I cannot understand. Jacob has tried to introduce me to the genre, you know he was alive when it was born as it is now. But I am almost afraid of it- so violent, so angry. It just is not for me. Technology, one can learn out of convenience or necessity. But music changed so rapidly that there was no time for me to adjust, I think. The old man in me is really showing, is it not?" I let out a lighthearted laugh, sighing wistfully. "Sometimes I truly wish I could understand what Jacob does about the music. Nowadays I connect better with the elderly than those my own age, because we share the same interests. I feel that I should have slipped away into the folds of time, as those from my era have already done. I feel... out of place here."

The silence in the car lasted an awkward ten seconds, during which Ivan seemed to again sink into a slight depression. He then coughed and glanced over at me. "Well I play one of those instruments, so maybe that'll earn me some brownie points," he said with a chuckle. I laughed as well, but I had no idea what was supposed to be funny- or what brownie points were. "I play guitar. Do you play something?"

I nodded. "Every respectable young man of my time was required to sing and encouraged to learn an instrument, usually either piano or violin. While I have not sung in a very long time, I have kept up my harp playing and tried to expand the minimal piano skills I was taught from the age of five to eight. I like piano much less so than the harp, although in general I am not very good." I paused a moment to think of another question as we pulled into Hamir's driveway. "What is your biggest fear?"

"Let's see..." He turned the vehicle off and ran around to open my door and shield me from the sun. I rolled my eyes at him, but he was too deep in thought to notice. "I think being lost. Or solitude, something like that. No one around to interact with. Being alone. You?"

I slid the key into the lock and opened the door, sensing both Jacob and Hamir home in the house somewhere. "The ocean. Most definitely." I shuddered and headed for the stairs to my room.

"What are the pair of you up to?" Hamir stood at the head of the stairs in the shadows, looking as though he could use a long rest.

"I am moving into a house on Ivan's pack's lands with him," I answered.

His eyebrows raised in question, but as I thought he did not try to stop me. Silent warning passed in the quiet, and he shrugged his shoulders. "If the situation becomes... bloody..." He lazily watched the kittens rush up to us and pounce on Ivan's shoelaces. "Even if not, know that you will always be welcome here." He looked only at me when he stated this. I thanked him and he walked back into the depths of the house.

We descended the stairs to the basement and entered my dusty, book-filled room. "What's so bad about the ocean?" Ivan asked, regaining our previous conversation.

I pulled folded boxes from under the bed and began stacking books inside. He followed in suit, sneezing every-so-often as untouched dust was disturbed. "It is so deep and has room for so many secrets. To set foot in a whole other world full of unseen and unknown creatures where movement is slowed..." Again a shudder shook my spine. "A limitless expanse of atmosphere in which I cannot survive. Why should I be inclined to like it?"

"Well when you say it like that..." He shrugged and grabbed another pile of books. "I never thought about it that way. But what about space? Isn't that the same thing with the atmosphere problem?"

"If I were in space, I would be able to see for miles," I reasoned like it was the most obvious answer in the world, making him huff his chest out. "Therefore it trumps the ocean."

"Alright, alright." He closed the box and started a new one, pouting playfully. "No need to get snippy."

We worked diligently packing boxes until his car was filled to the brim, only with books- we had not even breached the closet or cabinet. Ivan and I bonded rather well through the endeavor, exchanging tidbits of information about ourselves in simple question-and-answer format. I am glad we had this chance before completely throwing our lives together. Although that would happen soon enough. After six hours and four trips back and forth (and some help from Jacob) finally my room was emptied. I had not done so much work in so long, my body ached and wished for a bath.

By the time we left the house one last time, it was already early evening. "We should get something to eat before we get home," he said tiredly, his driving slow and his body relaxed. "Nothing fancy, it's just we don't really have anything in the fridge right now. Where do you want to go?"

...Is this a joke? A test? I shrugged uncomfortably, looking out the window. "It does not matter to me."

"Oh!" He appeared to realize his mistake. "Sorry, I forgot... Um... I'll just eat whatever's there."

The ride back was very quiet. When we reached the house and opened the door, we were greeted by two kittens (whom we had brought home earlier) and many unboxed boxes scattered around the living room. I lifted Renn and Erin up in my arms and calmed them with soft rubs of the head. A moment later I felt eyes on me and looked up. Ivan stared at me from the kitchen archway. I could not tell what his emotions were from his gaze. He walked slowly toward me, and as I waited for him I marveled at my reaction: I stood unafraid at his approach, not at all wary or distrusting of the wolfman as I would have been normally. At the very least I would normally tense at the awareness that he held the power to snap my neck- I had been in that position before. But somehow I knew he would never do things like this to me. I only smiled at him when he stopped in front of me, inches from my face.

He seemed surprised as well and smiled broadly in return. Then he kissed me, warm and fuzzy and deep and loving. Soft, repetitive kisses landed on my lips, feathery and gentle unlike my first night in this house. I ended it with a nuzzle on his nose. He responded by lifting me into his arms and maneuvering through the millions of boxes to the bedroom, where he set me under the covers. The kittens had already fallen asleep, and Ivan crawled in after me to remove the majority of my clothes. He also stripped to his boxers, and finally pressed me to his body, his nose in my hair and our legs a tangled mess.