Elaine White

With Angela, everything about Damian died. His hopes, his dreams, his emotions. From that day on, Trey watched with regret, and a silent prayer to his sister, who he hoped looked down upon them. He wished that Damian would rediscover his humanity. He wished that she had died happy. And he hoped that one day, Damian would learn to live again.

He had never cared if his victims lived or died once he was through with them. But not her. He couldn__ allow her to die. The moment he felt that small flutter of her heart, ready to give way to his hunger, he had stopped and gazed down at her for long moments.

There was nothing to see in the room, but his brain pulled multiple vivid memories to the forefront of his mind. Entering the house as husband and wife, with Angela holding onto his arm. The night his father died in the downstairs bedroom while he was helpless to do anything but watch from the window; an outsider. Long years of being Angela__ Peter Pan before that boy had ever existed, flitting in and out of her window, and her life. Watching the woman he loved grow old and live a life without him by night, then babysitting her killer by day. It was impossible for him to see Amelia as anything else in those early days. The days before he loved her.

With a snarling face, fangs and blood red eyes, she had lunged at him and secured her mouth to his throat before he had even had time enough to scream. It had been the most terrifying moment of his life. Only two thoughts had occupied his mind; surviving to see Angela again, and the sensation of hearing his own heart beat fade away. Amelia had fed from him for what felt like hours, but that he knew couldn__ have been very long, as Angela never came to see what had become of him. He lay in the dirt, with Amelia hunched over his limp body, with the sound of his own, failing breath in his ears and the bloodthirsty sound of someone sucking out his blood.

Shiloh had become far too used to it; for all that she paid him no mind, the moment his sharp fangs pierced the skin on the inside of her thigh, her head lolled back against the seat and she closed her eyes. The feeling was still delectable even now.

For a full two hours, he stood at that door, a cloud of uncertainty ruling his mind. Damian felt like his heart was about to burst. Could she love him? Was it really true?

It was only that night, dreaming forbidden dreams of Laurence and the clear attraction he had already displayed towards her, that the dream was disturbed. She woke to pain, her eyes and mouth flashing open in a wordless scream as two strong fangs pierced her neck. A body lay across hers, warm and strong as she felt the life being sucked out of her. The moment he knew she was awake, Laurence had pulled back from feeding and smiled at her with a bloody grin. __ou are mine now, Shiloh. You may never leave this house until the day I die._ He had warned her, planting a tormenting kiss on her lips before resuming his feed.

He wanted it to be just right; he didn__ want to make the mistake of trying to tell her he loved her, and having the words come out confused or ending up saying something completely different. He changed into a fresh suit, checked his hair and took a few deep breaths to calm himself, before returning to Amelia__ chambers_only to find her gone. A sigh of frustration escaped him. It was so typical. He told her there was a surprise for her, she was excited, and he was about to confess that he loved her_of course it was only natural for her to ruin it by running off. It was so typically Amelia.

I won't let him come between us, Konnor,_ Grayson promised, refusing to let go. __ feel so close to you_more than best friends. It's like we're soul mates. You're the part of me that I've always been missing. And he'll have to kill me to get me away from you,_ he swore, unknowingly cementing his place in Konnor's heart with the words. He felt exactly the same.

Konnor wanted to touch and taste him, and take him to the point of ecstasy where he couldn't even remember his own name. And Grayson was more than willing to let him do that.__es, that too._ He smiled, as if he found his surprise amusing. He leaned forward until their lips were inches from each other and whispered, __nything.

I will grant you one wish, for your birthday. Anything at all, except sex._ __ait_what?___ou heard me. So what do you want?_ Grayson questioned, keeping calm about the whole thing.Konnor thought those words over in his head again. He was literally telling him he could do what he wanted with him, as a birthday treat, as long as they didn't sleep together.__ait a minute. Are you saying that if I wanted to_ he asked, but found that he didn't want to embarrass Grayson by saying it. His eyes went there any way. They focused on his crotch withoutshame, wondering if he would get to remove clothes.__es,_ he nodded.__nd you'd let me? Why?_ he asked, too stunned to do anything else but ask.__ecause it's not your fault I'm straight. And it's not your fault you're attracted to me. If I can't give you everything you want I can at least give you a birthday to remember, right?_ Grayson smiled.Konnor felt like kissing him so hard he wouldn't be straight any more.

Konnor bit his lip and arched into his touch, opening his eyes to his words.__o matter how cruel I am to you, resisting what's between us, you always know when I need you the most,_ he explained quietly. __ needed you desperately and you gave me the most incredible pleasure. And when I tried to hide from you_when I thought you didn't want me_you showed me how wrong I was._ Grayson smiled as Konnor grasped his hair and dragged him down into a scorching kiss. He was more than happy to comply with his demands, since he wanted nothing more than to fade into him and make them one person.

Gray,_ he whispered in his ear.Grayson moaned softly in return.__'m here for you. I exist only for you. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.

Konnor said a silent prayer and made his move. He slid his hand over the curve of Grayson's neck and took the gigantic leap into the unknown. He kissed him.A few braincells died the moment Grayson kissed him back. Then a few more, when those perfect lips he'd been admiring for the last six months opened beneath his kiss.He kissed Grayson the way he'd always wanted to kiss him, teasing those parted lips with a lick of appreciation before slipping his tongue into his mouth. A tongue brushed his and he moaned at the little shots of pleasure that coursed through his whole body.Kissing Grayson was better than any sex with Tam. Just as he'd always known it would be. He had always found kissing to be such an intimate thing, so delicious and nerve shattering. No physical thing could say what a kiss could; not in his mind.

He thought he could remove the Tam-façade that he put on, to convince people that he was bulletproof and strong. That was a lie, and if he expected to get through this break up, he would have to put that mask back on and toughen up.

With you I feel like I'm already good enough; I only have to believe it. I can't lose you again._ He needed to make the confession because he was realising that Lachlan meant as much to him nowas he always had.__ know._ Lachlan smiled at him and stopped in their walk to draw him into his arms.Konnor went willingly, clinging onto him. This was exactly how they had said goodbye. It felt like the perfect way to make a promise to always be friends again.__ love you, Konnor,_ Lachlan whispered in his ear.__ love you too. If I ever try to hurt you again, lock me up, shoot me, do whatever you have to do_but don't send me away,_ he begged him never to separate them again.

Grayson Dashwood.Those two words had just ruined what was turning into a good morning.

It had been a shitty night, so it was fitting that it should end with rain.He closed his eyes and lay where he was, ready for it to stop. The rain, the cold, the pain, the aches, the blood choking the back of his throat, the metallic taste on his tongue. He wanted an off switch to his life; to get it over with. There wasn't much point fighting; he didn't have anything to fight for. He had his family and Levi, but something in his heart said that wasn't enough anymore.He didn't want to be alone.