The Prince and His Brood

Valek grinned. "That's one of my titles, but yes. Yes, I am the Prince of Darkness."

Eve's mind grinded to a halt. "But...but...all the stuff...all the stories about you. I...read them, I looked them up...what?" She looked up searchingly at Valek.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "There are a lot of stories about me, but a lot are of my predecessors too. You see, people here don't know that the 'Son of the Devil' from a hundred years ago isn't the same person now."

"So, they're exaggerated tales?"

"No. Not really. They're understated, if anything, to make them at least a little bit believable." said Valek.

"So...all the rumors. The tales you found out and killed people who looked into you?" asked Eve.

"Well, I do like my privacy." said Valek easily.

"But..." Eve stopped herself. It was him...it'd always been him. Is that why I felt such an obsession towards the Prince? Because somewhere I knew it was Val? She fell silent for a few minutes trying desperately to arrange her mind. Suddenly, she found a sliver of hope. What does it matter? He's here now. He's here with me. Eve looked up and gave a small smile. "You saved my life. Th...thank you, Val."

Valek had been observing all of Eve's internal struggle. He slowly got up and walked over to her. The two held eye contact for a moment while Eve's heart felt like it'd explode from nervousness. Valek slowly touched her cheek and she suddenly felt...ecstatic. As if all the worries washed away in that second. Whatever was unsaid between the two, the other four couldn't figure out.

Valek let go and turned around. "Well, I also saved you five from the two assassins." He said matter-of-factly.

"What!?" shouted everyone.

Valek grinned. "After I saw Eve in that alley, I was confused. Really confused. I didn't know if it really was her or just some doppelganger. I also had to make sure this wasn't some elaborate trap. So, after that day, I started keeping an eye on Eve and you all. I followed you around, had your story of how you ended up in Barfoss dug up, listened in to what you would say."

The five sat around in shock. They had absolutely had no inkling anyone was spying on them. Valek could've done that for a hundred years and they wouldn't have known.

"So, you're a stalker?" asked Robin.

Valek shrugged. "I guess. But it's nothing new to me when I'm stalking a prey."

"We were your prey?"

"If you five had not really been the five I know and, instead, just some impostors, you would've-" Valek paused. "Well, you would've thought death was the biggest blessing when I got hold of you."

Alex didn't doubt that. He'd seen what Valek was capable of now...how easily he handed out punishments. What would happen to a person if Valek was personally punishing him? "Don't mince your words, do you?" grinned Alex.

"Those are minced words." grinned Valek. "Anyway, once I realized you all were really you all, I was gonna make contact. But then you left for that little party, and I followed you. You idiots had the bright idea to go down a dark alley in a deserted city, and you almost died for it; I had to intervene."

Liana recollected what happened that night. That fire...Alex's vain attempt to save them all...that skulled figure easily walking through the wall of fire..so mercilessly and efficiently executing the two would-be killers. She looked up at her younger brother standing there grinning at his friends; so easy and so...confident. As if this was nothing but a Tuesday to him. "Yeah," she grinned. "I should've guessed it was you."

Robin observed Valek. Just a year older than him...but so far away. What had he seen? What had he done throughout his life? What was his story? Guess I'll never really know it all... "Thank you." he said to Valek out loud. Valek raised his eyebrows. Robin got up and put a hand on Valek's shoulder. "You saved the girls...you saved Alex. Thank you."

Valek laughed. "You're my friends...my family. Obviously, I'm gonna look after you."

Alex smiled inwardly. He'd always thought his brother was immature and irresponsible back on Earth...and by all accounts, he really was. But maybe he acted that way on Earth, around his family, because he could be a boy there instead of some Dark Lord. Decimandria has influenced you just as much as you've influenced it, little brother.

The sun started coming up and as the rays pierced the windows of the room, it was as if all the doubt and fear from last night started washing away. The five were now six... and everyone was safe. Everything was fine...in this moment...everything was okay.

Alex stood up and stretched loudly. "What happens now?" he asked Valek. A little glad inside that he didn't have to take charge.

Valek turned to him, serious. "We run." he said simply.

"Come again?"

"We run." repeated Valek. "Whoever's after you is still out there. They're gonna regroup and attack again."

"Wasn't this supposed to be a fortress?" asked Robin.

"It is. Not the best of my fortresses, but it is." answered Valek, somehow sounding amused at his mansion's capability.

"Then?"

"It is also a target. A huge target for the enemy." said Valek. "It's idiotic to just wait and sit around for them. We have to go."

"Where will we go?" asked Felicia.

"Nowhere in particular." answered Valek.

"What?"

Valek sighed. "Listen, I've hunted down...a fair amount of people. And you know when it's most difficult to find them? When they're on the move. As soon as they stop, they're dead."

"So...we're just gonna bounce from town to town all around Decimandria?" asked Alex. Maybe I should've taken charge.

"For now."

"There's gotta be a better way." said Robin, suddenly cross. "Aren't you the fucking Dark Prince or whatever? Lord Valentine? The most feared man in Decimandria? Why don't you pull your weight? Why don't you call an entire army?"

Valek looked at Robin curiously. "I already told you, Rob. I don't know who betrayed me. If one of my numbers did and I call on my forces, I might as well kill you myself. I...don't know who the snake is. They are all people I trust more than anyone else...and that's why it's more difficult. I can't call on any of them without risking you five...dying."

"We...are on our own?" wondered Alex out loud.

"We have each other." said Felicia. "And that's more important than a vampire army to me."

"I dunno." said Eve, grinning. "Having a vampire army would be cool."

Valek laughed. "The biggest struggle for my men would be to obey my order to not drink from you."

"Wait, what?"

Valek laughed at how he'd just blurted out his vampire lingo so casually. "The smell of your blood, Eve, is...exquisite. It has always been. Of course, none would dare touch you if I said so, but obeying that order will be the hardest thing they'd have to do."

Eve suddenly felt self-conscious. He...he can smell my blood? Wha...what else does he know about me? In that moment, Eve just wanted to wrap herself in a blanket and never come out at all. "You...you can smell my blood?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"I'm a vampire." said Valek, casually.

"Yeeahhh, about that." said Liana. "Do...do you have to feed on human blood to go in the sunlight? And...and why do you have silver embroidery on your clothes? Isn't...isn't that stuff harmful to you?"

"I'm a Master Vampire, sister." said Valek. "Silver has no effect on me."

"And about the blood?"

Valek laughed. "We'll have plenty of time to discuss the quirks and features of various vampire levels." Liana looked crestfallen. She wanted to know everything about vampires right now. Somehow, she found them...romantic. Valek grinned and patted her cheek. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything later." He turned to the group. "For now, we have to flee Barfoss. I'll to go and make some preparations, then we leave tonight."

Alex nodded. "And I'm guessing you don't want any of us stepping foot outside the house?"

Valek grinned. "It's for the best. The house...will look after you if something comes up. At least long enough for me to get back."

It started to sink to the girls that they were gonna leave another life behind...again. But somehow it didn't feel so sad. They couldn't process their own feelings and sunk down into the sofa, trying to figure them out.

"And what about Kat?" asked a small voice from the corner.

Valek turned around. Robin had gotten up to pace and now stood in the corner of the study, looking at Valek...hurt? "Who's that?" he asked.

"Katherine." said Robin.

"That demi-human girl?" asked Valek.

"Yes."

"What about her?"

"We need to bring her along."

"No, we don't. We don't need any more baggage."

"Don't call her baggage." threatened Robin in a low tone.

"Listen," said Valek, almost exasperated. "I don't need another person who I have to protect."

"I'll protect her then." said Robin defiantly.

Valek rolled his eyes, his frustration almost at boiling point. "You? You'll protect her? You couldn't even kill one fucking voodoo! You really think you can protect her from all the other hell that'll break loose now?"

"Yes, you piece of sh-" Robin faltered. Anger left him and he realized what Valek was saying was right. He wouldn't be able to protect her. "I...I can't leave...can't leave her." said Robin, collapsing against the wall.

Valek looked at Robin curiously. The grief in his eyes...the pain...the sinking realization of what would inevitably happen... Somewhere, Valek saw himself from all those years ago when he'd come to Decimandria. He saw a flash of golden hair...the red lips...the person he'd lost...

"She...she told me to never leave her." said Robin in a low voice, almost breaking down. Valek bowed his head. He knew that pantherians rarely showed emotion; especially the females. And when they did, it was extremely subtle. If someone as boorish as Robin had had a half- pantherian girl admit to her love, they must've had something special...

"You really love her, don't you?" asked Valek in a low tone, walking over to Robin.

"I...Yes." said Robin, suddenly looking up at Valek with defiance. "I love her." After a second, he faltered and his gaze fell again. "And...I can't break all the promises I made to her...I can't be the one who leaves her too. She'll...she'll never believe anyone...she'll-" Robin felt a lump in his throat and his vision blurred a little from the tears that started to form.

Valek knelt down and put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Whether you believe it or not, Rob...I...know your pain." Robin turned to retort, but stopped when he looked into Valek's black eyes; he saw the same hurt he was feeling.

"Let her go, Robin." said Valek, softly. "If you love her, let her go. You involve her with you and you hang her life by a thread. Whoever's after us will make her a target too...They'll try to hurt her...use her...kill her. You can't condemn her to your life...not when she has no connection to it...no fault in it." Valek seemed like he was talking from experience...as if he'd made this choice too once.

Robin stared at the fine carpet, silent. Valek gripped his shoulder tighter. "You can't be selfish, Robin. Not now. If you love her...if you truly love her...let her go." Robin looked up at Valek and felt pain shoot through his body; he knew what had to be done.

"The hardest of choices require the strongest of wills, little brother." said Valek. "Do what's right."

Robin felt even more tears come up as the fact started to sink in. I...have to let her go...I...have to...I have to let...her go. But wait...I'm not gonna leave her damaged. Valek saw in Robin's eyes he'd reached his decision. Sighing inwardly, Valek stood up and Robin followed suit.

"At least let me tell her goodbye." said Robin, almost pleadingly. "At least let me explain the situation to her...let me tell her I did not just leave her by choice...I...that I lov-" He stopped.

Valek sadly shook his head. "You've...we've...already put her in danger. There's a high chance that these people will go after her even now because they've seen how close she was to the group. If you go to say goodbye and they see you...they'll hurt her to get to you."

Robin felt like collapsing again. He knew that if he just left without a word, Katherine would be damaged beyond repair. She'd...she'd destroy herself.

"Write a letter." said Liana, in a small voice from behind.

Valek turned around. All three girls had tears in their eyes and Alex looked more than a little hurt too. Valek realized that Katherine had been their friend too.

"A letter?" repeated Robin hollowly.

"Yes." said Liana, softly. "It...it's better than nothing...isn't it?"

"She's right." said Valek, turning to face Robin. "If you write a letter, I can give it to her." Robin looked around at all the painful expressions staring at him and realized they were right; this was the only viable option. I...I would've liked to...to see her one last time...

Robin felt like he was about to cry...he wanted to cry. With a lot of difficulty, he held back pain and just nodded, not trusting himself to speak without showing his emotions.

"There're quills and parchment in the desks in any of the rooms upstairs." said Valek. "Go. Write your letter."

Thankfully, Robin left the room without a word. Alex glanced at Valek. "There are quills and parchments right here." he said.

"He needed time alone." said Valek, slowly. "And he especially needed to be alone to write that letter." Alex had figured as much that this was Valek's tactful plan to give Robin space, but his little brother's expression aroused his curiosity. Alex realized Valek's sympathy wasn't just because it was Robin, but because he actually understood Robin's pain...it was sympathy from someone who'd been in the same position. What is your tale, I wonder, brother.

The five of them relapsed into silence; the pain was resting heavy on all of them, and it wasn't just because how much Robin was hurting. Eve glanced at Valek, and saw he was absorbed in his own thoughts...his expression almost resembling Robin's. What...happened to you, Val...what is your story?

The sun was well up when Robin finally came down. He was carrying a thick envelope, but his expression looked less strained from before. He walked up to Valek as he got up and slowly stretched out the letter. "Give this to Kat." he said. Valek nodded.

"No." said Robin. "Give this to Kat. Don't be mysterious, don't leave it at the inn, don't give to her mother...give it to Kat. Only in her hands. Promise me."

Valek took the other end of the letter and met Robin's gaze. "You have my word, Rob."

As Robin relinquished his grip on the envelope, he felt his pain pierce his heart again. With difficulty he held his emotions and nodded. "Thank you, Val."

Valek waved his hand. "It's the least I can do." He turned to the group. "Stay here. Don't step out of the mansion, no matter what happens or who calls you. Even if it looks like me who's telling you to come out, don't. Unless I come in and fetch you, stay inside."

The five nodded. Valek looked around the group again; such strong people. "I'll be back by evening. The larder in the kitchen's full; you're free to make yourselves something to eat." The five nodded again, and Valek, after one last cursory look, left the study in a swift walk. Eve rushed to the window to try and spot him walking down the grounds, but he'd disappeared.

* * *

"Where is that girl?" wondered Valek. He was standing on the roof of a three-storey building in Barfoss, looking down at the moving pedestrian traffic. Valek had gone to the Cat's Cradle to see if Katherine would be there, but no luck. The inn was closed that day, and Valek wondered if that had anything to do with the innkeeper mourning the five's apparent death.

Valek had gone by the five's homestead. The Captain of Barfoss had been there, looking pretty down. The soldiers were sifting through the pile of dead bodies and burnt wood. The Captain was on his wits end as to what had occurred. What had happened? Who were these bodies? Where had the five gone? Because he'd seen that there were no female bodies in the pile, he had to believe the five had gotten away.

Valek felt regret for a second seeing all the people the five knew worry about them so much. He realized how well they'd settled in. How much the people liked them all. Valek had already heard from the soldiers' conversation that Walfred of The Broken Mug tavern was gonna hold an evening of free drinks in Alex's name. What other people had been affected? How had the five themselves been affected. It seems as soon as they settle in somewhere...trouble finds them and they have to flee.

Valek shook his head on the rooftop. No point in getting absorbed by all that right now. He had to deliver this letter then focus on the rest of the tasks. The group had to be out of Barfoss before nightfall today. He gave the crowd another glance and there was no trace of Katherine. Let's get this over with. Valek closed his eyes and sent out a sensory 'pulse'. He could 'see' everyone...all the heartbeats, all the conversations...through walls, wood, and stone. He sent out another pulse and it rebounded off everything showing him everything.

Demi-human...demi-human...where is she? Valek extended his pulse and suddenly, it hit her. He 'saw' that tail twirling in the wind, the cat ears, the elegant pose she was standing in. Valek opened his eyes and faded into smoke.

"There she is!" thought Valek. He stood on the roof of an abandoned building, looking down in a deserted alley. Staring up at a nest of birds stood Katherine. Are...are those tears in her eyes? Despite all he'd seen, Valek squinched a bit. A pantherian was not one of the creatures who showed emotion...not easily. The girl was clearly worried for Robin...maybe even thought him dead.

Valek let himself think for a second of what the group actually meant to her. He changed his perspective and saw how Katherine had viewed the five: as her first true friends...viewed Robin as...her lover. Valek shook his head; this is for the best.

He looked down and saw her still standing there. He had to barely even think before a plan to hand off the letter was fully formed in his mind. He stepped off the roof. As the rush of wind blew past his ears, Valek turned to smoke right before he hit the ground. Katherine, with her back to him, saw nothing. Valek rushed up to her, within a second, grabbed her, and before she could so much as flinch, burst into the abandoned building with her.

For Katherine, all she'd felt was something suddenly grabbing her and immediately throwing her in a room. Katherine gasped for breath at the sudden transition. After a second her mind started to catch on and she panicked as she realized she was suddenly in a closed cubicle. Instinctively, she looked through the window and saw she was on the second floor of the abandoned building standing in a barren, dusty room.

As she stood there, her ears twitching to catch even the slightest sound, the dust in the room began to rise. A huge dark cloud of smoke formed in the room. Right in front of her eyes, a man rose from the smoke, and stood staring at her. She hissed at him. He's dark. Baring her nails, she stood defensively awaiting his attack.

But none came. He stood there staring at her for a second...as if taking her all in. Then he sighed. "You're Katherine." he said as if announcing it.

She recoiled at suddenly being addressed. She didn't reply. Valek reached into his inner coat pocket and drew out Robin's letter. He walked over to Katherine who shrunk a bit, but didn't hiss.

"I'm a friend of Robin's." announced Valek, his voice cool.

Another wave of shock went over Katherine followed by relief. "Robin?" she repeated. "Wh...where is he? Is...is he okay? Is he alive? What have you done to him!?"

Valek suddenly pitied Katherine. He saw in her dark blue eyes how much she cared for Robin...and he'd seen how much Robin had cared for her. "Robin's fine." Katherine heaved a sigh of relief again..she wiped her tears and broke into a genuine smile thinking about Robin grinning at her.

Valek felt even more sorry for her seeing her eyes hopeful like that, her black hair flowing in the little wind that came into the room. Valek easily suppressed his emotions. "Rob...Robin...asked me to give this to you." He said, handing her the letter.

Looking at the letter, suddenly, Katherine had a feeling what it meant. She stared at the letter outstretched toward her...then at the odd figure holding it. Katherine felt tears come up in her eyes.

"Wha...what is this?" she asked without taking the letter.

"It's...a message. From Robin." answered Valek. Katherine just stared at him, not wanting to take the letter and confirm her suspicions. Valek knew what was going on through her head...but he also had to have her read the letter. For Robin's sake as well as her.

"It's answers, pantherian." said Valek, stretching the letter out to her further. "Answers to all your questions about Robin."

Whatever creatures pantherians were, one thing that defined them was their curiosity. Despite the situation, Katherine's pantherian half somewhere itched to finally know the explanation to what was going on.

Slowly, Katherine reached out to take the letter. She kept feeling that this mysterious guy would snatch it away from her at the last second, but he held it out for her patiently, still as a statue. She took the heavy package, gingerly opened it, and pulled out the parchments. After wiping away her little tears she started reading.

Valek stood there, observing her moves. Without even having to read the letter, he knew what it said. He saw Katherine's expression slowly turning to pain...to utter devastation. He saw her dark blue eyes light up with fresh tears...he saw the difficulty she was having in stopping herself from breaking down completely.

Katherine just kept on reading. She understood everything now. She understood that Robin was not of this world...she understood what the burnt bodies in the homestead meant...she knew what his disappearance meant. She understood why Robin had to go...she knew everything now.

When Katherine ultimately finished the letter, she looked up at Valek, not really seeing him. Her mind had stopped and so had her heart. Finally, she had understood every mystery she'd ever had about Robin...at the price of losing him. She'd read how Robin had told her to move on...to not detach herself from all social contact...how he hadn't betrayed her. How he had broken his promises not out of choice...but to protect her.

Valek gently stretched out his hand and took the letter from Katherine's hand. She let it go without protest. Even as she watched, the letter suddenly caught red fire in Valek's hand and shriveled up into ashes.

"Robin loves you." said Valek suddenly. Katherine's eyes refocused on Valek's face.

"Robin loves you." repeated Valek. "I...saw it in his eyes. I saw the pain...the hurt. I hope you realize he's not leaving you by choice...I hope you realize he meant to keep every promise he ever made to you."

Suddenly, the finality of what had just happened sunk into Katherine and it was like a dagger of emotions went through her heart. Barely managing to stand up, she nodded, more tears forming in her eyes. "I...know." she said, her voice cracking slightly. "I know."

Valek looked at Katherine, still with a strong expression on her face. She's taking this better than I thought. Heh...she's strong. She'll be fine. "Good luck to you, pantherian." said Valek, turning around.

"Wait!" exclaimed Katherine. Valek glanced back at her. Katherine blinked, trying to clear her vision of tears. "Tell...tell him...tell Robin that...that I...that I love him! And...and...that I understand." Valek raised his eyebrows.

Katherine pleaded again. "Tell him I understand! Tell him...I understand why...why he's leaving me." Katherine's voice failed her and her eyes blurred again. "Please...please tell him that. If you don't...he'll...he'll never be able to live with himself."

Valek almost smiled. She knows Robin just as well as he knows her. He nodded. Suddenly, he turned into smoke and the dark cloud whooshed out of the window. For a second, Katherine just stood there in the emptiness...alone. Then all the emotions came crashing down, and she collapsed, weeping. With not a soul around, Katherine sat in that dusty floor crying and crying.

* * *

"I wonder what he's doing." wondered Eve out loud.

Evelyn, Liana, and Felicia were standing the mansion's grand kitchen. More out of boredom than out of hunger, they'd decided to cook some kind of brunch for everyone. Robin had disappeared in one of the many bedrooms in the mansion, and Alex hadn't moved out of the sofa in the study. The girls figured food was the only thing that would at least help everyone to shift focus.

"He said he wanted to make 'preparations', didn't he?" said Liana, inspecting the huge cabinets all stocked with fine cutlery and silverware.

"Whatever that means." muttered Felicia, going through all his exquisite kitchen facilities. Even the tap all the way out here was gold and ornate. "Just how rich is Val?" she asked loudly.

"Immeasurably so, it seems." said Eve, looking at all the exquisite fresh ingredients from the pantry. The girls had guessed the mansion used some sort of magical spell to keep the food fresh for unnatural amounts of time.

"I mean, he hasn't come to this house in years, yet it's kept as prim as if he lives here." said Felicia walking over to the huge countertop.

"And he's so dismissive of this huge mansion too." said Eve. "As if it's nothing to him."

"Yeah..." said Liana. "Makes me wonder what his bigger mansions are like."

There was a few moments of silence as the three girls silently imagined Valek's grand mansions with their immaculately dressed servants, the exquisite decor, and lethal Order members guarding the halls. Suddenly, Felicia burst out laughing.

"What?" asked Liana.

"Look at us!" laughed Felicia. "Mooning about some noble's wealth. We really have become commoners in medieval times, haven't we?" The three girls burst into fresh laughter, glad to take their minds off their present situation.

"Well, to be fair, Val's also changed. He's a seductive Vampire-Lord now." said Liana, wiping her tears.

"Yeah," said Felicia, wonderingly. "that's why he was always so good with girls. Aren't vampires like natural seducers...having sex with women just to drink their blood after they fall asleep?"

Eve gasped and dropped the copper pot she was holding. It fell on the stone floor with a loud clang, but she ignored it. "You...you don't think Val...Val drank my blood, do you?"

"What? Have you slept with him?" joked Liana. Then she saw Eve's serious face and the fact sunk in. "Waaaait...you have!?"

Eve turned around, red in the face, and picked up the pot. She placed it on the countertop not making eye-contact. Felicia and Liana glanced at each other slyly and crept up to her.

"You little minx!" exclaimed Felicia. "You kept that a secret from us this long?"

"When did it even happen?" asked Liana. "Recently?"

Eve, still red, shook her head. "No. It was a long time ago."

"When?"

"A few years ago."

"When?"

Eve sighed. "Remember that time when you people had come over to visit us in Denver, and decided to go out to the waterpark...and me and Val said we were sick?"

"Vaguely." muttered Liana. "But I'm remembering now. You said you'd had a sunstroke or something."

"Yeah, and Val said wasn't feeling well and was in no mood to frolic about in the sun." said Felicia, slowly. She remembered the hue-and-cry that had ensued when two of the members of their group had decided to drop out on such an anticipated activity.

"Yeah, well..." said Eve, going even redder. "I had asked Val to not go to the water-park that day. To make up some excuse."

"What!?" exclaimed Liana. "You clever little-"

"And he agreed?" asked Felicia. "Far as I remember, at that time, Val had turned really sarcastic and dick-ish."

"Dick-ish?" giggled Liana.

"Shut it!" ordered Eve, going beetroot shade. "He was a bit cynical, but he agreed."

"You were brave!" proclaimed Liana. "Planning out the sex like that. In your parents' hou-"

"It wasn't planned!" protested Eve, he face positively fuming heat. "I...I dunno what exactly I was thinking. It's just...at that time he was looking so...hot...and so...irresistible. I...just wanted to get him alone even if it was for just a second. I kept trying to, but you two were always poking in. So, when the water-park trip came up, it was the perfect excuse. I feigned a sunstroke and asked Val to do the same."

Liana and Felicia grinned widely. "And then?"

"And...well...after you all were gone, he came up to my room. My heart was...exploding. I was cursing myself for ever having thought up something like this...to get Val and me alone. But...when he finally showed up...I...I had to invite him in my room. We...well, we sat on my bed for some time...and I awkwardly couldn't figure out anything to say." Eve gazed out into the distant, reminiscing. She continued with a gentler tone. "But...Val was different then. He wasn't being sarcastic when I made small talk."

"And?" The two girls were leaning in even closer now.

"Well...we talked. Slowly...we broke the ice. We talked for a few hours...and...and then we talked about relationships. We told each other how we weren't in any at the moment. Then...I have no idea from where, I suddenly leaned in to kiss him but he moved at the last second."

"What!?"

"But he instantly realized what I had tried to do...and...he looked at me softly. He...reached his hand and touched my cheek...and...ever so gently...kissed me."

"And!?"

"Well...we...we had sex then." said Eve, going redder remembering all the details. Felicia and Liana burst out giggling while Eve played with her thumbs, embarrassed.

When the two finally stopped, Felicia grabbed her sister's shoulder. "And how was it? Your first time in your own bed!"

Eve shifted a bit uncomfortably. "It...it...it was my first time...and..."

"It was bad?"

"No!" exclaimed Eve. "It...was the single most best experience of my life. When...when we were finally done, I was so...exhausted, I just collapsed on the bed naked and fell asleep."

"Wait...weren't you already on the bed..?" muttered Liana.

"Anyway!" exclaimed Eve looking like she'd explode. "Let's get back on topic! Did...Val drink from me then?"

Both Liana and Felicia relapsed into silence. Was that something Valek would do? Even Eve was silent. She didn't know how to feel. Somewhere, she felt she'd been violated if Val had done that without asking her...but for the most part, she didn't mind either. In her mind, there was something...romantic? Hot?... about Valek the vampire sleeping with her and drinking her blood.

Eve shrugged. "Eh, I don't mind."

Liana and Felicia looked at her incredulously. "Aren't you even curious?"

"A little." answered Eve. "I...guess I'll just ask him when he gets back."

"Oooh!" said Liana. "My little girl's all grown up now."