 
THE MIDNIGHT SON

DESPAIR

By Louise Warren

Copyright 2012 Louise Warren

Smashwords Edition

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PROLOGUE

There is something interesting and compelling about a key without a lock to open. What is it meant for? What secrets would it unlock if it were able to find its' rightful lock?

This particular key that Alanah was mesmerized by, had been the means to escaping her silver collar, the one that had been placed around her neck, signifying she belonged to Daniel Newman – his sacrifice to aid his initiation into the Family of the Eternal Life.

Only it had been Dan who had freed her from the collar, the man who should have killed her, but could not help love her. The man who had forsaken everything he had ever known because he loved her. It had been his love and her trust in him that had saved them both and brought them to their current happy situation.

The key had become something of a talisman to Alanah. It represented freedom and she had taken to wearing it on a necklace. Dan had not been happy that a reminder of what they had been through now adorned her body as a piece of jewellery, but Alanah had managed to convince him that it represented the key to their future and not a reminder of the hell they had been through together and Dan had reluctantly accepted her reasoning.

There was something hypnotic about the silver key. Yes, it had opened the lock on the collar that had been placed around her neck, but she knew there was much more to this key than met the eye. She remembered how big it had been when she had taken it from the lock on the collar, how it seemed to have two sets of teeth, one that hadn't been used to unlock the collar. Her heart told her it would unlock something else, something currently unknown to her.

The shaft of the key had caught her eye, having three Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Eye of Ra – the tattoo that sat proudly between her shoulder blades and the symbol that graced the sun on Dan's arm, the Ankh – the key of life, and a lion's head with a sun disk above it's ears. She could not bear to part with something that still held secrets and was a link to whatever destiny she and Dan were supposed to fulfil.

Alanah did secretly worry that she was obsessing with the key – she did not want to be Gollum, but something told her it was important and she could not let it be lost at the bottom of her jewellery box. She was comforted when it was near.

CHAPTER 1

"What have I done?!" Alanah cried with mock exasperation. She placed the phone down in the cradle before sitting back on the sofa next to Dan. He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest, cradling her head over his heart. She could hear the thud thud below her ear.

"You've inadvertently invited your parents, brothers, Jessie, my Dad and Christina and Callum to come to France to attend our wedding – all in 2 phone calls. I'm impressed! It's not very often you can change the course of destiny so completely by talking to people thousands of miles away!" Dan said laughing at the horrified face of his soon to be wife. It was all fun to him, and he was secretly pleased her family would be there as he knew, although she wouldn't admit to it to him, he knew that she would regret it if they were not part of the day.

"But it's now what we dreamed of! It's supposed to be just you, me, the priest and 2 witnesses, that's what we said we'd do. Now Mum and Dad are flying all the way from America, and bringing Steve and Paul with them." Alanah sighed dramatically. "And we don't have enough room here in the cottage to put them all up and...." She was getting a little worried for nothing.

"Sshhsh." Dan tried to calm her down. "They can stay in the hotel just off the town square, I'll phone them right now and organize the rooms – we have 5 days and before you ask, I'll arrange a wedding breakfast for all of us, I'm quite sure I can adapt my current plans to include everyone else. You don't have to worry about a thing. I promise you, having your family here will make the day better not worse." Dan smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"I know you're right, it's just a bit of a shock that things have changed so completely in such a short time." Alanah smiled, still trying to come to terms with the fact that in just a few days practically her whole family would be descending on the quiet village that they lived in. "I know Mum and Dad have been saving all my life for my wedding. Dad would be so disappointed if he didn't get the chance to walk me down the aisle, I am his only daughter after all. I just wasn't expecting two phone calls to change everything like this, I thought it was too late for them to come and start asking questions about you." And she had to admit she was worried about that.

"Well they'd have asked questions after the wedding anyhow, at least this gives them the chance to approve our marriage rather than have it thrust upon them without any warning that it was happening. I think that would be much worse than them meeting me before the wedding." Dan said, acting all reasonable and responsible.

"You're right of course, you always are." Alanah kissed his cheek. "I just don't know what on earth we are going to say to them, it's such a shock to them as it is. We'll have to come up with a convincing story, I did tell mum that I'd met you at Julie's birthday party, so we can use that as a starter for 10, we just have to come up with a timeline for everything else and make sure we both know it. The last thing I want is for us to get in a muddle and them to realise we are lying to them, and I'd hate for that to happen. I feel bad enough having to lie to them without them finding out about it and then they never would trust you. But we could never tell them the truth. That is way worse than lying to them. I guess it's a catch 22 situation. But otherwise, yes, you are right, them being here is what we both need." She kissed Dan's lips. "My parents are gonna love you, you're just the type of man they want me to marry."

"Except for the sacrificial affair, your wrist being slit, your hair being cut, your virginity being checked...." Dan went through the list, only to be stopped mid sentence by Alanah putting a finger over his lips.

"Everything happens for a reason, and there is nothing either of us could have done to prevent them happening. You did the best you could in the circumstances that were presented to you, and I love you all the more for what you did to save my life. Besides, we won't be mentioning any of that to mum and dad when they arrive, that's why we are making a plan of what to say to them so they don't get freaked out by what has happened. Without you, I would be dead, yet here I am alive and about to marry you. I couldn't be happier if I tried and nothing you say will stop that from being true.

"Those things were out of your control and you know I don't hold any grudges with you for them. Let us never mention them again." She kissed his lips again, hoping to seal all his guilt away for good, she never wanted him to feel accountable over what had happened, she knew it wasn't his fault, even though he believed it was. "Nothing in this world could stop me loving you. Nothing."

Dan smiled and kissed her again. "Are you going to ask Jessie to be your bridesmaid?" He asked casually, already sure of her answer.

"Of course I am! We promised each other when we were 9 that we would be each others bridesmaids! I was feeling a bit guilty about not fulfilling that promise, I know she'd be devastated if she wasn't, but I suppose I can forgive myself for that now." She sighed almost relieved. That was definitely a good outcome for having Jessie come and she was very happy about that.

"Well she arrives the day after tomorrow, so you still have a couple of days to sort a dress out for her. I'm very fond of Jessie, and I want you to make sure she is pampered as much as you will be. She went through a lot when she was at the Family too, and she beat herself up about you all the time, convinced it was her fault you were to be taken. I want nothing more than for her to have a wonderful life so she can forget everything that was done to both of you whilst you were there. I'm so glad she is coming, Dad too, he sounded so strange on the phone, sad I suppose when I spoke to him, I guess he has lost the most from leaving the Family. I was there for 28 years, for him it was close to 55. He has lost more than I ever have by leaving with us." Dan signed.

"You can talk to him when he arrives with Jessie, Callum and Christina. I think you probably have a lot left to say to each other." Alanah smiled and squeezed his hand.

"It's amazing how easy it is to travel the world at such short notice these days. You told your mum and dad less than an hour ago and they have already been able to confirm they have flights for tomorrow! And Jessie and the others are on the euro star the day after!" Dan was in admiration of the power of the internet – it was after all how he made his living creating and maintaining websites.

"Are you going to ask someone to be your best man?" Alanah wondered if Dan would want someone to step up for him.

"Yes, but Dad or Callum? Either would do an admirable job." He really didn't know who to choose.

"I think you should ask Callum, but ask your Dad to be a witness. I can ask my dad to be the second witness, that way they are both equal and feel they have played a part. Mum will just be happy to be mother of the bride!" Alanah suggested.

"That's a great idea. See, you can always see the best in every situation, you were so made for me!" Dan kissed Alanah passionately, and all talk of the wedding evaporated into a flurry of clothes being hastily removed by hungry hands.

Ever the gentleman and the sofa not being big enough, Dan lifted Alanah into his arms and carried her upstairs giggling. Their bedroom had become a safe haven for the two of them, a place to be completely alone with each other and they were so happy in their cocoon that nothing else outside of the room mattered to them when they lay entwined together.

It was impossible for either of them to put into words what being with each other really meant to them. Since the first time they had met almost a year ago in the night club they had become knotted together for eternity and neither of them could imagine being alone again.

Dan had never felt like this over any of the other women he had been with, this was what true love felt like, consistent and complete, never feeling alone in the world, always having someone to talk to, someone to love.

Their passion for each other had not waned in the 5 months that they had been free to be together. Each time they made love was as amazing as the first. It was as if they were being rewarded for the horrors they were put through during Alanah's incarceration at the Family. Their honesty and trust of each other belied the despair that was to come, but unaware that destiny was about to raise its ugly head again, they continued to make love in their bubble of happiness.
CHAPTER 2

"So, you're the man my Alanah wants to marry." Alanah's father said gruffly as he looked Dan up and down.

"Dad!" Alanah said, excruciatingly embarrassed by the first words that had passed his lips since he had arrived. They hadn't even set foot in the cottage yet. His reputation of being blunt and to the point usually preceded him, but she had hoped he'd give Dan the benefit of the doubt before he showed those traits to him. Apparently not.

Alanah's father was just over 6 foot tall with greying sandy blonde hair. His face was weathered and he had the beginnings of jowls at his jaw line. His eyes were the same hazel green as Alanah's and they shared the same nose and lips, which admittedly looked better on Alanah. He stood waiting for Dan's response.

"Yes sir, I am." Dan smiled, slightly nervously. He held his hand out to Mr Moore, trying to not let it shake with nerves. Strangely dealing with Anthony and the Family had been easier than introducing himself to his future father in law, he guessed it must be because he had a purpose when he was working on their escape, and right now all he had to do was get Mr Moore to like him, or at the very least accept him as his soon to be son in law, and that was scary!

"Well I would have appreciated a little more notice and a chance to actually get to know you before I allow you to marry my daughter." He didn't mean to be grumpy, but Alanah getting married was a big thing to him, and he was just thankful that she had told him about the wedding so that he had the time to get there and give her away on her wedding day, he would have been completely devastated if he hadn't been able to do that for his only little girl.

"Michael!" Alanah's mother exclaimed, equally as embarrassed and horrified as Alanah had been. "We've only just got here and already you are giving a bad impression to the man who is going to be your son in law. I haven't even had a chance to hug Alanah yet!" At which point she gently pushed past Michael and hugged Alanah as if her life depended on it.

Dan smiled as he saw mother and daughter in each others arms. Alanah's mother looked strikingly like Alanah.

It was clear to see where Alanah had gotten her red hair – her mother still had an impressive mane herself, although he did think the colour had had a helping hand, but it did not distract from the fact it was obvious they were mother and daughter. Her mother – whose name was Louise was slightly fuller in figure than Alanah, but she had kept her looks and was certainly a role model for middle aged women across the world. Dan wondered if he was seeing a glimpse of the future for Alanah, and he was pleasantly surprised.

"What have you done to your hair?" Alanah's mother asked almost gobsmacked. She walked around Alanah scrutinizing the situation with her hair.

Alanah's long flowing locks had been abruptly removed by Mary, Dan's mother when she had been a prisoner at the Family. It had started to grow back and almost reached her shoulders when she wore it straight, but as she had let it curl naturally today it was considerably shorter. She was wishing she had taken the time to straighten it now; it would have lessened the impact for her mother, but probably not that much.

"Um..." Alanah began. She could hardly tell her the truth.

"Lani!" Steve, Alanah's elder brother said quickly walking to her and giving her a bear hug, deflecting the difficult question her mother had asked.

Hair was an issue, Alanah had always been told how beautiful hers had been and spent her teenage years being persuaded not to cut it off, even though she had really wanted to. Fate had stepped in and removed it for her, but now she could not wait for it to grow back again!

"Thanks!" Alanah whispered to Steve as she returned the hug.

Steve was almost 2 years older than her. He had tortured her something rotten when she was a child, but now that they were both adults (in age at least, Steve like most men was still a teenager at heart!), he was the brother he should be – supportive and protective.

Steve followed in the footsteps of his father in so many ways. Not only in his career choice – they were both architects, which was the reason they had been living in America, they were building a sky scraper. But it was the looks that as Steve had grown up had become fascinating. Steve, although taller than Michael at 6 foot 2 inches was the spitting image minus the jowl and greying hair. He shared the same hazel green eyes as his father and Alanah.

Steve removed his arms from around his sister and turned his attention to Dan, holding his hand out to him. "Steven Moore, pleased to meet you." He smiled genially. There was a trustworthiness to him that Dan warmed to instantly. He was sure they would become firm friends.

"Daniel Newman, likewise." Dan said accepting his hand. He smiled warmly at his soon to be brother in law. "How was your flight?"

"Good, thanks..." Steve started before being interrupted by the youngest of the Moore family.

"Mum, the plug socket won't fit my charger!" whined Paul.

"That's because you are in France and you're trying to jam a US plug into it. It won't work." Alanah giggled as she looked at the little brother who wasn't quite so little any more!

Paul had been something of an after thought. At 16 he was 5 years younger than Alanah and 7 years younger than Steve. He had been an unexpected, but very loved addition to the Family, so loved he was on the verge of becoming spoilt.

He shared Alanah's curly red hair, which he was currently wearing in a short back and sides, which Alanah assumed was to hide the curls which erupted all over his head if he let them grow. He had embraced them when he was little, but the acceptance of them had waned when he had discovered girls and wanted to look more like a man than a little boy. He was as tall as Alanah, but it looked like he still had some growing to do.

"I'm missing prom to be here." He said sullenly, not even looking at Dan once. He was the classic put upon teenager, and Alanah could not believe how much he had changed since she had last seen him. She looked closely at his face, seeing that he had begun to shave, but was still in the every now and then stage rather than the every day ritual it was for Dan.

"I'm sorry." Alanah said kissing his cheek, he instantly wiped the kiss away, scowling.

"Now Ellen's gonna go with someone else."

"I said I'm sorry squirt." Alanah shrugged, unsure how to placate him.

"Don't call me squirt any more, I'm not a baby." He sunk into the sofa and seemed reluctant to continue with a conversation.

"Just ignore him sweetheart, he's grumpy because he's worried his girlfriend will go with someone else." Alanah's mother smiled. It was evident she had been dealing with this side of him for some time.

"Please tell me you have put the kettle on, we're all gasping for a cup of tea!" Michael said dramatically, but he couldn't help smile lovingly at his daughter, knowing that that particular look always managed to get him his own way. Although he could already tell that Dan had replaced him in her heart, and she would never be daddy's little girl anymore. That was going to take some getting used to.

"Anyone would think they don't have any tea bags in America the way you're going on!" Steve laughed. "But he's right Lani, a cuppa would be nice." He smiled angelically at his sister.

"Sure, I'll go sort it out." Alanah smiled back, feeling the metaphorical elbow in the ribs.

"I'll help sweetheart." Her mother said following her out into the kitchen. It didn't surprise Alanah, she had that sneaky suspicion that her Dad wanted to grill Dan alone and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him.

And she was right.

"So, Daniel. How did you meet my Alanah?" He asked, staring at him too intently.

"We met at a friend's birthday party, almost a year ago." Dan replied calmly. He and Alanah had discussed what to say, and kept to the facts, however loosely that might be.

"Rushing into things a bit aren't you?" Alanah's father was unruffled, and focused on his interrogation.

"No sir, I don't think so. I love Alanah completely and I don't want to live my life without her." Dan said with complete sincerity. Alanah had told him her father would question him regarding their swift marriage.

"Dad, you and mum were already married by now and expecting me. No double standards please." Steve said rolling his eyes.

"You're older than her?" Michael asked, determined to continue. He scrutinised Dan's face, hoping he would be able to ascertain his exact date of birth from the almost indistinguishable little crows feed that circled his eyes.

"Yes, seven years older." Dan said. He couldn't help remember the first time he had seen her – when she was less than an hour old. But he wasn't going to tell him that.

"Do you share things in common?"

"Yes plenty. Age is just a number and they do say ladies mature quicker than men, so in outlook we are very much matched." Dan said smiling, doing his best to appear amiable.

"No kidding, I'd rather be surfing or playing on my computer rather than doing anything more serious in my down time. All girls exceed my current maturity. Maybe that's why I'm currently single!" Steve said patting Dan on the back. "Welcome to the family mate, I know Alanah wouldn't choose just anyone."

"Thank you." Dan smiled at him. "Mr Moore, I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life taking care of Alanah, she is everything to me. Meeting her was like taking my first breath. Nothing else can compare to her coming into my life. It feels like I only started living after I met her, everything before that was just existing. I will be a good husband, and hopefully, in time father. I give you my solemn promise." Dan placed his hand over his heart as he made his binding deal with his Alanah's father.

Michael smiled for the first time at Dan. "That's all a father can ask for his daughter. They may be flowery words, but I can see that you mean them. Alanah is my only daughter, and call me old fashioned if you want to, but it is my duty to ensure she is not only happy, but that she has a husband who will love her and take care of her for the rest of her life. Marriage is for life, not just a few years, you have to go into it with your eyes wide open and understand that as well as the happy times, there will be difficult times to overcome, but if you do it together, you can achieve anything. I truly believe this, and Louise and I have proved this over the years, and we are stronger now because of the things we have overcome together. Besides, I have 4 days to quiz you some more about your intentions towards Alanah and I promise you I will grill you to the extent you are barbequed. But for now, I accept you as my daughters intended."
CHAPTER 3

It was a couple of hours later when there was an unexpected knock on the door. Dan went to open it and was immediately engulfed in Jessie's hugs. The force and swiftness of her embrace almost knocked him over, but he stopped himself in time to peer down at the top of her head and smile when he realised who it was hugging him so tightly.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't wait until tomorrow." Jessie said hugging him even tighter. "I knew I couldn't sleep tonight with excitement, and if I'm honest, I haven't slept since Lani called! I'm so excited, I do hope you don't mind!" She said looking up at him with sparkly eyes and a look of complete enthusiasm on her face.

"Yeah, so we all had to come with her, whether we wanted to or not!" Came an almost, but not disgruntled voice from behind Jessie, familiar and very welcome to his ears.

Dan looked up and saw who had spoken. Callum was smiling at him, and holding his hand was Christina, the woman he should have sacrificed when Dan was supposed to have sacrificed Alanah. Behind them was John, Dan's father and the man who had stabbed Anthony, the leader of the Family in order to facilitate the rescue of the sacrifices and their exit from the Family. His face lit up as he saw the people he loved in front of him. The only other people in the world that he wanted to be here when he married Alanah. It had been almost six months since he had seen them and it was wonderful to see them now.

Alanah, hearing the commotion at the door had raced to Dan's side and pushed Dan and Jessie gently through the door and followed, pulling the door almost closed, behind her. She could not let her family see these people until she had had a chance to see them herself, to acknowledge what they had all been through together just a few months before.

Stood before Dan and Alanah were the only four people in the world who knew how their relationship had really begun. It was the first time they had seen any of them since the fateful morning of the abandoned sacrifice, and there was acknowledgement on everyone's faces that they were indeed lucky to be stood on a balmy evening in France, far away from the worries and horrors they had experienced together. Every single one of them had a serene smile on their face. None of them could be happier.

There was a conspired silence and they all stood there looking at each other before Jessie could hold her excitement in no longer and squealed and hugged Alanah.

"You're getting married!" Jessie jumped up and down in excitement and Alanah had no choice but to jump up and down with her, such was the hold Jessie had on her! When Jessie became excited, Alanah knew you had no choice but to go along with her enthusiasm, there was nothing else you could do except get caught up in it!

"I know!" Alanah said, feeling so happy to have her best friend there.

In all the years they had known each other, Jessie had never been this hyper about anything, and that was saying something! Jessie and enthusiasm went hand in hand! But Alanah knew that she had been backing her and Dan from the beginning and that she was the only person Dan had ever been able to tell about his love for her. Jessie had been the one glimmer of light during the drawn out wait he had been through before he was able to confess his love and release her from the sword that had unwittingly been hanging over her head since the day she had been born. Jessie and Dan were firm friends, and always would be, Alanah was sure. All she needed to do now was find someone equally as wonderful for Jessie, someone she would want to spend the rest of her life with, someone who could be her soul mate, and she knew Jessie wouldn't settle for second best.

Dan held his hand out to Callum who took it instantly, both automatically encompassing the other in a manly hug. They smiled at each other, both greater men than they had been at the Family. Both finally free to become the men they were supposed to be. Since the age of 7 they had been blood brothers and had shared everything that the Path to Eternal Life had given to them. Lessons in how to kill their sacrifices, reasons for why drinking blood from another human was their right as a Family member, things that should have made them want to take the lives of Christina and Alanah, but instead had made both of them separately shiver and choose not to kill their sacrifices. Instead of becoming the monsters the Family had wanted them to be, they had chosen to leave everything they had ever know and start afresh in the real world and were now happier than they could have ever expected to be. They were content with their lives.

Dan looked at Christina. He had not really known her at the Family, his focus being completely on getting Alanah out, and the Dan she had met had been the mask that he had had to pull over himself to escape the scrutiny of Anthony. Not sure what to do or say, and not sure how Christina would react to him he smiled at her and held his hand out to her.

Christina smiled at him and saw instantly that he was being cautious towards her she wanted him to know that she had no ill will towards him and should not feel difficult around her, so she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I'm so pleased for both of you. Thank you for letting Cal and I attend your big day." She could have been scared of him, but she knew she would not be alive if Dan had not wanted to save Alanah, for it was him who had facilitated the coup that had given Cal the courage to save her too.

"You are very welcome and I hope you won't mind if I ask Cal to be my best man?" Dan asked smiling, grateful for the way she had greeted him, he felt at ease again. He was delighted when Christina's face broke into the biggest smile ever.

"Mate! Really?" Cal beamed. "I'd be honoured." They hugged again.

"You've been my brother since I was 7, I couldn't think of a better man." Dan looked at him, feeling that Cal was in fact his brother in so many ways that exceeded the blood brother pact that had been arranged for them by their mothers. He was so glad he was here, it felt right for Cal and Christina to witness their marriage.

John had stood patiently and quietly whilst his son has greeted everyone else. He was subdued within himself, but he would not let his worries affect their current happiness and he had been trying to appear happy for Dan and Alanah, not wanting to let them see how unhappy he really was. He knew he would be the cruellest man alive if he let them see his worries and admit to what he knew was inevitable. Happiness was the only real wedding present he felt he could give them.

"Dad!" Dan finally said. He had wanted to be able to give him his full attention and now that he had been able to greet the other three he walked towards John and they shook hands – throughout his 28 years of life they had always struggled to be comfortable with more than a handshake and they both understood the other enough to understand the handshake was full of love.

"I'm so glad you let us come." John said smiling at Dan and Alanah, doing his best to banish his melancholy.

"I guess we were being a little selfish trying to do it on our own. I've realized today that we have 8... make that 7 people, as Paul would rather be going to his prom, who want to be here with us to celebrate our marriage. I feel very lucky to have you all here." Alanah hugged him. She hardly knew him, but he was Dan's father and Dan trusted him completely, and he was soon to be family. She was already fond of him; he had after all helped them escape the Family.

"Dad, Lani and I would be privileged if you would be one of our witnesses." Dan said, hoping John would be pleased with the offer of a pivotal part of the ceremony.

"I can think of nothing more I would love to do than that. You two are perfect together and witnessing your marriage would be my honour." He kissed Alanah's cheek.

The front door opened and Steve poked his head round the door. "Everything all right out here?" He grinned. He looked around at the strangers, and spotting the only person he knew, he couldn't disguise a huge smile on his face as he greeted her. "Hi Jess. Glad you could make it, it's been ages since I last saw you." His face flushed slightly.

Jessie went beetroot red. "Hi Steve." She felt like a 15 year old girl again, all coy and shy! Internally she was cursing herself for reverting back to her teenage self, recalling the huge crush she had had for so long. She was very embarrassed.

"We need to check into the hotel, so we won't stay, we just wanted to let you know we had arrived." John smiled. "We'll do the proper introductions in the morning, I'm sure your family are as exhausted as we are." John said, stifling a yawn. "Especially as this one was knocking on my door this morning demanding we come today!" He smiled at Jessie and pulled her in for a protective hug.

"Are you up for shopping tomorrow Jess?" Alanah asked casually.

"Sure. Always up for shopping! Why?" She asked.

"Well I need to buy your bridesmaid dress!" Alanah beamed at her best friend.

"Really?" Jessie asked open eyed in excitement.

"A promise is a promise. Twelve years ago we made a promise to each other and I am keeping my promise." Alanah smiled.

"Thank you so much." Jessie almost cried.

"Come on, let's go find the hotel, I want a shower and something to eat. We will see you both tomorrow." John said ushering everyone away from the door.

"Come by before 11am and we can catch the train into Paris. Christina, I'd love it if you came too, a third opinion will be needed when we shop or we'll be there forever! Good bye, I love you all." Alanah called after them.

Standing in the door way, Dan put his arm around Alanah and held her close. "Still wishing you hadn't made those two phone calls?" He kissed the top of her head, loving having her so close to him.

"No. We're gonna have everyone we love around us. I couldn't be happier." She leaned up to kiss him.

When the others had disappeared from sight Dan closed the door and they returned to the front room to Alanah's family.

What no one had seen was Dan's mother – Mary – She had been watching with great interest from the shadows.
CHAPTER 4

Jessie had been persuaded by Steve to take a drive through the countryside. He had said that now that all the plans for the wedding were complete, they should take some time out and explore the Loire Valley before she returned to the UK. She eventually accepted his pleading when he used his puppy dog eyes on her, secretly ecstatic that he had asked her.

Jessie sat quietly next to Steve as he drove the hire car down the small roads. She was nervous, having had something of a crush on him for many years – her best friend's big brother. For the most part Steve had ignored her, seeing her for what she was - his sister's friend, an annoyance when she stayed for sleepovers and joined Alanah in torturing him with their high pitched giggles in the middle of the night.

Steve had only seen Jessie a handful of times since he had gone off to university 6 years ago and had been pleasantly surprised to see how she had matured from the brat of a child he had considered her to be, to the beautiful young woman that sat next to him now. Whilst there was a familiarity to her, they had after all spent a fair amount of their childhoods together over the years, she was now a woman who piqued his interest, and he couldn't help want to get to know her now they were both adults.

Although the atmosphere in the car was slightly tense there was a companionable silence, they were content in each other's company, just a little tongue tied about what to say to each other.

"Are you all ready for tomorrow? Got your dress sorted?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes off the road, although he really wanted to, but he did not know the roads and didn't want to crash the hire car.

"Yes, we had great fun choosing something suitable. Paris is expensive and Alanah was insistent that we didn't just buy the cheapest dress. We went into several very expensive boutiques and I felt very out of place, but she said that Dan was buying and that I deserved something beautiful that I could wear more than once, not just a bridesmaid's dress that I'd hang in my wardrobe and never look at again." Jessie blushed. "We spent almost 500 Euros, just on the dress alone, not to mention the shoes and other accessories."

"Dan must be pretty well off if he can allow Alanah to spend that amount of money on you." Steve laughed, but Jessie could see that he was digging.

"I think he came into an inheritance a few months ago and that is what they are using to pay for everything. He's very generous and I know he'd do whatever he thought was necessary for Lani to have a wonderful day, not that she cares about how much money is being spent, that's part of the reason this is so last minute, she doesn't want your mum going mad, which she knows she would if she was given the chance! It's their wedding and Dan wants Lani to be happy of course." Jessie smiled going red.

Steve pulled the car over into a lay by and shut off the engine. He continued to look out of the window for a few minutes before turning to Jessie. "I'm worried." He said sighing.

"Why?" Jessie asked, knowing full well he was about to grill her about Dan. Thankfully she had had the foresight to ask Alanah what the official story was, so she knew she wouldn't slip up in any way. She could understand Steve's concerns. He didn't know Dan, and he needed the reassurances that she could give him.

"Everything has happened so fast. I've watched Dan closely over the last few days and he seems to truly love Alanah, but there is something I can't put my finger on, something not quite right about him." He had no idea what that was, but it was a niggling concern for him.

"What do you want to know?" Jessie asked quietly, prepared to tell him anything he wanted to know, except of course the real story. That was unbelievable.

"Everything." Steve said looking her in the eye intently.

"Dan first met Alanah at Julie's birthday last year. We were in the Maze nightclub and they started dancing together and they seemed to click straight away. It was like Alanah had found the piece of her that was missing, even though she didn't know it was missing. I've never seen her like it before, but I truly believe she found her soul mate that night." Jessie stopped, wondering how to tell the rest of the story without revealing all the hurt and pain they had been through. "Dan and I have become friends over time, and he's often told me how much he loves Alanah, and you only have to look at him to know it's true. I know without a shadow of any doubt that they are supposed to be together. To see Lani without him would be like her losing her right arm. They are made to be together, and Dan is the one who agreed to live here in France so that Alanah can pursue her dream of teaching here. I think he'd follow her to the end of the world." Jessie smiled, pleased that she had been able to miss out the horrors they had all been through.

"Do you think it will last?" Steve asked earnestly.

"I think only death will tear them apart." Jessie replied ominously.

Steve smiled. "I know I'm being an ass asking these questions, but I've never known Lani to act so swiftly. She has always held herself in check, much too much for my liking, I've always thought she should have gone on a few more dates than she did when she was at school. It's like she has changed completely since we went to the US. I guess I'm finding it a little strange that she has found someone to love so completely, so quickly. She was always so shy, although Dad seems to have approved of her lack of interest in boys."

"I think most Dad's want to protect their daughters, I'm sure you'd be no different if you were a dad." Jessie laughed at the thought of Steve being a father. "But I can understand what you mean about this being a bit out of character for Lani. What you must understand is that she has grown as a person since you all went to Houston. She has been in charge of her own life and I guess she has grown into her own personality and that's not a bad thing. She has had to stand on her own two feet and grow up. We both have and we are both better people for it. She has supported me more than anyone else after Ruby died and I wish I had listened to her more and not got caught up in that stupid church like I did." Steve knew she had been AWOL for a few months and not acknowledging it would have seemed wrong.

"I'm sure you are right, it's just I want to protect her, make sure she's doing the right thing. She is my sister after all and no matter how much she has annoyed me over the years, I'll always be there for her when she needs me. That's what families do." Steve looked sympathetically at Jessie. "I never did get to tell you how sorry I was about Ruby. It must have been difficult."

"It was, but like I said Lani was there for me, and I know you would have been too if you were in the UK." Jessie smiled at him. "I still carry some guilt with me, and I'm sure I always will, but I know it wasn't my fault now and I won't let it ruin my life. I am who I am because of what happened, and I think that I am a much stronger person than I was, especially after the church thing. Escaping that was a defining moment in my life." She looked over to Steve and saw him looking at her with an intensity she had never seen. "You've never looked at me like that before." She blushed and looked away.

"Sorry, it's just that I've never looked upon you as anything but Lani's friend before, but now I see you as something else." Steve said, complementing Jessie's blush with one of his own.

"What do you see me as now?" She asked almost hyperventilating at what his answer would be.

"A beautiful woman." He managed to stutter, but he meant every word.

Jessie couldn't help burst into giggles. "I'm hardly that. I'm just the same as I've always been."

"A year has changed you, just as much as it has Lani. You are both so different, mature beyond your years it seems."

"We are female; we are always mature beyond the imagination of men." Jessie looked at Steve, her heart beating fast, she had dreamed of this throughout her teenage years, him close to her, seeing her as more than a child, but for it to happen, she had never thought it really would.

"Yes, I remember that being mentioned the other day by Dan." He smiled as he looked at her. "I'm going to kiss you now...." He said and before she had a change to protest – not that she would have, Steve's lips were kissing her tenderly. He lingered close to her, his eyes shut as he relished the nearness of her. There was a serene smile on his face.

"If I'd have known when I was 13 that you would kiss me like that, I would have been desperate for my teenage years to fly by." Jessie sighed.

"Well if I'd have known when I was 15 how beautiful you would be now, I wouldn't have believed it. You were always just my kid sister's friend." He smiled sheepishly at her. "However, I haven't stopped thinking about you since you arrived. I'm seeing you in a whole new light, and if I'm honest, I wanted to get you alone to see if you could look at me differently." He blushed again at his honesty.

"Wow!" Jessie gasped. "You are full of surprises, and there was me thinking all you wanted was to get the gossip on Dan." She looked at him closely, studying him as she never had before. "But you're going back to America the day after the wedding."

"True, but the project is almost finished, I'll be back in the UK in a couple of months."

"Why me?" Jessie asked almost exasperated. Had she really changed that much in the last year for her to suddenly pique his interest?

"You're smile, I think. And we have a shared past. I'd just like to go out on a few dates, no pressure, no expectations. I love America, and I hope to work there again, but there is something comforting about knowing I'm coming home soon. I have had some great experiences, and it will look great on my CV, but if I'm being honest, I can't wait to get home."

"But you know all about me! Seen me make a fool of myself as a teenager." Jessie said, moaning at the memories flooding through her head.

"True, but you surly remember my acne and my mood swings and the scowls I gave you and Lani when you bugged me, and believe me, you both bugged me a lot! Like I said it's a shared past, you know my worst bits as much as I know yours, not that you really have any." There was only a small amount of pleading in his voice.

"What will Lani say!" Jessie finally laughed.

"Is that a yes?" Steve asked raising his eyebrows hopefully.

"Yes! But please, let's not make something of it while we are here. I don't want to detract from tomorrow, it is Lani's wedding day after all." She smiled at Steve.

"Agreed, she'd never forgive me if we upstaged her big day. I know her well enough to know she wouldn't let that grudge go!" Steve smiled and looked at Jessie. "Jessica Williams, my girlfriend, whoever would have thought it!"

"Hang on a sec, a few dates you said, less of the 'girlfriend' thanks." Jessie said indignantly, but she smiled from ear to ear none the less.

Steve leant forward and kissed her cheek. "OK, I won't mention it again .... for a while!" He lent away, but was pulled gently back by Jessie.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't kiss me passionately, I am a woman, after all!" And Steve obliged, kissing her as if he already had her as his girlfriend.

-o-

Steve took a different road on the way back to the cottage, and although he didn't get lost, it did take them somewhat out of the way of the direct route they had taken on their trip through the valley. They were however, rewarded with a glimpse of a Château on the other road about three miles from the village. Feeling very daring and highly inquisitive they drove up the long gravelled path towards the fairytale building.

And it certainly was a fairytale. The late afternoon sun shone beautifully just above the two round grey turrets that rose gracefully above the darker grey roof, arched windows graced the ancient grey walls. The château was surrounded by green trees, secluding a court yard with a generous turning circle which led the eye directly to the double wooden doors that sat perfectly central to the château. There was a small pond to the left of the building which seemed to lead directly towards a large lush green manicured lawn. The château and the setting were stunning and inviting to both of them. There was an air of mystery surrounding the estate that excited both Jessie and Steve.

"I've never seen anywhere quite so beautiful as this." Jessie sighed, enthralled by fantasies of spending a night here in a beautiful princess dress. She placed her hand over Steve's and looked at him happily. He smiled back with equal enthusiasm.

"I wonder whether you can take a tour around it. It looks ancient, and it certainly hasn't been modernised anytime in the last 100 years or so. I'd love to see what history this place has. There is something special about a building that has been standing for so long, the internal architecture itself would be fascinating to view." Steve said excitedly. He opened the door and got out telling Jessie to wait there. The door was opened by an older woman in an apron who, from what Jessie could see willingly seemed to talk to him.

Jessie sat comfortably in the car, her eyes wondering idly over the château, daydreaming about descending a grand staircase in a beautiful dress – possibly the dress that Alanah had bought her for the wedding, Steve waiting for her at the bottom, mesmerized by her as she walked daintily towards him. It was a beautiful fantasy, and she suddenly realized that there was a real possibility of it coming true. Her eyes settled momentarily on a window on the second floor. There was someone looking out.

Doing a double take, Jessie looked back at the dark glass, seeing a face she dimly recognised, but unsure of the name that was attached to that face. She strained her eyes to see closer the features to the unknown person, but was rewarded with no further details from the glassy window.

She felt unnerved, like someone had walked over her grave, but she knew that glimpses of people in windows hardly constituted a real threat – for all she knew she could have been imagining it, but she still felt unsettled.

Steve walked back to the car, a smile on his face, but he also looked a little frustrated. He got in next to her and turned to her to talk. "The old lady said she's never really seen the owner, he works in Paris somewhere, but his assistant came down the stairs just as I was about to apologise for disturbing her, and he said that he would talk to the owner and that he was sure he would let me explore, but he daren't allow me in without his permission. He said I should come back tomorrow, but obviously it's the wedding tomorrow so I can't, and we are leaving the day after. It's a shame, it's a beautiful place." Steve sighed.

"I'm sure you can have a look next time you come and visit Lani and Dan." Jessie suggested as Steve started the car, ready to drive back to the village.

"I think I might just do that." Steve smiled.
CHAPTER 5

The cottage was almost silent – something it had not been in the last few days and Dan was enjoying the novelty of being completely alone. Whilst he had enjoyed the hustle and bustle that had become the norm, he was grateful to have some time alone to make some preparations for when he brought Alanah home as his wife.

Alanah was at the hotel, her mother and Jessie getting her ready for the wedding. It had taken some persuading for Alanah to agree to go and be 'pampered' in the hotel before the big event – she couldn't help but equate it with getting ready to be sacrificed, even though she knew she was being irrational and stupid, it was her wedding, not her sacrifice, but she had woken up a couple of times from nightmares – her memory filled with faces from the Family.

Dan felt unbelievably guilty about that. He knew he probably shouldn't, Alanah had told him plenty of times that it wasn't his fault and he had been doing a pretty good job of starting to believe her, but if he were honest with himself, he could not help still blame himself for everything she had been through. He knew he couldn't change the past, but he wished he could do something to ease the memories that Alanah had from the time she had been a prisoner. Time would heal her and he would do whatever he needed to aid her healing. That was why he had wanted her to have a session at the spa, so that she could relax and feel wonderful before the wedding, but he had started to wish he had chosen something different that held no potential bad memory. Still, getting ready for her wedding was infinitely better than getting ready to be sacrificed, and he hoped she would be able to see that herself. Jessie would be there and he knew she would help make the experience what it was supposed to be.

In fact it had been Jessie who had been the one to convince her to go, she knew that Alanah's mother would be devastated if she didn't get to play mother of the bride. Alanah had only agreed when Jessie had told her about the Spa and the 'beauty experience' that Dan had paid for. It also helped that he had booked out the largest suite for her parents, which meant that she would not be getting ready in a small hotel room, which could have resembled the room she had been confined to at the Family. Dan had really tried his best to make everything easy for her. She wanted to marry him, so the only stumbling block was the getting ready!

Dan had showered, shaved, gelled his hair and adorned himself with aftershave and stood in their bedroom in just his robe. He had secretly been planning their wedding night since he had properly proposed to her two months ago and had utilised his time at home when he was supposed to be working to organise everything he needed to make the evening as romantic and memorable as was humanly possible.

He reached behind the wardrobe and brought out several carrier bags. He left them on the floor whilst he stripped the bed, returning to take the new Egyptian cotton sheets from one of the bags and remade the bed – a task he was not used to doing alone! Alanah had only changed it the day before, but he wanted everything to be perfect for their first night as a married couple.

Carefully tipping the content of the other bags on the floor, he distributed beautiful pure white pillar candles around the room, covering all the empty spaces on the windowsill, the tables and even the floor in places. He took a book of matches from the bag and placed them by the door so that he would be able to light them before Alanah got upstairs and figured out what he was doing – that was the plan anyhow. The last thing he did was take some dried rose petals from an expensive looking box and deftly let them fall onto the bed, and the floor, leading to the door.

Dan surveyed his handiwork, happy that he had created a suitably romantic setting for the night ahead. He knew that Alanah would be surprised – he was not one for huge romantic gestures on a daily basis, but he had taken great thought over their wedding night and wanted perfection as far as was possible. A night to remember for the rest of their lives.

Closing the door he went into the spare room to get dressed in his new steel-gray suit and silver tie. He looked dashing, yet still a little uncomfortable. Suits were still something he was not used to wearing. He knew however that Alanah would approve, she had said enough times over the last few weeks about how wonderful it would be to have a nice photo of him in a suit! Not that he was a scruffy man, far from it, but there was something about a suit and tie that seemed to appeal to Alanah and he wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy.

Hearing a knock on the front door he combed his hair one last time, grabbed his keys and ran down the stairs. At the door, Callum was waiting for him smiling and ready to be his best man.

"I bet you never thought I'd be doing this did you!" Dan smiled back at him.

"There was always something different about you, you never seemed destined to be a part of the Family, let alone the leader. Looking back, I should have guessed that you would have left of your own free will for a second time. There was always an aura around you that didn't co-operate with the aura of the Family. Whatever your destiny is, it's always been there and marrying Alanah today is part of that."

"True, but the fact that I love her completely and unconditionally means I would marry her in a heartbeat anyway. Destiny is not leading me towards that, but at some point it will be coming back to haunt me again."

"From what John has told me over the last few months, which admittedly wasn't that much, whatever is to happen was going to happen regardless of anything else that stands in its way."

"I don't love Lani because of destiny. I love her because of who she is." Dan said, wondering if that were really true. "But is she the way she is because of destiny?"

"Do you love her?" Callum asked.

"Completely. I don't think I could live without her."

"Then you already have your answer. If you can't live without her, then it doesn't matter if it was destiny that made her the way she is. You love her, you want to be with her, so nothing else matters. Be happy, and don't try and second guess why you love her, and why she loves you." Callum smiled at his friend.

"You're right, I know. What about you and Christina, how are things between you two?" Dan asked, wanting to shift the conversation away from the woman that he knew were ridiculous.

"Pretty good. We are taking things a lot slower than you and Lani. It's been a lot more difficult for her to deal with than I ever considered before. But she says she loves me, and I feel the same about her, but I'd be lying if I said I thought it would last because honestly I have no idea what the future holds for us. I hope it does, but I'm working on her agenda and I won't force her to do anything she doesn't want. If she no longer feels she wants to be with me, I won't stop her calling it off. Like Lani she went through a lot and she has to make her own decisions about her life." Callum smiled almost sadly.

"She loves you, I can tell. You're doing the right thing. When she knows what she wants to do, she'll be yours forever, I can guarantee it!" Dan smiled back, slapping Callum on the shoulder in the way men do when they are being supportive.

"All right, enough melancholy, let's go get you married!" Callum laughed brightly.

"Lead me to my destiny!" Dan laughed.

They walked the short distance to the chapel, early but Dan was eager to marry the woman he loved and he couldn't wait to start the rest of his life with her.

CHAPTER 6

Alanah was stood patiently waiting as her mother fussed around her. She had always known her mother would fuss when it came to her wedding day, and she was right, she was. She had been calm and as un-phased as possible during the whole pampering and dressing phase, knowing that it was only a bit of the day – she was looking forward to the rest of it! Alanah was already in her dress and her mother had been 'horrified' that it was not a proper wedding dress!

"But mum, we wanted to do everything low key, not make a huge fuss over everything. It's the marriage, not the wedding that's important, that's the bit that lasts forever. Besides, I don't want to wear anything formal and constrictive." She couldn't tell her mother her real reason for choosing the simple white dress that skimmed her hips and fell to the floor gracefully close to her body. She wouldn't believe a word of what she said, and she certainly never wanted to wear a corset again, the mere thought of it sent waves of panic over her and she knew she had to be calm. Although she did not want to admit it to anyone else, what had happened in the room at the Family had changed her forever. She would never be able to forget what had happened to her there, and she placed the blame squarely on Mary's shoulders.

So she had chosen something uncomplicated and beautiful, a dress she felt comfortable in and knew that Dan would appreciate just as much as she did. The white silk dress was covered in a simple lace which flowed gently over the dress to the floor, open at the front almost as if it were a long waistcoat secured under her bosom with a red ribbon. The lace itself was covered in symmetrical daisies in neat rows flowing down the dress. The sleeves were long and bell like at the end, covering her hands. She shook nervously as she waited for her mother to finish preening her.

Her mother sighed as she pulled the neckline at the back to straighten the collar. "And that tattoo! Why in heavens name did you have that done!" She was in full 'mother mode' having not seen Alanah for almost a year. It was as if she was making up for all the time she had missed!

Alanah smiled, more to herself than for her mother. "A moment of madness. Copious amounts of alcohol and being egged on by everyone else. I like it, and so does Dan. Blame Julie if you must, it was her birthday!" She turned slowly round to face her mum. "Lot's has happened since you went to Houston." She hugged her closely.

"Sometimes I wish I had never left you at home alone. I should have insisted you take a year off and come with us. I worry about you every day. You are still so young." Her mother smiled weakly.

"I am a grown adult, and you know it." Alanah said smiling brightly at her mum.

"Yes. You are." She sighed, her eyes welling with tears. "You are no longer my little girl with the flowing red hair." She looked at the woman in front of her, still seeing her little girl.

"Don't cry mum." Alanah said hugging her mother.

"When I left, you were so innocent, my little girl, and now only a year later you seem so sure of yourself and you look... happy. But it does seem to have come at a price."

"What price?" Alanah asked worried.

"I don't know. There is a confidence about you, a sureness that I've never seen before. You seem resolute and unchangeable in your path."

"Mum, I'm the same person I've always been, I'm just in love. That's something you've never seen before and the sureness you speak of surely comes from that." Alanah smiled.

"Are you sure you are happy? Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with Dan. That's what marriage is, a contract for life." She looked Alanah in the eye.

"I want to spend forever with him. Do you remember what you told me when I was a little girl, about how you fell in love with Dad?"

Alanah's mother nodded, smiling. "I told you he swept me off my feet the first moment I set eyes on him. Although in reality it wasn't quite like that. I was just making up a story for you. I loved him straight away, but it wasn't all fairy tale from the start."

"Well sometimes it is. The first time Dan put his arms around me, I felt like I was home. Nothing else mattered. Everyone else disappeared and he was all I could see and I know it was the same for him. If I wanted to move to the desert, he would follow me. If I wanted to fly to the moon he would find some way to get me there. And equally, I would do everything within my power for him. Marriage is just a piece of paper, but it's the commitment we are making to each other that means something tangible. I want the world to know I love him and that he loves me and together we can face anything that is thrown at us. It makes us equal." Alanah sighed before going on. "I know you think I'm rushing into this, and I understand that, but you and dad were married and expecting Steve within a year and I know you understand what I'm doing. You know what it's like to not want to live without someone and I know that you and dad have had rough patches, but you are still together after almost 25 years. I know he's grumpy and set in his ways, but you wouldn't ever want to live without him and we both know that. It's the same for me and Dan. I'm sure we'll have times of trouble, but equally I know I won't give up on him just like you never gave up on dad."

"I just want you to be happy, and I can see you are with Dan. The only advice I can give you is to never go to bed on an argument. Always sort out your problems when they arise or they'll get bigger and out of proportion so quickly." She hugged Alanah and heard a knock on the door.

Jessie poked her head round the door. "Ready?" She asked, her hair sleeked into a chignon at the back of her head.

"Of course we are. Come in, I want to see what you look like!" Alanah gasped as Jessie entered the room. "So beautiful!!"

Jessie's dress was as simple and pretty as Alanah's. The purple heather silk slinked over her slim body, flowing down to the floor. It was unadorned by anything else, but the dress needed nothing else to make her look stunning. Jessie stood blushing, secretly feeling and looking like a movie star.

"Right, we are all ready. Don't forget the flowers Lani." Her mother passed her the hand tied bouquet of white roses speckled with red roses here and there. "Simplicity is the way this wedding is being run! Such a change to the last wedding we went to, and I'm quite sure it will be better!"

Alanah took the flowers and smiled. "We have 8 guests, Sally had 160, and it's hardly a contest! Besides, I have all the people I care for here, no one else I have to pretend to like just for the day. Today will be perfect.

"OK." Alanah's mother smiled, Steve is walking me to the chapel, and your father will be in in a minute. You look beautiful Lani. Dan is a lucky man." She kissed Alanah good bye and left her alone with Jessie.

Alanah smiled and looked at her best friend. "Don't say it, I already know!" She almost laughed.

"What exactly?" Jessie asked feigning ignorance.

"Today has been nothing like the morning of my 21st birthday." She said, not wanting to go further into detail.

"I knew it wouldn't be!" Jessie smiled. "You look so beautiful, Dan's heart is gonna break with joy when he sees you."

"I don't know about that! But I do feel pretty perfect right now." She smiled brightly.

"You've got yourself a good man, and he has you in return. You're gonna live long happy lives together. I bet you can't wait!"

There was a knock on the door and Alanah's father came in. "And to think I was going to miss this." He smiled at her. "I'm so glad you told us and let us come. I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

"I know Dad, I'm glad you are all here too. Now come on, I have a man to marry!"
CHAPTER 7

Sekhmet was sat on the last row of the small chapel. Her body was swathed from head to toe in a red dress and shawl, only her face was free from the covering, and if she had not been sat in the shade she would have covered that too. It was dangerous for her to be out during the day, but she had to witness the wedding for herself, see Dan and Alanah marry and see how happy they were together. She knew she was well enough hidden to not be seen by any of the wedding party. That was something that could not happen. If she was seen here it would ruin everything and she knew she could not risk that. It would send everyone present into confusion and panic. Yet there she sat.

Dan had been pacing the aisle for about 15 minutes. He seemed a little nervous, but she knew that in reality he was not. He was excited and so looking forward to marrying Alanah and he was walking off his nervous energy in anticipation of her arrival. Alanah would turn up and the whole ceremony would be perfect in every way. Callum and John were doing their best to keep him entertained and it mostly seemed to work as occasionally he would break out into a huge laugh, only to clap his hands over his mouth as he realised he was being rowdy in a sacred place. She knew Dan was not religious in the conventional sense, but Alanah was and he was here because he loved her completely and being here in the sight of the Highest Authority was right for the beginning of their marriage.

Sekhmet could not help smile as she saw the happiness on his face, knowing that it was Alanah who made him feel like this, that at this moment in time he felt like he could do anything in the world, and he was beyond ecstatic. She wished Alanah could see him right now. The playful exuberance that he was displaying made him look like a child in a toyshop. He was so excited. But her heart felt sad knowing that happiness would not be there for much longer. If her body would have allowed it, her heart would have ached for what he would loose. She resigned herself to the fact that she was just an observer, she could not change what was to happen and to even contemplate it would be the catalyst to oblivion. She was torturing herself just by being here, but nothing in the world would stop her being there.

Feeling like a voyeuristic interloper she wondered whether she should really be here tormenting herself with what was playing out in front of her. Could she really just sit here and watch? Witness what was to happen without jumping up and tearing them apart, preventing them from becoming one? She had no choice, she had to let what was to happen happen, she knew what was to come for both of them, and although it felt like she was just here to torment herself viewing what was to happen at the alter, she knew she had to see for herself just how happy Alanah and Dan were on this day.

She comforted herself in the knowledge that she could not do anything to prevent the union about to unfold in front of her. Dan and Alanah had made their own decision to marry and who was she to stop that happening? There were some things that were just out of her control and this was one of them. Seeing that things were about to get going, she slunk further into the darkness, not wanting to draw any attention to herself, wanting to be as invisible as possible.

Alanah's mother walked down the aisle, her arm through Steve's, smiling all the way. There were only the three men at the front to smile at, but the way she was looking around the chapel you would have thought it was full of well wishers and family. This was her one and only chance to be mother of the bride and she wasn't going to waste the opportunity regardless of the size of audience. Paul lagged behind them, he was dressed smartly in a suit, but it was obvious he wanted to be anywhere but here, even though the wedding was just about to start, he looked sullen and uninterested. Sekhmet knew he would regret it when he was older, especially when he looked back at the photos and saw what a brat he had been.

Christina followed Paul at a slight distance, she didn't want to upset him any more than necessary and she slipped into a pew near Callum smiling at him as she did. He sent a 100 watt smile right back at her, clearly pleased to see her. Whatever the future held for them, they would be happy and they would always be together.

It was time for Alanah's entrance. The music started – the classic wedding march and everyone stood and looked towards the back of the chapel, the pre requisite gasps echoed through the building as Alanah walked down the aisle.

Alanah was heartbreakingly beautiful – just like every bride should be. The right ratio of shyness and confidence. Her veil covered her face, but you could see a smile so serene it was as if she could not be any happier that she was right now. Held snugly in her hands were the white and red roses that she had chosen for the day, an effortless posy that complimented the simplicity of the ceremony, and the day as a whole.

She was trying her best to drink in her feelings and capture them so she could replay them again, determined not to let this moment in time fade away without being able to remember it.

Dan's face beamed as he saw her. He had never seen her like this before, radiantly beautiful, serenely happy and clearly ready to become his wife. As she came closer his heart began to beat out of his chest, he was elated. His whole life had been building to this day, he knew there was no going back, and he had no intention of doing so. To him, it was the most significant moment of his life so far, and he understood it was his destiny. As she stood next to him he felt pride, love, happiness and complete devotion all at the same time. Nothing could take away the elation that was running through his body.

Sekhmet closed her eyes, unable to watch the scene in front of her. She was sure she knew what Alanah was thinking and feeling and it broke her heart as she thought of what was to come. Things that neither she or Alanah could change. She imagined standing at the altar, so happy, so confident in the future and so unaware of the hell that was to come. She could feel what Alanah would feel if she knew what she did. She would feel betrayed, resolute in her love of Dan, but aware that nothing either of them had done before this moment or after it would have changed the simple truth that the two of them belonged together forever.

As the vicar read the vows, Dan placed onto Alanah's long porcelain finger a simple platinum ring, signifying his eternal love. She placed onto his finger an identical ring and gently trembled as she did. They had had one simple word engraved inside of the rings, a word that would be part of them – the word 'forever'. When they were told they could kiss, she removed her veil and their lips met. Her trembling stopped and she smiled at her husband.

Sekhmet couldn't help but smile. This happiness between Alanah and Dan may only be a respite in the story that was to come, but it was genuine happiness and she could not help be happy for them. She was not completely cold hearted.

They were as one, their destinies forever united, the future still to come, but now they cared only about the present, they were in love and that was all that concerned them. They were on an unchanging path that they had no control over and yet they felt completely in control. Whatever was to come they would face together.

There was an uproar of cheers from the gathered crowd and Alanah and Dan looked at everyone, both incandescently happy.

They walked from the empty chapel as man and wife ready to walk into the future. Stopping at the entrance, Dan bent forward and whispered in Alanah's ear "Hello Mrs Newman, my beautiful wife." Giggling they walked into the grounds of the chapel ready to begin married life.

Using the couple of precious moments they had before their guests spilled out to congratulate them, they stood looking at each other with complete contentness on their faces.

"I don't think a word exists to tell you how I feel right now." Alanah whispered.

"Well let's think about it and invent a new word, because I feel the same!" Dan smiled as he embraced her in his arms. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

"And you follow closely behind." Alanah beamed. "I honestly don't think I can feel anymore happy than I do right now."

"Are you sure? I'm sure I can think of ways to make you happier." He raised his eyebrows in suggestion.

"True, but that's not something we can do fully clothed and with our families watching. Later, I will be yours completely later." She smiled at him knowingly.

Steve and Jessie were the first people out of the chapel and the embraced them both happily.

The chapel quickly emptied and Sekhmet sat, a single tear falling down her cheek. "I can not stop it happening." She whispered to herself. "It is out of my control." She slipped away out through the side door, hiding herself from the sun. This was a dangerous time to be out for a vampire.

Alanah smiled at her husband. They had finally done it, and they were both so happy and surrounded by the people they loved.

Blushing with bridal shyness, she smelt her posy and stood waiting for Steve to finish taking her photo. "I so can't wait to have a photo of you in a tie!" Alanah whispered to Dan as they stood being photographed by their family. They hadn't bothered with an official photographer, it hadn't been important and she knew Steve was a dab hand with a camera. She smiled at Dan, he looked so handsome in his silver grey suit; Alanah couldn't help feel proud to be his wife. They may have only spent five months together, but it already felt like an eternity and the right man had placed a wedding ring on her finger.
CHAPTER 8

When enough photos had been taken to bore anyone who saw them to death, Dan addressed the gathered crowd in front of him. None of them, including Alanah knew what he had planned.

"As you know, having you all here was a last minute decision, we had planned on doing this in secret and telling you all afterwards. I am however glad that you are all here, it has truly made the day for myself and my wife!" He looked lovingly at her as he said this, so pleased he could officially call her that. "We therefore are continuing with my initial plan for our wedding breakfast, it's a little unconventional, but I think you have all gathered that the whole day is low key, which means that our wedding breakfast is too! So I would like you all to follow Mrs Newman and myself." He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips. There were 'oohs and Ah's' from the ladies and the odd groan from the men at the public display of affection.

"I like the sound of that!" Alanah said accepting the offer of his arm. "Mrs Alanah Newman, I like it very much!"

The ten of them walked out into the valley and came to a table that had been set up by the river in the shade of a secluded tree. The setting was romantic, laid-back and very perfect. It was a beautiful balmy afternoon and everyone was surprised and delighted at the idea of a picnic for their meal. Even Paul, who had remained sulky during the ceremony and photos perked up at the spread before them. It was classic French cuisine, bread, cheese, meats, champagne, wine (plenty of that) and other wonderful pâtés and shellfish. It would be a meal to talk about over the years to come!

They were a happy group as they sat on blankets eating to their hearts content. There was more than enough food for them all, and they were able to try everything without fear of it running out. Everyone was pleasantly full and content, happy that the day had gone so well, and that they had all been able to witness the wedding of two people they all loved.

There wasn't a wedding cake, that had been the one thing that they hadn't had time to arrange, but it really didn't matter to anyone and it wasn't important at all. Speeches however were another thing, and Alanah's father set the precedent for Callum and Dan to follow.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." He began with a glass of champagne in his hand. "Those of you who know me well, which I suppose given the circumstances are only my wife and my children, will know that giving a speech is not one of my strong points. However, today it is my duty to give responsibility for Alanah's happiness to Dan – a very out of date concept I know, but being the old fashioned man I am, a responsibility I take seriously. She has chosen this man for the rest of her life, and I know she will not have made that choice lightly. So as well as giving my daughter to this man, I am pleased to be able to welcome him into my family as my son." Her father wiped away a stray tear as he silently raised his champagne in honour of their marriage. Old fashioned he may be, but he knew Alanah would choose the right person for her, so he accepted Dan, and always would as a member of the Moore family.

Callum had been working on his speech ever since Dan had asked him to be best man a few days before. He had asked for John's help to ensure he did not say anything that would incriminate anyone who had been in the Family. "I've known Dan for pretty much his whole life, we grew up together, and I'd say we were practically brothers. I can say for sure that since he met Alanah he has come alive. There are few things in life that I can say with absolute sureness, but this I can, Dan and Lani were made to be together, and I ask you all to raise your glasses to celebrate the happy couple. To Daniel and Alanah." And everyone raised their glasses once again to toast the happy couple.

Dan hated speeches, but for tradition's sake he stood up and said just a few words. "To say that I love you is an understatement. Without you I can't breathe, without you I can't live. You are my soul and I am yours forever."

There were a few tears of joy from Alanah's mother and the men clapped quietly in agreement, all wishing they could be as eloquent as Dan. Alanah just beamed with happiness as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved.

The afternoon sun was warm but not burning, the sky was blue and none of them had a care in the world. Everyone relaxed, Alanah's father fell asleep and snored – loudly, but no one held it against him. Everyone drifted off into their own little groups. Paul had perched under the tree with his headphones in and seemed oblivious to the rest of the world. Alanah noticed Jessie sitting with Steve and though how nice it was that he wasn't being left out.

"You look happy." Steve said as he sat next to Jessie. "You look beautiful too." He whispered.

"Flattery will get you no where... today." She smiled back. "I couldn't be happier for them, and that speech, well that was so simple, so heartfelt, so perfect." She sighed. She knew Dan meant every word, and she was so happy for them both.

"You sound a little jealous to me!" Steve said laughing. Jessie had a faraway look about her, and it was very inviting.

"Not at all." Jessie said indignantly. "I... I'm very happy for them." She blushed.

"Don't worry, I'll come up with something equally as sweet for our wedding day!" Steve smiled. "I'm sure I can find the right words to make all the ladies weak at the knees and wish they were you!"

"That's being a bit presumptuous isn't it!" Jessie exclaimed. But her heart beat faster at the idea and she couldn't help picture Steve saying the words Dan had said. She had to stop herself smiling, she was trying to play indignant.

"Maybe, but that's what I'm aiming for." He said without a hint of irony.

"A few dates you said...." She blushed at the images her mind was involuntarily creating.

"Yes, but I still can't stop thinking about you." He smiled at her gently. "I wish I could explain what's happening, but I can't, it's like you've taken up residence in my heart and I can't seem to expel you – not that I want to, but you are all I am thinking about at the moment."

"Steve, I'm nothing special. I'm the same person I've always been. I've just grown up over the last few years, that's all you are noticing."

"Possibly, but ..." He sighed. "I don't know, maybe I'm being stupid, but seeing Alanah so happy, makes me want to be that happy. Something inside me wants you to be the one to make me happy."

Jessie laughed, not quite believing it. "Steve ..."

"No, please Jess, listen to me. The last time I saw you was just before Ruby passed away. I guess that was the beginning of me seeing you differently. We were both adults and no longer the children we used to be. I have thought about you a lot since then, but I never saw you as my girlfriend, more a close friend, I have known you for a long time. But when I saw you the other night ... I was blown away. It was like I was seeing you for the first time."

"Yes, I suppose I have changed since you last saw me, but so have you. You are most definitely a man now, no longer the gangly teenager you used to be. I get what you are saying, and if I'm honest, I haven't stopped thinking about you either. It would be nice to see where this could go." She smiled at him, remembering the kiss they had shared in the car, wanting to feel his lips against hers.

Steve put his hand on hers and smiled at her. Was he beginning to fall in love with her?

"Not here. We agreed."

"There is always later, back at the hotel..." He smiled cheekily.

"You rotten scoundrel!" She smiled at him.

Alanah sighed in contentment; she looked up at Dan and kissed his lips, then led back, laying her head on his lap and looking up at the blue cloudless sky. "I wish we could stay here forever. It's so beautiful and peaceful, the sun is shining, the water is babbling quietly, the birds are singing in the trees, I can't think of a better way to celebrate our wedding." She sighed contentedly.

"I've spent my whole life living in the shadow of the Family. It was only when I met you in person I realized that I had always loved you, and loving you has kept me going. I've never been happier than the last five months I've spent with you. I have finally become my own person and been able to lift the shadow from my life. You have given me a reason to wake in the morning, and a reason to go to bed at night. Without you my life is meaningless and empty." Dan kissed Alanah's forehead and felt more protective of her than normal. He could not understand where the feelings came from, but he put it down to the emotions of the day.

"I wonder what the future holds for us? We have this destiny to fulfil, but we don't know what it entails. Do you think it will be difficult, daunting even? Nothing can be as intimidating as what happened at the Family, but not knowing is frightening in itself. I wonder if knowing would help?" Alanah played with Dan's hand, twirling the new ring on his finger.

"Whatever is to happen is out of our control and has ultimate power over us until it happens. I guess we meander on until we find ourselves living it again."

They lay contentedly in each others arms watching the sun as it began to set in front of them. As the sun descended the sky began to turn a burnt orange and darkness began to creep in. Alanah played with Dan's wedding ring, feeling happy to be in the arms of her new husband. She felt safe and protected and she never wanted it to end.

"It's getting late, it's eight already, I don't know where the last few hours have gone. We'd better get home, I don't want to be out at night in the valley, you never know who may be lurking around the next hill. Besides, you have to pack, I have arranged a honeymoon starting tomorrow, and I'm going to treat you like a princess!" Dan said.

"You already treat me like a queen!" Alanah laughed as he helped her up, the others had begun to pack away the remains of the picnic.

Alanah's father walked over to them and held out his hand to Dan. "An excellent day, I welcome you to the family." There was a smile on his face that Dan hadn't seen before, a real acceptance of him and Dan felt very happy to have achieved his blessing.

The ten of them left the comfort of the riverside to walk back to the village, all content, all happy and all tired. They all agreed how wonderfully relaxed the day had been and everyone wished Dan and Alanah the best of luck for the future. No one knew quite how soon they would need that luck.
CHAPTER 9

"Oh honey, I can't believe you are a married woman! My little girl all grown up." Alanah's mother hugged her close, tears in the corner of her eyes. She was hardly old, but having a married daughter certainly brought home to her that she wasn't 21 anymore!

"Gotta happen sometime mum, can't stay little forever." Alanah hugged her back, feeling like her ribs were being crushed by her mother's arms.

"I wish we didn't have to fly back so soon, I feel like it's all happened so quickly and I want so much more time with you."

"You'll be back in the UK in a couple of months. I'll see you all the time then. I know I won't be able to stop you coming over here for weekends! Besides, Dad and Steve need to finish off the project, and you need to pack to come back, and we need to go on our honeymoon!" She kissed her mothers cheek.

"I'll phone you as soon as we land. I wish it wasn't such an early flight, your father is terrible to get up in the morning as it is, let alone 4am!" She kissed her again before letting her go.

Dan and Alanah said good bye to everyone, all wishing them the best and the odd innuendo of the night before them.

John came forward and hugged Alanah, kissing her cheek and looked at her with tears in his eyes. "You look beautiful. Welcome to the family, Mrs Newman. I am so proud to have you as my daughter in law." He turned his attention to Dan, who held his hand out to him for their usual handshake, only to take him in both arms and hug him fiercely. Dan stood there in shock, but eventually managed to wrap his arms around his father and hug him back. John released him and looked at him, a tear filled faraway look in his eyes. "I will always be your father, and I am proud of that fact. I will see you soon."

Dan stood, shocked at the expression on John's face. He nodded to him, wondering what had brought on so much emotion to make him look so distracted. They waved good bye to everyone, promising Jessie to meet her for a late lunch the following afternoon before they left for their honeymoon.

Holding hands, and looking deeply into each others eyes they walked back into the village, both anticipating the evening before them, knowing they would become entwined together in the bedroom. It had been the most magical of days and they both knew they would remember the day for as long as they lived.

There was a pleasant surprise waiting for them in the square, their neighbours had come out to greet them! About 30 people were stood waiting for them and as they saw them come into view began clapping and cheering! Alanah could not help go bright red in embarrassment, but she was happy to see all the people who had become friends over the last few months. It had been wonderful how they had been able to ingratiate themselves into a small village and be accepted as equals so quickly.

A middle aged man, shorter than Alanah walked towards them smiling. He cupped Alanah's hands in his and bent forward to give her a kiss on both cheeks. In French he spoke to her. "Congratulations my dear, I am so pleased for both of you, we all are." He turned to Dan and kissed him too. "We had to come and say something, you have both settled in so well and we consider you part of the village, we are happy for you." He smiled at them.

"Thank you Luc, we feel part of the village, I just hope my French will improve over time so that I don't sound so much like an English man attempting to speak French!" Dan laughed.

Every person that was stood there at that moment had been in their lives for the last few months, and everyone had accepted them as themselves, and knew nothing of their past or their future. From their neighbour Nicole who was studying to be a doctor, to Luc who owned a small restaurant they all had taken them at face value and welcomed them with open arms. Every face was smiling and it made Dan and Alanah even happier than they had been, knowing they were standing among friends and neighbours.

But something was wrong and Alanah knew it. The problem was, she had no idea what it was, but alarm bells were ringing in her head. She looked around the gathered crowd before her, recognising most of the faces, even if she could not put a name to them. But still she was uncomfortable, she felt exposed and she didn't know why.

Alanah looked at Dan and he seemed oblivious to the feelings she was having and she couldn't understand why. Alanah began to understand her nervousness, she could feel someone watching her and she did not like the feeling. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she felt a shudder go over her body. It came from behind and not any of the gathered people who were here to wish them well. For the first time ever Alanah could feel what it was like to be watched, something she had never felt, even though the Family had been watching her for her whole life.

As nonchalantly as possible she looked around to see if she could see where the feeling was coming from, something that was difficult when she felt welded in place by a fear that she knew was not irrational – she knew someone was watching. The colour drained out of her face as she located the person who was watching them – she hadn't been imagining it.

The man was standing a good distance away wearing a light blue shirt and cream trousers. He had mousy brown hair; it must have been about ear length, maybe more, the front was all floppy, and fell into his face. He kept pushing it back, but it all fell down again. He stood staring at her. An unclear recognition passed through her mind, she had seen him somewhere before, but she could not place him. The only thing she did recognise was that this man meant danger. Her whole body tingled with an urgency to get away from there, but there was no way she could start running without alerting the man that she knew he was watching her, and Dan would have absolutely no idea as to why she was running – he may even think she was running away from him.

Alanah felt very uncomfortable, but knew it would be best to stay put and act like she had not noticed she was being watched – she was scared that Dan would do something irrational, what she didn't know, but then irrational acts are always unknown until they actually happened. But this made her every move and actions feel deliberate and she hated it. She felt she was performing for the man who was watching her and she despised his surveillance of her and her new husband. She felt vulnerable to the core and he sent another shiver up her back as she felt his eyes bore into it, an involuntary movement that sent her whole body into a ripple.

Dan turned to her smiling; he was waiting for her to agree with something he had just said to Luc. "What's wrong Lani?" he asked taking her hand in his.

"I want to go back home Dan, now please." She had said it in her most normal voice, but he must have understood she was stressed, and nodded. They made their excuses to Luc, promising faithfully they would come to his restaurant the next week for dinner. Waving to everyone else that was gathered to wish them well; they walked hand in hand the short distance across the square to their cottage.

Dan instinctively knew something was wrong. It wasn't a case of misreading Alanah, he had only ever seen that look on her face when she had been under terrible stress at the Family. This was a look of controlled terror, one he had seen on her face when he had tied her hands ready for sacrifice. He would never take that look lightly, it was the only look that scared him to the core.

All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, each one full of worry and panic. Whatever had spooked Alanah, he knew he would have to calm her down, ensure she was OK. He would take on any worry necessary, he would not allow her to take on any burden of concern. He was her husband, and the vows he had made to her today meant he would do whatever was needed to ensure her safety.

When they got back to the cottage Alanah told Dan what had happened.

"It was probably a coincidence; he must have been looking at your beautiful dress. Don't worry about it." He reassured her, not wanting her to think she may be right, but equally he didn't want to belittle her. He didn't want worry to ruin their wedding night, but a warning bell rang deep in his brain somewhere. "Come here and give me a hug Mrs Newman." he kissed her forehead.

"Mrs Newman! I'm never going to get used to that!" She giggled.

"I know, it makes you sound like a married woman! Heaven forbid!" Dan looked at her with his clear blue eyes and then lent slowly forward to kiss her lips. "Finally no family around, I can kiss you the way I want to!" His soft warm lips brushed hers and he gently pulled her close, placing his arms on her hips, feeling the contours of her body below his fingers. "I've never seen you look more beautiful than you do right now. Today you have fulfilled my greatest dream, and I want to memorize everything about you, never forget how wonderful today has been.

Alanah could not help go red in embarrassment. "It has been wonderful." She closed her eyes and felt Dan's lips against hers again. There was urgency to the kisses, he nuzzled her neck, smelling the lingering floral notes of her perfume, holding himself against her like nothing else in the world mattered – and it didn't. He kissed her neck, her throat all the way up to her lips, which he gently claimed, opening her lips with his tongue to gain entrance. They moaned quietly together, aware that this was leading towards consummating their marriage, making it legal in the eyes of the Highest Authority.

"I never want this moment to end. I want to stand here and look at you forever." Dan whispered.

"I think I'd like to take it to the bedroom, looking is great, but I think doing is better! Come on Mr Newman, show your wife how much you love her!" She whispered seductively.

"I thought I had already told you! Without you I can't breathe, without you I can't live. You are my soul and I am yours forever." He smiled at her.

"Come and show me how true those words are!" Alanah said, and Dan swept her off her feet and placed his foot on the first step of the stairs.

CHAPTER 10

They were interrupted by a knock on the front door.

Scowling, Dan opened the door, and was greeted with the barrel of a handgun. It was the man who had been staring at Alanah. He barged through the door, pushing Dan to the side; he held the gun expertly, keeping his eyes on both Alanah and Dan.

Alanah remembered him now, the frenzied glare in his eye, the glee he had shown over his sacrifice, intent on killing her even though a coup was taking place before him. The man who had been blood brothers with Dan. The only one who had really wanted to kill his sacrifice Imogen. It was Alex.

He stood there with the cool conviction that went with being the one holding the gun. Dan and Alanah stood in horrified silence as they knew their honeymoon was over before it had started.

Alanah felt sick in her stomach as she looked at him; there was a new wildness to him that hadn't been there six months earlier at the Family. Dan instinctively and protectively wanted to take a step in front of her, to shield her from the maniac who had entered their lives once again, but he was too far away from her. Survival instincts for both himself and Alanah kicked in, and everything else went by the way side as his only thoughts were how to get them away from the gun before Alex used it on them, and something in his eye, told Dan he would not hesitate to use it if they became a threat to him.

"I never thought I'd see the day you would marry the woman you were supposed to sacrifice. You are so not leader material Daniel, I guess it's a good job you ran away, you would have dragged the Family down so far, they would have been happy never to drink blood again. What a disaster that would be." He smiled cruelly.

"What do you want Alex." Dan growled, he calculated if he could get to Alanah before Alex, and he knew instantly he could not.

"Me? Not much, just retribution for what you did. I'd give anything to use this gun on you right now, and I will if I have to, to incapacitate, not to kill. But I am under strict orders to bring you both in alive." Alex smiled his face a twisted clown but without the makeup. "I hate you. Because of you I am an outcast. I am laughed at because you stole my sacrifice and my position in the Family." Alex held the gun high for Dan to see. "Don't move, or I will shoot you, I'm sure just injuring you would only gain me a small punishment, as long as you arrive alive, I've done my job. I have been sent to collect you both; you are to be... guests at the château." He said trying to smile, but missing the point completely. He had been ostracised by the Family, made to feel a failure and was now in the service of Dan's enemy, determined to exact his revenge on his one time friend. He was playing at evil, but he was enjoying it and he had every intention to stop playing and start living it, but right now he was just a delivery man and he had people to deliver.

"We are quite happy here thank you, as you can see we got married earlier today and we would like to be on our own." Dan said, trying to be gracious, but concerned at the gun and the blatant rage in Alex's eyes. He could see that Alex had become more crazed than he had been at the Family – that had been bred into him, but the Alex stood before him now had a menace about him that looked almost feral. As far as Dan was concerned, Alex had already hit the mark when it came to being evil.

Alanah, who up until now had been shocked into silence and locked inside herself by fear, broke free from her self imposed restraints. She instinctively ran for the door, trying to get through the slightly ajar door. It was blind panic, and she had been planning to grab Dan by the hand and get him to run with her, but she was stopped in her tracks by the distinctive click of the gun being cocked for firing.

"Alanah...Red, I think I'll call you Red, do you really think I can let you leave here?" His voice was sickly sweet, but filled with venom as he spoke.

Alan turned around slowly, her bottom lip quivering as she did, she turned to see the gun pointed right at her heart. She whimpered slightly, looking at Dan, wondering what the hell to do.

Dan rushed forward and did his best to hit the gun from Alex's hand, but he was unsuccessful, Alex had his hand wrapped tightly around the gun and was not going to let anything move it from him. He turned towards Dan and punched him in the gut, a fierce powerful blow that had more than just his hand behind it, Alanah saw the glint of a knuckle duster across his fingers and the pain flash across Dan's face before he recovered himself, but struggled to get back up off the floor.

Alanah, ignoring the gun which was still pointed at her ran to his side and knelt down next to him. She pulled him up as best she could, seeing nothing but complete pain across his face.

"Stop it, you've hurt him!" She cried.

"That's kind of why I'm wearing the knuckle duster! Pay back for Imogen." He smiled manically. "You know, resisting me is pointless, I'm the easy option. Much worse can come for you instead. Besides, currently I am being nice. There are 8 more people I could round up tonight at gun point."

"No!" Alanah gasped, knowing her parents, and everyone else she loved were who he was talking about.

"I'm more than happy to use them as leverage." Alex smiled, his eyes lighting up as he thought about scaring them to death. "I think I'd quite enjoy it, I've learnt many new things since the last time we saw each other, and how to torture an innocent soul is one of them. It's a shame really you didn't invite Imogen, I'd have like to seen her again, finished off what I started before. I dream about it all the time, the hunt, the fight, the struggle. What fun it would be to complete the sacrifice."

"Whatever happened to you Alex. We used to be as close as brothers, now you are nothing but an evil bastard." Dan said, wincing in pain.

"I'll take that as a compliment! Brothers? Not really, we were just thrown together due to circumstance. Honestly, I never really liked you. I knew from the age of 8 who you were and what you could become one day – leader of the Family. You always were golden boy, no matter what Cal or I did you would always do better than us. Cal looked up to you, but I hated you, what you stood for, what you were supposed to become. Still, I have to say I am pleased to see you in such a compromising position! Fallen in love with a sacrifice – married her even! There is no way you will ever become leader of the Family now!"

"You don't get it, I don't want to be leader – I never did. Leave us alone, we want nothing to do with the Family ever again!" Dan roared at him angrily.

"In truth, this has nothing to do with the Family, but it does have everything to do with the leader. My orders are to collect and deliver you, nothing else... yet. If not, I guess I'll have to shoot Red." he pointed the gun at Alanah's head, it was still cocked, ready to fire. "Come here." He said to Alanah.

Alanah looked at Dan who nodded silently, it was clear they had to obey. He was in no fit state to fight Alex, and besides, he could not risk Alanah being shot. She kissed his cheek gently and stood, walking towards Alex who grabbed her waist and held her tightly to his side.

"That's more like it, a little co-operation and you won't get hurt. Danny Boy, there is a white car parked outside on the street. I'm gonna take Red and we will get inside. Follow in five minutes and get into the drivers seat. I promise you, I won't hurt her provided you turn up. But equally I promise I will shoot if you don't turn up or if someone turns up with you." He pulled Alanah out of the house.

"Dan..." She yelled.

Alex put his arm around her waist, and held tightly onto her. He began to caress the lace of her dress, he was enjoying terrifying her.

"Stop it!" She yelled.

"Why? Don't you like it?" He laughed.

"No I don't. Leave me alone." She tried to get out of his grip.

"I have a loaded gun in my pocket, and you still try to wriggle your way out of it. Still, it's only a matter of time before you are mine. I know that for a fact." He grinned and walked her to the car and opened the back door, and pushed her in. He got in beside her, and took the gun out and pointed it at her.

"Why are you doing this? What have we done to deserve this?" Alanah asked scared, she shrank away from him.

"I follow my orders, but since you ask, I am getting immense pleasure seeing Dan suffer. He took my sacrifice and made me a laughing stock. This is my revenge." They sat in silence, until Dan opened the door and got into the drivers seat.

"We are going to the château. I'll direct you." Alex threw him the keys. "Don't do anything stupid, I've still got a gun remember and it's pointed at your wife's head."

"I'll do whatever you want, I don't want Alanah hurt." Dan surrendered to him. He knew that at this moment in time, there was nothing else he could do.

Alex directed Dan, it took about ten minutes to negotiate up all the small back roads.

Alanah watched the tiny building in the distance and every detail came into focus as they drove closer and the house grew bigger with it. The night had started to close in around them and there were dark shadows thrown from the imposing building. There were three turrets jutting up from the pale charcoal roof, arched windows graced the ancient grey walls. The château was surrounded by green trees, secluding a court yard. It was the same château that Jessie and Steve had visited the day before, but instead of being the beautiful interesting fairytale castle they had wanted to explore, to Alanah it was a hideous château that she didn't want to enter – she was sure she would never come out.

"Stop outside the door." Alex said. Dan did so, and Alex grabbed Alanah's wrist and pulled her out. "Follow us." He snapped at Dan.

They walked along the gravelled drive towards the great house, there was an air of history surrounding the château which sent a shiver up Alanah's spine as they walked towards the looming entrance.

CHAPTER 11

Alex opened the door of the château, and they entered nervously. The inside was even more spectacular than the outside, the entrance led into a white marble hallway, sparse and echoing. The air was extremely cold and Alanah shivered in her dress, her arms were chilled by the difference in temperature. There were six doors leading off to rooms, all closed and held secrets Alanah would like to have seen had they been here in different circumstances.

Instead, she knew they were in trouble – big trouble. This was not how she had imagined her wedding day finishing, she had expected to fall into bed with her husband and be loved... not taken away from the night they had been talking about for weeks. Had it only been 30 minutes ago that she had been kissing him and telling him how she never wanted the moment to end? How had 30 minutes changed her life so completely?

Alanah was unceremoniously dragged along the hallway and to a side room further down the corridor. Alex opened the door, thrusting Alanah in, who was closely followed by Dan. Dan glared at Alex, he clenched his fist tightly, resisting the urge to knock him out. Alex shut the door and continued his daily business, with no concern for the fate of the two people he had just delivered into the arms of danger. He knew they would get their comeuppance, he was looking forward to what was to come tonight.

The room in question was sumptuously decorated in mauve and the curtains were pulled over the windows. A chandelier hung overhead, which gave off an old brown yellow glow which lit up the room. There was a mahogany desk at the far end underneath a period portrait, probably 18th century; the ominous face was eerily familiar, light brown shoulder length hair, a proud straight nose, a gaunt grey white face, sunken eyes, hollow cheeks. The eyes were colourless, black and piercing.

Sat at the desk, dressed in a smart royal blue velvet suit and cravat the face from the portrait stared back at them.

"I thought you were dead." Dan snarled at his nemesis, his hand tightened round Alanah's hand as her safety became his number one concern.

"Oh Daniel, please. It's not my time to go yet, when it is I will gladly rest in my coffin for an eternal sleep." Anthony stood up and walked towards them, he leaned forward to kiss Alanah's cheek. She pulled away instantly. Anthony, seeming to easily ignore the disgust on her face, smiled graciously at her and took her hand. "Many congratulations on your marriage my dear, I'm sure you will be very happy with Dan, for the time you are with him." His smile widened and Alanah could tell he was enjoying taunting them through false geniality and smiles.

Alanah quietly trembled at the memories she had of this hideous man. It had been him that had violated her in the attempt to ascertain her virginity, the driving force behind the sacrifices, the man who, she had to admit haunted her dreams. She shuddered as she thought of what he wanted, and what he could do to her.

"What is all the commotion my dear?" Came another recognisable voice from the door. The voice did not sound at all like it was really a question, they knew what was going on.

"Mother! I should have guessed you would have been here with Anthony." Dan looked at Mary in contempt, she was as before beautiful in a deadly way, there was an air of superiority in the way she held herself. She walked into the room and looked at her son with a critical eye.

"It is good to see you again, it's just a shame you are a traitor to the Family, to your kind." She sneered at him.

"My kind? What is my kind? Blood thirsty humans who believe it is their right to feed from the blood of others? A romanticised eternal life, that never comes to those that have bought into it? I want to live in the real world, not a cloistered existence. I am no traitor." Dan's words were punctuated with bitterness and indignation.

"It is of no matter, we will rectify any misunderstandings in no time." Anthony smiled graciously, but there was a glint of evil in his eyes. "You must both stay for dinner, we will help you celebrate your marriage, after all, your guests have gone home and you are on your own." He said in mock sympathy.

'Snake' came instantly to Alanah's mind as she looked into his terrible eyes. "We are quite happy on our own thank you." She ventured, trying to sound confident and unafraid, she was however not convinced she sounded confident at all.

"Oh come now Alanah, you are one of us now, you must accept our hospitality, we are family." Mary put her arm around Alanah's shoulders and she shuddered at the coldness of her touch.

Alanah quickly removed herself from the unwanted intrusion into her personal space. "I'd rather be a sacrifice than spend my wedding night in your company." She shuddered as she realized how true that really was.

"That, my dear can be arranged." Anthony came forward menacingly, but stopped in front of the table. His posture changed as he contemplated, it was almost a playful look. "Well, what to do, what to do, we must arrange some food, wine and if at all possible entertainment." Anthony looked to be in thought. "Well the food and wine are easy to come by, I'll ask Alex to sort something out, the entertainment will be harder to organise at such short notice, but I'm sure we can come up with something. But for the time being, we must all change for dinner. Mary darling, will you take Alanah up to a guest room and freshen her up, I'm sure it's been a long and exciting day for her?" Anthony asked graciously.

"Of course my dear, I know just the dress for her to wear." She smiled sweetly at Alanah, twiddling her red hair in her fingers. Alanah shook as she remembered the hair cut Mary had given her the last time they were together.

"Darling? My Dear? Don't flaunt your sordid relationship at me." Dan almost spat the words at Anthony, disgusted at the two of them.

"Then don't flaunt yours at me." Anthony growled through his teeth, his face close to Dan's, his black eyes narrowed.

Dan stepped back in surprise. He knew Anthony was malicious, but this was something different, a side of him he had never seen before and he knew at that moment he was defeated. He held his hands up in surrender, knowing he was caught between a rock and a hard place. There was nothing he could do, for the time being at least. "Are you going to let me freshen up too?" He finally asked.

"Of course you can, but I thought we had so much to catch up on, it has been almost six months since the last time I saw you. After our talk, I'll get Alex to take you to a room to freshen up." The smile barely hid the fury in his eyes.

"Can't I go to the same room as Alanah; she is my wife after all." Dan asked as calmly as he could.

"I think for the time being it would be best if we kept you and Miss Moore, sorry Mrs Newman apart." He smiled graciously at both of them. "You will see each other before dinner."

Dan knew he couldn't let Alanah know how worried he was, so he kissed her on the cheek and whispered. "Give her hell, remember the ring I gave you will keep you safe, she can do you no harm. Show it to her if you must, she knows it is for protection."

"Dan?" Alanah asked apprehensively, realising she was once again to be alone with Mary.

"Don't worry, everything will be OK." He smiled at her, determined to keep her spirits up even though his were failing. Alanah dutifully followed Mary out of the study and back into the hallway.

Anthony stood waiting for Mary to lead Alanah away, and when she had shut the door quietly behind her, he turned his attention back to Dan. He was courteous as he gestured to a seat next to the empty fireplace, taking the one on the opposite side as his own. He settled himself in before looking at Dan again.

"So, you were ready to be Next in Line were you? Seems to me you never had any intention to put yourself forward for the position. You lied to me." His face was full of mock solemnity.

Dan couldn't see any reason to lie to him. "I fell in love with Alanah, how could I sacrifice her when that had happened? Yes I planned it; I was left with no other choice. I didn't want to be a murderer. I didn't want to drink her blood."

"So you arranged for John to kill me and escape, not only with Alanah, but all the sacrifices and Callum too, though it doesn't surprise me that he took the opportunity to leave the Family, we all knew he wasn't cut out for the life. But I am disappointed in you Daniel, I expected more from you." He sighed dramatically.

"Why? Because I convinced you that I wanted to be Next in Line? We both know you would have killed me before that happened. I'm not stupid." Dan shrugged his shoulders.

Anthony considered him for a moment before nodding. "You are right, I would have killed you. I wouldn't want the Marked Man taking over the Family."

"I am not the Marked Man!" Dan roared angrily. "I can't be." He sighed.

"Let's talk theoretically for the moment, as if you were the Marked Man." Anthony said smiling.

"But I'm not." Dan said flatly.

"Humour me." Anthony smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"OK, so I'm the man that the Mother of the Dead prophesised over 4,000 ago. I'm supposed to bring enlightenment to the Family and revitalize their dedication to the cause. The thing is, if I was given the chance I would free everyone from the Family and burn the building down." Dan smiled at him with an ironic sparkle in his eye. He knew he was playing devils advocate, but he couldn't help himself.

"I do believe you would. Well then, it's a good job you believe you are not the Marked man. I do believe destiny has a plan for you though, it's not left to chance when it comes to the Newman's, as I recall your family has had a colourful past, it's almost as if you can't escape something exciting happening in your life." Anthony laughed, mostly to himself.

"Well, I guess time will tell what destiny has in store for me, although I would like to believe there is an element of free will in what will happen in my life."

"Oh, I couldn't agree more, it's always nice to believe you have a deciding hand over your own life, sadly, that is not always possible. Take your tattoo for example, I'm sure you had a choice over that." Anthony smiled sourly.

"You know I don't remember how I got that. I told you enough times during your inquisition after you dragged me back. I woke up and found it there." Dan growled.

"Ah yes of course, how silly of me to forget. That doesn't necessarily mean you didn't willingly have it done, just that you can't remember the process or what led you to that moment in time. I'm quite sure free will was actioned, just that you can't remember it, or you were persuaded by some unknown force. Either way, you just can't remember." There was a cheerfulness about Anthony that did not totally make sense, like he was high on coffee or some other drugs. It was false, but equally it seemed to suit him, the madness of it all.

"I think I want to go freshen up if that's OK with you, it's been a long day, and something tells me it will be a long night." Dan said through gritted teeth.

"Yes of course, I'll have Alex take you to a guest room." He rang a little bell on the table next to his chair and Alex entered the room. "Take Mr Newman to the azure room and get him some clothes to wear. I have plenty of work to do, and I don't want to be disturbed, I will see you at 10pm." He walked back to his seat and sat back down, re-engrossing himself in his reading.

Dan stood before him, bemused by what had just taken place, only an hour ago he had been enjoying his wedding day and now, once again he was at Anthony's mercy. He needed time to think, and at this moment doing as he was told was the best option. Bemused and alarmed he followed Alex out of the room.

CHAPTER 12

Alanah looked around the large hallway and followed the beautiful staircase all the way up with her eyes; the cherry wood banisters were intricately carved with flowers and birds and she thought it was quite exquisite. If she had not been a prisoner, she would have loved to wonder around the house and see all that there was to see, she was like most people, curious and finding herself inside an ancient château with an untold history, her interest in all things ancient could not help be stirred, even though she knew she would never be able to quench that curiosity, especially since her mother in law was leading her to a room to freshen up, leaving her new husband to talk to the evil man who had necessitated everything that had happened since they had met. She had no idea what was to come, but one thing was for sure, her romantic wedding night was gone forever, and she'd never get it back. Mary was stood paused on the stairs, looking at Alanah as if her hesitancy at the bottom of the stairs was a direct insult at her. Sighing and obeying the silent demand to ascend the stairs, she obediently followed Mary up to the landing.

The space here was vast. To one side were three pillars and archways which led to a large area filled with books. It wasn't a library, more a repository for books that needed to be taken back to the library and Alanah was sure the château had a library somewhere. To the other side were closed doors to rooms she would never enter. In the corner was a door way which Mary led Alanah to. She unlocked it and gestured for Alanah to enter the room, which she did after hesitating for a few seconds. Mary let a small snarl pass through her lips before following her in and locking the door behind them.

Alanah surveyed the room before her. It was magnificent and immense. The walls were a beautiful jade green, and there was a thick cream carpet on the floor. At the far side of the room was a large four poster bed covered in elaborately embroidered bed clothes which were also jade in colour. There were ancient built in wardrobes, an elaborate dressing table and a tall chest of draws all made of ancient golden oak. The room looked like it sprung from the 18th or 19th century. A room frozen in time and no longer of this world, it would have been fit for a princess, and it would have been perfect for their first night as a married couple, instead Alanah was with Mary.

Alanah had to make a choice. She could be defiant, something she had been at the Family, strong to encourage strength in Imogen and Christina during the most terrifying days of their lives, or she could lose all her bravado and turn into a gibbering wreck, something she was pretty close to doing given the way the day had gone. But she knew any show of weakness would work against her and Dan. She had no choice but to be strong once again. With that in mind, she began her show of strength.

"I'm going up in the world, this is so much better than the room at the Family." Alanah said defiantly.

"You are part of my family now." Mary smiled at her, her eyes twinkling with menace. "I have to say I never thought for a minute that you would end up being my daughter in law. That has surprised even me, and not much does that these days. You were supposed to mark the manhood of my son, now you will be his downfall."

"Whatever is to happen we will get through as one, I married him because I love him and together we can get through anything. Our destinies are forever entwined." Alanah was determined to be confident. So much had happened since the last time they had seen each other, for one thing she was now Dan's wife, and she was determined to appear brave, even though she felt nothing like brave.

"Don't think that will save you from your inevitable death at his hands." Mary laughed.

"If that is my fate, then so be it." Alanah stared Mary in the eye with stony determination. It was time she told her how she saw things, rather than be told. "I am the reason he is who he is, I am the one he has spent his life thinking about. You gave up any say in Dan's life the day he left the Family. You are nothing to him now, just the vessel that brought him into this world. But I am his reason for living, his love, his confidant, the shoulder he rests his head on at night, the bosom he lusts, the body he craves, things you have never been, things you could never be. I am his wife and nothing can take that away from him, not even you." Alanah felt more and more confident with every word until she felt nothing mattered. "I love him and nothing will ever take that away. Our hearts beat as one."

Alanah saw a mist form around Mary, nothing substantial, just an aura that gave off a powerful signal that she was dangerous, something Alanah was beginning to realize, but she could not and would not take back the words she had spoken, they were all true.

"Without me, there would be no love of your life. Be careful what you say madam, you'd be surprised at how a matter of minutes can change your feelings towards him. I can guarantee by this time tomorrow your resolve will be gone and your Dan will no longer be who he is today." Mary smiled.

Alanah could see the hatred Mary had for her, and thought it would be prudent to proceed cautiously, but she couldn't resist one last defiant, but calm outburst, she was after all proving she was not scared of Mary. "Let whatever tomorrow has to bring come, I am not afraid of anything anymore, you can't hurt me." Alanah said confidently.

"I have already noticed you wear the Midnight Sun ring. Protection from me is guaranteed, but not from everyone, there is someone you love who can harm you. Still, that is to come." She smiled pleasantly, even though there was malevolent threat to it. "I have been saving this dress for someone just like you, I know it will fit you to perfection." She walked to the wardrobe and opened it.

Alanah had a feeling she knew what was about to be drawn from that wardrobe, and she was not disappointed. The familiar emerald fabric swayed as Mary carried it over her arm and hung it on a waiting stand.

"I had hoped never to see that dress again. What did you do, raid the flat after we left?" Alanah laughed dryly.

"We knew where you were the whole time. You'd be amazed how far we reach out into society. We were lucky enough to have a maid working in the complex, as soon as you left she retrieved the dress, and not forgetting the corset. How could you leave such a beautiful garment for the bin? Something I slaved away at making for so many hours, it broke my heart to see it brought back to me in a plastic bag as if it were rubbish, something to be discarded so easily. Although I notice you didn't leave the jewellery. At least you have some good sense."

"Don't tell me, you found the collar too?" Alanah said sarcastically, although the palms of her hand began to sweat at the prospect of having that put back around her neck again. The key was back in her jewellery box at the cottage, it hadn't been right to wear it on her wedding day.

"Of course, but you have another collar on now which negates the need for it. You're wedding ring is sufficient." Mary smiled.

Alanah breathed a quiet sigh of relief at that grace, but she was angry at the way Mary was having fun. "Who do you think you are? A secret society by the sounds of it, your feelers reaching far into society, only you lure innocent people with the promise of eternal life. You are nothing but a bunch of charlatans, promising people eternity. Who wants to spend eternity in that house, confined and expected to give blood to those who demand it. How can you live with yourself knowing you are part of a cult who considers human lives to be nothing more than a quick snack, draining them of their blood? I saw what you personally did to Jessie. You are nothing but a sinister woman who thrives on making others suffer. You are evil personified and I despise you with my whole heart." Alanah could not contain her hatred and practically spat her words at her.

Mary was quiet for a moment before calmly replying. "Why thank you so much for your eloquent description of my life. Know this, without me the balance of power leans too far to the side of good. The world needs creatures like me to even up the stakes a little. As for your friend, she gave herself willingly to the Family, coming to us at a time of need. We never forced her to join; she did that of her own free will. I do have to say, she had incredibly sweet blood, one of the best I have ever tasted. If only that traitorous husband of yours hadn't set her free along with the rest of you.

"All hell broke loose after you left, there was anarchy as everyone tried to get out of the room. Anthony playing dead on the floor, me pretending to morn him, I have never seen such chaos in my entire life. Still at least we managed to get out of the room, else I think there would have been a blood bath." She stopped, shuddered in remembrance and continued. "If it wasn't for me you would never have met Dan, I choose you the very moment you left your mothers womb. I saw you still attached to her and saw instantly you were the one. Without me the love of your life would not be yours. I am the reason you are here right now and not tucked up in bed with some other man. I'm the one who chose your destiny, you have me to thank for everything your life has been and everything it will become. I own your destiny and I will make sure it ends when I decide." Mary was shaking uncontrollably, a dark glint in her eyes. She smiled as she looked at her and Alanah could see the aura around her body turn almost black. Her whole face was lit up with a cruel twisted smile as she walked to Alanah and began to undo the zip of her dress.

"You know I'm quite comfortable in my wedding dress thank you, it is my wedding day after all." Alanah began to pull away, shocked and disturbed by the menace in Mary, but Mary had hold of one side and pulled Alanah back to her, she took a scissors and proceeded to shred the dress whilst Alanah was still wearing it.

"Oh dear, what have I done?" She asked in mock shock. "I've accidentally torn your dress, I'm so sorry."

"Like hell you are." Alanah was angry, but what could she do? She was not prepared to fight her, she knew she was dangerous.

"I guess you will have to wear the emerald dress." Mary smiled with smug satisfaction.

"I don't have any choice do I." Alanah sighed, but accepted the fact that it was now inevitable she would soon be wearing her sacrificial dress, and her heart dropped as she remembered that her wedding night had now been ruined.
CHAPTER 13

Alex was stood at the sink peeling potatoes. He stabbed himself accidently with the knife and squealed in pain, blood oozing slowly out of his finger and he cursed under his breath, desperate to stop the gash bleeding everywhere. Turning the cold tap on he ran his hand under the cold flowing water which took the sting out of the wound.

" 'Alex, go and prepare a feast for our guests', 'Alex show him up to a guest room', 'Alex don't forget our food, we must not go hungry tonight.'" He said to himself in a bad impression of Anthony's voice. "Nothing but a dog's body to them. Fetch this, do that. Anyone would think I was a servant rather than the man they were training to be Next in Line. 'You have to get your hands dirty before you can even expect to become great like me. Do you think I was always leader of the Family? No, I had to get my hands dirty, and so do you. You can't have everything handed to you on a plate, you have to work for it." He pulled his hand out of the flowing water and saw that the wound had stopped bleeding. Not wanting anyone in the house to smell the blood and potentially eat him, he rummaged around for a plaster and eventually found one in a small first aid kit under the sink. He tried to open the wrapping, but dropped it into the sink. In anger he thumped the work top and the potato's jumped with the thump.

Alex heard a quiet laugh behind him and turned ferociously around to see who was laughing at him. He stopped mid turn as the woman came into focus. This was not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. She would be too powerful an enemy to ever placate, and he wasn't prepared to go down that path.

"Sekhmet, I had no idea you were here." He was disgruntled at her laughing, but tried not to show it.

"I had a feeling I would need to be here and I was right." Sekhmet picked up the plaster and quickly and deftly wrapped it around the wound, staunching the few drops of blood that had dared to escape from the cut. "Don't want a vampire to smell the blood do you, especially when there are three here right now." She smiled at him, with a twinkle in her eye. "Just one drop could be the catalyst to your demise, and you don't want that to happen, do you?"

"I admit, I like the fact that I have been working for a couple of vampires, as you may know I am being promoted to Next in Line when Anthony returns to the Family, but you are right, the slightest hint of blood and I'd no longer be useful to them in any other way than an evening snack, and I don't want that to be the way my life ends. There is so much more left for me to do and become." He smiled at her. "You don't feel inclined towards...."

"I can assure you I don't." Sekhmet put her hands up and Alex was sure he saw a look of revulsion pass quickly over her face, but so quickly he thought he was seeing things. He didn't dare question her about it, he wouldn't do anything so stupid. She continued genially. "Is there something wrong? You seem frustrated."

"Well, yes actually I am. When you came to see me the night before sacrificing, you told me some pretty explosive stuff."

Sekhmet pondered his accusation. "Yes, I suppose 'explosive stuff' would be an adequate description." She nodded in agreement.

"You told me that Dan would defect, that he wouldn't kill Red – Alanah. I did what you told me to do because my destiny is more important than Dan's, that's what you said to me. You said I'd have Alanah as my own. You promised me power and glory, that Alanah was rightfully mine and that she would love me. Well Dan has married her, how can she be mine now? This is the second time she has been stolen from me."

"Do stop whining Alex, it is not becoming on you. She will most definitely not love you if you carry on blaming others for things that are out of your control. If you recall, I also said you would have to be patient. Alanah has a destiny which she has to fulfil before yours comes into being. There are certain things that have to happen before you can rise to your rightful position. Things out of your control. If she does not play her part in the years to come, your destiny will be crushed before it has even begun. Because of her, because of what she will become, your power and greatness will be realized and you will become as great as me." Sekhmet smiled at him, remembering back to her encounters with the powerful being Alex would become.

"As powerful as you? Really?" His eyes lit up. He could feel nothing but power surrounding Sekhmet, and the idea that he would have this power was intoxicating.

"You remember that I told you I am from the past?" Sekhmet asked. Alex nodded. "Well I am from the future too. I suppose you could call me omnipotent, but there is only one of me and I am fulfilling my destiny as we speak. It is my responsibility to ensure those that have destinies relevant to mine are at the very least made aware they are special and that great things are coming their way. I can have no impact on your decisions, those must be made by you alone and you must take responsibility for your actions and not blame others when things do not go quite to plan."

"That doesn't answer my question. How do I become as powerful as you?" Alex asked frustrated and desperate for knowledge.

"And you are not listening to me; I said I can have no impact on your decisions." She sighed dramatically, even though technically she didn't need to. "Everything you do must be done because you choose to do it, not because I tell you what the outcome of your actions will be. Your destiny is in your hands, and only you can shape it and make it yours. Make your decisions and live with the consequences of them. You have been working exclusively for Anthony for almost 5 months now, have you not learnt anything? What does he do when he is not feeding or sleeping?"

"He reads. All the time, huge old books, some of them he brought here from the Family, but some of them were already here when we arrived. I have no idea where he keeps them during the day, they are never in his study when I tidy it and Madame Clements has never said anything about large books when she has been here cleaning. He must have store them away somewhere secret. It's an old house, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a secret room somewhere."

Sekhmet smiled. "Anthony is researching the Midnight Son, the end of vampires as he knows them. He has forgotten the ceremony, he is trying to find a way to stop it. What you need to know is not in one of these big books. You must find the small black leather bound notebook, about the size of a DVD case. I have no idea how much of it is left in this time period, but I know that Anthony has it. I've managed to track it to him. You must read it, your destiny is explained in it. It means nothing to Anthony, he is only interested in the future, not the past."

Alex looked at Sekhmet, confusion covered his face. "My future is in the past. How can that be? Does that mean it has already happened?"

"I suppose on one level it has, but equally it is your future, so no it has not happened yet. Alanah will be yours in the future."

"Why can't I have her now? Why do I have to wait so long before she can be mine?" He whispered angrily, knowing Anthony or Mary could be listening in. "She should have been mine." He growled.

"Because that is the way it has to be, certain things have to happen before you can swoop in and take her. 12 years, that is how long you must wait, then you will understand everything and you can take her then." Sekhmet snarled, anger flashing in her eyes.

"I'm not that patient a man. I'll be getting on for 40 by then."

"And Alanah will be 32, everything is relative. Try taking her before then and your destiny is erased permanently, and I can guarantee you Dan will hunt you down and kill you. He won't take lightly to men trying to steal his wife, and I can't blame him. Until he is vulnerable, you are vulnerable. You must be patient until you are stronger than him. He will kill you, with very little provocation being needed. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded, looking at her. "You look like her you know, apart from the eyes and the way you hold yourself."

"I know. Maybe we share the same bloodline, I was human once, many years ago. But I guess you'll never find out if you disobey me. One day, I promise you, you will look upon me again and see me differently. Leave Alanah alone, you don't want to see me get angry. All I need you to do for me at the moment is ensure Dan has a mating coffin. He is claustrophobic, and as much as he won't need one for long, it is important he survives his first few days in his new life. Your destiny depends upon his survival tonight. Do this for me, and I will ensure your destiny is fulfilled."

And Sekhmet was gone. Alex stood catching his breath, he had never seen Anthony or Mary move so fast.

CHAPTER 14

Dan paced his room, waiting for a plan to pop into his head, but nothing happened. They had been separated to break them both down – divide and conquer, that's what Anthony and Mary were doing, classic warfare, and this was war. He had seen the complacent looks on their faces as if they had been planning this attack for a while and he was sure they had.

He had no idea why they were here, and indeed how they had found them, they had been careful to avoid large cities and other places they could easily have been located, choosing instead a small innocuous village that they thought they would be safe in, but even that safety had been pulled from under their feet and the fact that Anthony seemed so at home here and even had a huge painting of himself hung in his receiving room, made Dan think he must have walked into a trap by choosing somewhere quaint, somewhere Alanah had said she wanted to come – somewhere the Family knew she might be. He kicked himself knowing they could have avoided being here if only he had taken her to a hotel to start their honeymoon as he had originally planned to do.

He thought about it. Then he realised the inevitable - this had been planned. Their intention to marry had been advertised in the local paper by the church, it was tradition. They must have seen it and known it was them. All they had to do was get Alex to kidnap them at gunpoint, something he had very much enjoyed doing.

Dan was aware he had taken his eye off the ball, too happy in his new life with Alanah to even want to consider his past and his destiny. He hated that word 'destiny', it meant he had no control over his life and he despised the fact he was on a one way trip to something he had no knowledge of, or power over.

He couldn't believe how stupid he had been! 'Too easy, I said it was too easy escaping from the Family.' He said grimly to himself. 'I had to get complacent, believe they would forget all about us, why would we be important to anyone. Just another stupid Family member and the woman he was supposed to sacrifice.' Dan gritted his teeth in anger. 'But of course we aren't, I'm the 'Marked man', I'm the one everyone has been waiting for. Stupid, stupid.' Dan pulled his jacket off quickly followed by his tie. 'Of course they want to follow me, I'm supposed to save them all. How the hell was I supposed to do that? I'm just one man, nothing more than that, one man in love, who put that love above everything abominable that he'd ever been taught.' He knew why Anthony had followed him. Whether he was at the Family – somewhere he could be monitored or out in the world, the Family and Anthony believed he was the Marked man. He was still a threat to Anthony. 'He's going to kill me.' He whispered to himself. The awful truth dawning finally.

Whoever came up with the concept of the Marked man must have known how difficult it would be for the man accused of being him. Dan didn't have any idea how accurate the prophecies were, and he knew they had been foretold thousands of years ago, who knew what the Marked man really was supposed to do.

And what about the woman who had taken him to the tattoo shop to get the bloody thing in the first place? He couldn't even remember what she looked like, or how she had convinced him to get it done in the first place, but the man who had inked him had insisted he went willingly, so Dan knew there must have been a very good reason for him to submit himself to having it tattooed into his skin, he just had no idea at all as to what that reason was.

Sitting down on the bed, he rubbed his face vigorously. It had been a long day, and it seemed he would not be getting any rest any time soon. 'Anthony should be dead. I saw the blood, the blood on the knife, I know it pierced his heart, I saw the wound with my own eyes, nothing could have survived that. Dad wouldn't have betrayed me, I trust him completely. Him and Cal are the only good people from the Family – hell they both left with me. He wouldn't betray me, I know it, I don't even need to question what happened, I know, I saw it all with my own eyes. Hell, even Mary looked stunned – devastated even.' He remembered the revulsion he had felt as he had watched his own mother weep and mourn over Anthony's dead body. 'There is no explanation as to how he is alive. I saw him die.... didn't I?' His mind tried to recall every second of his time during the initiation ceremony, trying to remember everything he had seen. He had been so focused on freeing Alanah and the other sacrifices that his memory of what had happened in the auditorium, the place John had pushed Anthony into, was hazy.

From across the room he heard a whispered female voice. "You have to remember. What did you see in the corner of your eye, what did you see Anthony doing as he lay dying on the floor?" The voice was urgent, as if everything depended on him remembering what he had seen.

The whole of Dan's body began to tingle involuntarily. "Who are you?" Dan said standing up scared at the intruding voice. "Where are you?" He looked around the room, wondering where the hell the voice was coming from, he could see nothing.

"A distant memory to come. I am unimportant, just remember what you saw Anthony doing." The voice was insistent, but strangely calming.

Dan shut his eyes to remember, accepting the voice's insistence that remembering what had happened was important enough for her to come to him. Everything that had happened in those few minutes were seared into his memory, but his focus had always been on what had happened to Alanah, not what had happened to the man he thought his father had killed.

Doing his best to remove the main event from the focal point of his memory, Dan began to home in on Mary and Anthony. They had been in his peripheral vision for the whole time, but nothing but freeing Alanah, Jessie and the other sacrifices had been important to him at that moment. He steadied himself as he tried to remember what he had seen. Mary was screaming, howling – that was what he had remembered calling it at the time. She was leaning over him, her hands over his mouth ... no, her wrist over his mouth... and there was blood, pouring from her wrist, flowing over his face, falling down his cheeks ... where was it coming from ... where was it going ... oh god, no, no it couldn't be ... He opened his eyes wide, feeling sick at the mere thought of what he thought he had remembered.

"You remember, don't you?" The voice whispered, a hint of sorrow could be heard, as if whoever it was could see what he had seen first hand.

Dan nodded silently; his face had turned ash white as the picture became heightened and clear in his memory. "He was drinking her blood." He sighed as another wave of nausea passed over him. "But not like the Family members drink blood - that is no more than a thimbleful, that's as much as anyone ever takes. This was real drinking ... feeding, like he ... needed it to live." He trembled at the memory.

"And what needs blood to live?" The voice asked, almost coldly.

"No, they don't exist." Dan said shaking his head, refusing to acknowledge his fears.

There was a low laugh as the voiceless person moved from their hiding place. "At the very least say the word." He heard the rustle of fabric behind him, but did not dare to turn around, feeling as if that would damn him to hell for looking at the stranger, the voice had been enough warning to him that whoever it was behind him had evil running in their veins.

"How can I say the word when I don't believe they exist." He felt a presence behind him, then a cold finger brushed his neck and he shivered involuntarily.

"Trust me, they exist. I am one, you can feel it in every bone and you know you have spent the entirety of your life being misled by those around you, the people who pretended to teach you the wonderful art of drinking blood, but you have always known that was wrong, for a human to partake in blood drinking. You never voiced your doubts, but they were always there, and you tried your best to ignore them, trying your hardest to believe everything the Family told you. But all that is immaterial compared with all those silly little instances that you have brushed off as insignificant, the strangeness that surrounded certain people in the Family, not forgetting the tinted windows in Anthony's rooms and all other rooms he frequently went into. Tell me what you already know to be true. What am I?" There was a smile in her voice as she waited in anticipation for his reply. She sounded like she was excited he was about to reveal to her a deep dark horror of a realization.

"Vampire. You are a vampire." Dan gulped as he finally acknowledged the niggling thoughts that had been there since he was a boy. "My god, they really do exist."
CHAPTER 15

Mary had just finished pulling Alanah into the green dress when there was a knock at the door. Alanah had been standing quietly letting her dress her, but Mary was pleased to see that all her earlier bravado had almost been erased and she was looking forward to the rest of the evening.

Mary opened the door and seeing that it was Alex, she closed the door behind her and stood in the hallway with him. He was carrying a silver tray with two glasses of red wine placed carefully on them.

"As you requested." He said, bowing his head ever so slightly. When he was around Mary and Anthony he was as subservient as he believed he needed to be and although he hated it, he was aware that anything else would result either in his instant death or a slow painful one as their dinner and he was not prepared to become that. He was their procurer when they were dining at home, not their main course.

As if it were something she did every day, Mary opened her wrist with her teeth and dropped four drops of thick red blood into each glass of wine before the wound healed itself within seconds. "Hidden worries." She said as she mixed the wine and blood together with her finger. It was a crude but effective way to make the blood seek out what she was looking for – what she was sure was there, the hidden worries that Dan and Alanah had about each other, the thoughts they had glanced over when they had begun their relationship. She wanted to bring them to the surface and let them embrace them. "Let's have a little fun with the newly weds before we separate them for good." She smiled at Alex. "You're services are no longer required, Anthony will tell you when you are needed again. I do hope you have managed to facilitate a new supply of blood for Anthony and myself tonight, I think we have drained the last couple to the point of death, and both of us will need our strength to be at full capacity tonight." She looked at him with the same dissatisfaction as always.

"I have managed to acquire someone new for tonight, although new stock will arrive tomorrow evening."

"I supposed that will have to do. Is it someone we have had before?"

"No, someone new, I thought you might want to make a statement tonight, so he doesn't need to be returned."

"Very astute of you Alex. Alright, off you go, I'm sure you have plenty of things you need to do." Mary said dismissing him with her hand. He left, walking down the stairs. Mary could hear his complaining beneath his breath and she smiled, satisfied he still knew his place.

Carrying the tray on the palm of her hand like a waitress, Mary opened the door to the room Alanah was waiting in and called to her. "I assume you would like to see your husband before we eat dinner?"

Alanah looked up from the bed where she had sat down and nodded, not trusting her voice around Mary. There was something different to her from last time and she could not quite put her finger on it, but she was feeling very wary around her and all her boldness had been lost when Mary had callously ripped her wedding dress off of her.

"Follow me then." Mary sighed dramatically, making it sound like a real hassle to have to take her to Dan's room.

Dan was only two doors away, and Mary turned the key that was already in the lock and opened the door leading Alanah into the room. Dan's heart rose as he saw his wife, but fell once again as he realised what she was wearing. The irony was not lost on him. His mother laid the tray of wine on the table and smiled as she did so.

"Alex will come and collect you for diner shortly, but we thought you might like some quality time together before we eat. It is your wedding day after all. But it will be such fun to celebrate it together tonight. My son married! I just can't believe it. See you at dinner." She smiled and then left them in the room alone, they both heard the key turn in the lock.

They looked at each other, both relieved to see the other, but both aware that their lives had once again taken a turn for the worst, and they were probably in the worst situation they had ever found themselves in, even worse than what had happened to Alanah at the Family, and Dan had never imagined that anything could be more awful than that.

But the situation they found themselves in proved to be about as bad as it could get, and he knew he had to keep Alanah's spirits up. He had momentarily considered telling her about the conclusion he had made about Anthony being a vampire, but although he was sure about this conclusion, he could not remember how he had come to it.

Instead, he knew that all he wanted in the world at that moment was to tell her he loved her and that somehow everything would be OK, but he knew that it would not be.

Dan walked to Alanah and took her in his arms, delighted she was there and safe. They stood hugging in silence. Neither really knowing what to do apart from hold each other and feel secure in the others arms. Alanah wondered how Anthony had survived John stabbing him in the heart. But she now believed anything was possible.

"Mary didn't hurt you did she?" Dan asked anxiously looking her over. Mary may have been his mother, but he didn't trust her in any capacity at all to be kind towards his new wife. He knew she would just as easily slit Alanah's throat as be kind to her.

"No, she just wanted to tell me that she was the cause of the misery we are in and about to go through. She said that you will kill me and nothing, not even the ring can prevent it. Dan I am scared." Alanah looked him in the eye, and saw reflected back the same worries and heartache that she was feeling.

"I will never kill you. You are my reason for living, without you I am nothing. if I killed you I would be killing me too. You will always be safe, my wife." He kissed her forehead and held her tightly.

"Not the wedding night we were expecting is it?" Alanah sighed deeply, holding onto Dan with all her strength. "I never thought.... this dress, I never thought I'd see it again."

"I know." Dan whispered.

"It's the dress I was supposed to be sacrificed in." She shut her eyes, remembering back to the horrible time at the Family.

"I know." Dan whispered again, holding her tightly to him. "I will never sacrifice you." His words were hard as he remembered the vow he had made the first night he had met her at the Maze. This was a promise he intended to keep.

"I know, I have always trusted you, and I always will." Alanah took a glass from the tray and sipped the cool red wine, she handed Dan a glass and smiled tentatively, toasting him. "To us. I guess this is the only toast we'll get tonight."

Dan took a large mouthful of the wine and sighed. He felt a strange warm feeling flow through his body and it wasn't from the alcohol, and before he could stop himself, he had begun to say things he had kept secret from Alanah, the worries that he felt she had not needed to know. "I'm never going to rid myself of him am I? He's always going to find his way into my life. He's the dark shadow, constantly with me." Dan shook his head in sorrow, but anger was beginning to flow through him.

"We've got to get out of here." Alanah said, trying to comfort him. She had only taken a sip of wine before replacing it on the tray.

"How? Look, there are bars on the windows, the doors are locked, and Alex is probably standing guard outside. We are trapped." Dan was getting visibly agitated.

"We'll get out, we've been in a situation like this before." Alanah tried to reassure him. She took a larger sip of wine.

"But not in a foreign country, we can't go back to the cottage they know where it is. Without our passports we are stranded and god only knows what he is going to do to us, to me. Once again I've got to risk my life." Dan was getting angrier

Alanah looked at him, she could see a dark silhouette behind him, turning red as he became more and more angry. She began to feel irritated herself, neither of them aware that there was something in the wine they were drinking. "Well I'm sorry you have to risk your life to save mine. I'm the one who was going to be sacrificed back at the Family. You're the one who chose to save me. I could already be dead and buried, but no, you had to save me. You had to make it your quest to stop me being sacrificed, probably only to ease your conscience about being a murderer. I'm sorry I married you, and what's more, I'm sorry I ever met you." Alanah shouted, anger boiling up from somewhere unknown.

"Well maybe I should have drunk your blood when I had the chance; maybe the Family wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was." Dan snapped. He had a murderous look in his eyes.

"Well go ahead, it would save Anthony doing it. Go on, I really don't care anymore, slit my throat and drink my warm blood." Alanah removed her hair from around her neck and showed it to Dan. "Go on, you may as well, what have I got to live for anymore? My destiny is one full of danger and uncertainty since I met you, maybe I'd be better off not living." Dan looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Here, have your precious ring back, I don't need protecting from Anthony and Mary, I need nothing from you. I'm quite capable of looking after myself." She took the protection ring off, and threw it at Dan.

He promptly caught it, and looked at it, and it was almost as if something inside of him snapped, he calmly put it on his finger, and then looked up at Alanah. "If you want me to drink your blood, I will Alanah Moore."

Alarm bells began to ring somewhere in her head and Alanah came out of her red mist and was instantly unsettled by his tone of voice and the use of her maiden name. She backed away as he began to walk towards her. "Dan, I didn't mean it,... it was a slip of the tongue,... I don't want you to drink my blood. Dan, Dan, I'm your wife, you say you love me,... I love you. Dan, snap out of it, please." he started to put his hand out towards her, his eyes beyond menacing, there was something there that she had never seen before, and truly fearing for her life, Alanah slapped him on the cheek and he came out of his drugged trance.

"What? Lani, what's going on?" Dan asked dazed. "Why did you slap me?" He rubbed his throbbing cheek.

"Because you flipped, you were after my blood, and you would have had it if I hadn't slapped you. You were crazy."

He looked at her aghast. "I'm sorry." He looked at the wine glass in his hand. "The wine, it must have been spiked, it made me go psycho." His hands shook as he looked into the glass and smelled it's content, but he could not detect anything out of the ordinary, but he knew that there was no other explanation as to what had just happened.

"It made me angry too, made me provoke you. It made us hate each other." Alanah looked into Dan's eyes and felt maybe she had been telling the truth. Did she really resent him for what had happened?

Dan made as if to cuddle her, but she backed away. "What's wrong?" He asked alarmed.

"No Dan, not now, please leave me alone." She walked to the window and looked out over the gardens and pond. The sun had long ago descended below the valley and twilight had shut the petals on the flowers. She felt confused and alone. Maybe she didn't know Dan as well as she thought she did.

Dan felt deserted by his wife, but thought it best that he gave her time. He could just about remember what had happened between them, but he could not fathom what had sparked it off and why he had acted so aggressively towards the woman he loved more than life itself. But even though that were true, he could not help wonder, worry that he too had been speaking the truth.

CHAPTER 16

Mary walked to Anthony, her hips swaying her long dress as she went. She hadn't been a vampire for long, and that meant she still considered herself to be of the time she was in, not outside any boundaries written by humans. She still understood the intricacies of being human and if she had wanted to she could have ingratiated herself easily into society as if she were still a human woman. She had been 51 when she had been turned, and not only had she looked much younger than this in life, in death she looked even younger and she adored looking at herself in the mirror to see how young and beautiful she was, and she tried to amplify that in the way she dressed and acted. Anthony was so much older than her, in vampire terms, but he had been turned when he was in his 30's, at a time when caring for your looks was quite low on the average persons list of priorities and his face had never become the beautiful countenance it could have been if he had taken care of himself when he had been alive. Still they made a striking couple when they were out hunting and she was pleased to have a companion who was knowledgeable about every aspect of being a vampire. She was content.

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and gently nibbled his ear. "They are ready and waiting for dinner." She whispered.

"Excellent. It's time they learnt we are in charge of their destiny and no one else. Almost 1,000 years I have been on this earth, and I managed to stop the last Midnight Son, but this one is out of my hands. It galls me every time I think how the Highest Authority has bound my hands behind my back over what they call my disrespect of the established ways. They just 'can't understand how my loyalties have changed over the years'. Oh yes, wonderful they cull us vampires every 500 years as if we were foxes or badgers – we are a pest to be got rid of. If I had known back then what would happen to me .... to us vampires, I would have made a different choice. But hindsight as they say is a wonderful thing, and unfortunately you cannot go back and rectify your mistakes, and mine was the gravest of mistakes. We vampires have as much a right – if not more to exist as the cattle we feed on. Nobody has a right other than me to decide if I exist or not. If I could have ensured Alanah died on the sacrifice table at the Family I would have, I would have taken Dan's life as soon as possible after that and taken away the blood line that exists only to exterminate us. Every moment that I think of the Mother of the Dead, how she changed the rules, agreed the maximum ratio of vampire to human, how we became the scapegoats for the rest of eternity. That is what we were promised, eternity and she took it away from us, gave us a mere 500 years instead, just because we exist longer than a human, doesn't mean we want our lives to end, I signed up for eternity and that is what I want." Anthony smiled, he continued reading.

Mary looked at him. He was always cryptic and said strange things, and on this occasion he had said a lot of strange things. He had never told Mary anything about his life before, but right now he had just confessed how old he was and Mary was desperate to hear more.

"You're a thousand years old." She whispered mesmerised.

"Yes." He said gruffly, trying to ignore the wonder in her voice. He had never been one for bragging, but he could not deny to himself that the awe in Mary's voice was compelling enough for him to tell her more. He had not told anyone anything about his true self for so long, and he found himself speaking again. "I was the only vampire that lived through the last successful Midnight Son. From my bite, every vampire in existence is created."

Mary took an intake of unneeded breath and Anthony smiled at her reaction. "Surely you are the king of vampires." She whispered reverently.

"There is no such thing." He chuckled. "But I can assure you there are no older vampires than me." And it was true, there was not a vampire in existence who had not been created from his bloodline. He had found it disconcerting at first, being the only one of his kind in existence following the ceremony. He had never created a vampire before, never been taught how to do it and he had resisted for a human lifetime before his family had died and he began to see humans as nothing but food.

Once he had lost every human soul he had held dear, they became nothing but cattle. When he returned to the Family - for there had been a Family for thousands of years, he had quickly taken control and made his first vampire. He had rarely looked back and thought of his human wife and son. Human memories were not a luxury he could afford himself.

"That is why it is my responsibility to ensure we survive the next Midnight Son. It is my responsibility, no my duty to ensure we prevent the ceremony completing in favour of the humans. We cannot take out any of the players this time, like I was able to last time, but we can use everything I have learnt over the years to prevent a total depletion of our numbers."

"How many of us are there?"

"Almost 10,000. I made 8 of them and sent them out into the world to make tribes of their own. You are my 9th vampire child, and you will be by my side at the Midnight Son."

"I am honoured." Mary said, smiling happily. "And Daniel. What about him?"

"After tonight he will have to make his own path in this world. If I could take him under my wing, show him how wonderful life can be, what he can do and how to do it, we could win this battle before we get to the ceremony. Alas, I do not believe his blood will allow him to accept his destiny with both hands and to relish the power he will have. You may be his mother, but he is not your child."

"He has always taken humanity just a little bit too seriously for my liking. Still, he has never figured out that vampires are real. I guess that he has never explored the concept outside of the comfortable enclosure that is the Family. He needs his eyes opening to the real world around him." Mary smiled. Dan may have been her son, but what Anthony had said was true, he was nothing like his mother.

"I'm looking forward to teaching Daniel that life is never what you expect it to be, a lesson he will never forget."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I would dearly love to be the one to do it, as his mother it seems right it should be me." Mary sat herself on the book Anthony had been avidly looking at. "I want to take my revenge on him for what he has done to us. He has taken away everything that you have worked so hard for. He took away the security of your herd of people." She began to fiddle with his cravat.

Anthony sighed and looked at her. "You've never done it before; he might prevent you completing it. We can't take the risk that you won't be strong enough."

"Are you convinced he is the one?" Mary asked.

"I may have been involved in the last two Midnight Son's but that does not make me the fountain of all knowledge. I am no expert in the genealogy that is the Newman family, it is not something I have had time to keep up with, but I do know that we are very close to the next ceremony and that only a Newman son can become the father. Dan is the last of the Newman's, if it is not him, it will be one of his male descendents bearing the name Newman. You must understand there are very few surviving documents on the Midnight Son, but all signs point towards Dan and Alanah. I can come to no other conclusion other than it is through them the Midnight Son is realized."

"What if he kills her?" Mary asked.

"Then we were wrong and we let them escape from the Family for nothing. But there are no other Newman son's in existence, unless I've missed some salient information on another Newman having defected from the Family. It has to be them, there are no other possible candidates. Damian is convinced it is Daniel too and he of all people should know. I am right, I am sure I am. Before tonight is over we will be on a one way path to the Midnight Son."

"Then I shall not fail. My family is part of it and I wish to be the cat among the pigeons. I want to start his destiny." She smiled, trying to hold in a laugh.

"They you shall have the honour of being his downfall. It starts tonight." Anthony took Mary in his arms and began to kiss her passionately.

CHAPTER 17

Dan and Alanah had sat in strained silence for what seemed like forever, neither of them able to find the words to start a conversation. What had happened with the wine had shocked them both and broaching the subject became the large pink elephant in the room. The silence hung in the air until Dan finally spoke. "Lani," Dan asked looking at her cautiously, he was nervous. "Why am I wearing your protection ring?" His voice quivered as he looked at her from under his thick black eyelashes.

"I threw it at you when we were arguing. I told you I didn't need protecting from anything, not from you or anyone else who was after me. I think that is what made you snap." She said turning from him.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what I was doing. I didn't mean it, any of it I have absolutely no idea why I did what I did, I would never... Do you forgive me?" he asked earnestly, desperate for clemency.

"Dan, you scared me stiff, I've never seen you like that, not even when you were pretending at the Family. The look in your eyes was pure evil, but it didn't come from you, it came from something else. Of course I forgive you, I don't believe it was you speaking, something is not right here, but...." They were interrupted by Alex opening the door without knocking.

"You are requested at dinner." He smiled at them with an air of expectancy about him, it was clear he knew what was going on and was revelling in it. He was enjoying seeing Dan squirm at everything, being led blindly into his destiny with no way to stop it. In truth, he could not be having any more fun than he was right now. Alex held the door open, and Dan and Alanah walked through.

"Why are you serving Anthony? What made you leave the Family and come here with him?" Dan asked Alex. He could not believe that Alex had abandoned the Family and come to work for a man he now believed was a vampire. He also didn't know if Alex knew this was the case.

"What did I have left to stay there for? You took everything away from me in one swift move, I was left uninitiated and a laughing stock. I was shunned; no one would talk to me, everyone believing I was involved in the escape somehow. The future I had been anticipating was taken away from me in one foul swoop. No initiation, no acceptance into the Family as an equal. Even becoming a custodian of the archives would have been better than that, and I never thought I would say that. Why should I not come with the man who I served at the Family? He is the only family I have now, the rest of them have disowned me." Alex spat at him, his eyes awash with hate for the man he had once considered closer than a brother.

"You know what the Family does it wrong, you would have been a murderer if you had drained Imogen." Dan shook his head sorrowfully, but Alex had never shown any hint that that would have been a problem. To him it would have just been a ceremony, nothing more than a part of Family life.

"Better that than what I am now. I do what I have to, to survive; everything I do is a means to an end." He looked at Alanah almost longingly before snapping back to his normal dour self. "Follow me, you know Anthony does not like to be kept waiting." Alex was bitter and strode ahead of Dan and Alanah.

Alanah carefully walked down the staircase, holding the dress off the floor to prevent her from tripping over the skirt. It was the type of staircase every girl dreamed of walking gracefully down, watched by the man of their dreams, but Alanah knew she was walking towards an event that would change her life forever and she felt sick at the prospect. At the Family at least she had had the reassurances of Dan that he would free her, and she had trusted him completely in that promise and she had been greatly rewarded for that trust. This time however, things were very different, both Dan and Alanah were are the mercy of Anthony and she knew that Dan had no power over what was to happen, and she was petrified of the evening ahead.

Alex led them through the house to the dining hall. It was spectacular, the walls were panelled in dark mahogany and there was a long table down the middle of the room. It was imposing and Alanah felt like the room was closing in around her as she walked closer to where Anthony was waiting for them, making all the worries she had been feeling more tangible if that was even possible. The table was covered with candles which apart from a glass chandelier above the table were the only sources of light, the shutters were barred shut. Anthony was sat at the far end of the table, and Alex led them down towards him. Anthony was wearing a black suit with an open collar. He looked quite elegant in a menacing way.

Alanah instinctively grasped Dan's hand, relieved he was there, even though she had not wanted him near her whilst they were confined in the room upstairs, right now he was the only person she could trust, and she believed without any shadow of a doubt, he was her one true love and she would always trust him. She wished she could tell him this now, but she knew Anthony would relish in her anguish. All she could hope for was that Dan could understand that she loved him and that she forgave him for what had happened earlier.

Dan could sense Alanah's feelings, and he clutched her hand reassuringly, her silent declaration of love stoking his determination to confront Anthony and his mother. His resolve was unfaltering, he knew what his foe was, and he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to free Alanah and himself from his clutches, but seeing as he had absolutely no idea what their intentions were, he knew he was at a disadvantage, and he did not have any cards up his sleeve that he could use to help them out of this situation. He would have to remain on his guard and seize whatever opportunity may come his way.

Anthony stood and pulled back a chair for Alanah to sit next to him. Alanah, resolved to prove she was no naïve sacrifice sat confidently next to him, letting Dan's hand go without looking at him for support. Her determination and poise clearly impressed Anthony who smiling began to pour her a glass of wine.

"No thank you." Alanah said politely placing her hand on Anthony's to stop him. "I'll drink water if you do not mind, I have a headache starting, you understand, it's been such an exciting day and I don't think I could take much more alcohol tonight." She smiled at Anthony, steeling herself from recoiling at his cold hand.

"Of course my dear. I'll ask Alex to bring some in for you." He called to Alex who nodding in agreement, willingly disappeared to obtain a bottle of water.

"Is my mother not gracing us with her presence?" Dan asked confidently, pouring himself a glass of wine. "By the way, thanks ever so much for the wine we had in the room, it was a real eye opener." He said coolly, doing a good impression of someone who was at total ease in the situation.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Anthony asked, his head flicking up immediately confused, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. He had no idea.

"The wine Mary brought us, it was spiked with something." Alanah said calmly. She had noticed the confusion in his eyes.

"If it was, it had nothing to do with me." Anthony fumed. "I assure you, drugging you is not something I have any intention of doing." He was sincere. He looked at both of them, with a mystified look on his face. "What do you mean, spiked? What happened exactly?"

"Whatever was in the wine made us say things we didn't mean, I suppose you could say they were thoughts we had had but had rejected, but those thoughts turned us against each other when we voiced them. It was horrible." Alanah said looking away from him.

"I'm sorry." Anthony said unexpectedly. There was a silence as Alanah and Dan took in his apology. "I know what I am, and to you it is an abomination, but I do what I do to preserve myself and my race. Your story is legendary, repeating itself every 500 years, different players, but still it follows the same path, a path someone like me sets into motion. You have such a short time together, why would I want to spoil it?" He looked at Alanah, a look of longing in his eye. "We are all born good, but some of us are tempted by the darkness and live to regret what we have become. I am what I am because I made a bad choice so many years ago and I have never forgiven myself for it, but if I give in, my wretched existence is ended, and I cannot let that happen. You and I Daniel, will always be at opposite ends of the scale." There was a melancholy look in Anthony's eyes, as if he wished things were different.

"You clearly have plans for us, else you wouldn't have sent Alex to fetch us with a gun." Dan searched Anthony's face for an ounce of betrayal of his plans.

"As your wife keeps telling me, your destinies are entwined, and with them ours." Mary was stood in the doorway, she was dressed in pure white and her long yellow blonde hair flowed down her back. "Of course we have plans, but for now, I suggest we enjoy a civilised meal to celebrate your marriage. I'm so glad you enjoyed the wine. A little taster of what is to come." She walked towards the end of the table and stood waiting for Dan to pull the chair back for her. Dan obliged begrudgingly, sighing as he preformed the gentlemanly act. "Thank you my dear, it's so wonderful to see you again, I truly have missed you." She smiled at her son as she settled into her seat.

"I can't say the same thing to you." Dan said through gritted teeth. This was the woman who had given birth to him, but he felt no love or allegiance to her. His loyalty lay with Alanah, and he could see Mary was trying her utmost to destroy their relationship. Dan was determined this would not happen, but not knowing what her plans were, he felt powerless.

The wine incident proved to him that she was capable of more than he had ever thought possible, and this made him feel that maybe Mary was a greater threat than Anthony, she had after all given birth to him and knew him well. Anthony had never acted like the way he was right now. There was a melancholy to him that he had never seen in the whole time he had known him. He kept silent, knowing that with this information, he held a hidden card, which he could not let either Mary or Anthony know he was aware of.

Alex entered the room carrying a large platter covered by a silver hood. He placed it before Alanah and Dan. He left the room returning a minute or so later with a dish of vegetables, placing them in between the four diners.

He removed the dish covers and retreated out of the room. Before Dan and Alanah was a platter of various cooked meats Pork, Chicken and the like. They both helped themselves to the meat and vegetables, even though they were not really hungry, it just seemed the polite thing to do.

"Are you not eating?" Dan asked his mother and Anthony. He was interested to see if they could eat the food in front of them.

"Alex will be back shortly with our food, but do, continue without us." Anthony smiled graciously. He seemed to be regaining his usual tone of voice, all melancholy dissolved and in anticipation of his meal being brought in.

Dan tucked happily into his meal, but Alanah only picked at the food on her plate. He wasn't really sure what was to come, but something told him it would be bad, and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was right, something bad arrived with Alex.

A young man, no older than Alanah accompanied Alex into the room. He was clearly nervous and stumbled as he sat down. His face was pale and sweating slightly, like he had been drinking, or drugged. His eyes were glassy and he uttered no words as Mary took his hand. There was a slight murmur as she bit into his wrist, but he made no further noise when Anthony became the mirror image of Mary by biting into his other wrist.

Dan's heartbeat began to accelerate as his earlier revelation was confirmed by the feeding in front of him. On one level, this was normal to him. He was used to seeing this type of thing from the Family, people partaking in blood drinking, but he could also see how sick it was for Alanah to watch, and he had never seen gratuitous feeding like this before, it had always been more symbolic drinking. He observed as Mary splattered the odd drop of blood onto her white dress and laughed to himself, knowing that by wearing it she was trying to promote her innocence, but fully aware she was anything but innocent. Anthony on the other hand delicately handled the boy before him, eating quickly and cleanly dropping no blood anywhere.

Eventually Dan began to question his hosts.

CHAPTER 18

Dan had to decide how to play his line of questioning. He could play dumb and ask tentative questions, see what he could get out of them without them realizing how much he knew he had already figured out. Or he could go in guns blazing and admit exactly what he knew. Either was a valid course of action, but he knew they had left him no alternative but to reveal what he already knew, to do otherwise would make him appear weak and unobservant. So he took a deep breath, steadied his nerves and began with his first question.

"So, mother, when were you planning to tell me you were a vampire?" He asked with composure, leaning back in his seat. He took a sip of wine from his ornate goblet and patiently waited for a response. He thought he had gauged his question at the right level without too much distaste and anger in his voice. He was aiming for cool and collected.

"I thought you would have guessed from the moment you saw me earlier." She smiled, blood pouring from her lips as she looked at him. She was anything but sophisticated with her feeding. The boys arm slinked back to the table and he groaned quietly, whatever drug he had been given keeping him from fighting back.

"I had an inkling, but I'd be stupid to come to any other conclusion, what with the poor man you are drinking from right now. I assume you are putting on an exhibition for our benefit, and it is certainly having the desired affect on Alanah, she is almost as pale as you. When did it happen, you were human the last time I saw you?" You would not have guessed that his heart was beating out of his chest by his unruffled attitude. He could not let them see that in reality he was as petrified as Alanah, but he was resolved to appear strong to help keep her strong too.

"The night of your initiation." She replied between mouthfuls of the boys blood. "It was exquisitely painful, but well worth it." She smiled as she remembered.

"I don't require the details thank you." Dan put his hand up to defend himself from her words. But she had confirmed what he had recalled seeing at the ceremony.

"Dan, you said you didn't believe in vampires?" Alanah asked apprehensively. She realised she had been alone with Mary for some time and the realisation that she was a vampire chilled her blood. Her hands began to shake as she realized how close to death she had actually come.

"I truly didn't. It appears I walked through my life with my head in the sand. Unfortunately I now have two specimens in front of me, which leads me to believe they must be real. I've just realized I've been lied to my entire life. " Dan sighed. He felt numb all over, wondering how he could have been so stupid, and indeed how everyone at the Family had been taken in by Anthony and lied to. No wonder no one but the leader of the Family knew the real secrets. The secret was the fact that the leader was a vampire.

"We are real alright. How else do you think I survived being stabbed through the heart?" Anthony smiled, wiping his bloody hands in his napkin. "I guess you could say I'm good at playing dead. My body 'disappeared' before they had chance to bury it. So, the only way to die was to leave the country. I couldn't risk ruining the plans I have put in place by confusing the Family and rising from the dead too early, besides it afforded me some time to think before I have to act. I have my informants still at the house, and I still have complete control, even though the substitute leader would have you believe otherwise. I haven't survived for almost 1,000 years without learning how to run the Family perfectly. One day I will return and take over again, the miraculous return of their beloved leader."

"I always thought that was my grandfather. You were just the caretaker." Dan laughed at Anthony's suggestion. "How did you end up here?"

"This château belonged to me, and I have lived here on and off over the years. It has lain dormant for about 60 years, since the last time I was here." Anthony replied, wounded by Dan's rejection that he was the greatest leader, but he knew where his loyalties lay, and in truth he wasn't that surprised, but he hadn't expected him to question his power now that he knew he was a vampire.

"So that would make this my inheritance once I have killed you wouldn't it?" Dan nodded in satisfaction. "After all you are my 'great uncle'."

"What makes you think you will be able to do that?" Mary asked curiously, a smile in her black eyes.

"Stake through the heart, sunlight, holy water, crosses...." Dan reeled off the list of usual suspects.

"Ha!" laughed Mary. "Is that what you think will kill us? Fairy tales told to pacify the human race! Nothing but the Midnight Son can truly kill us and then the ceremony has to go in favour of humans instead of vampires so we still have a fighting chance. We live on the flesh of human souls, the feelings and emotions that flow through their blood fuel the intoxicating, hedonistic sensations that flow through our bodies during the feast. Holy water, steak through the heart, we laugh at the thought. Do you really think we go 'puff' when we are staked? As far as the human race is concerned we are nothing but a figment of their imagination, creatures to scare and excite humans who think they can return home safe in the knowledge that it was all a story and they are safe. The knowledge that a stake through the heart and holy water will protect them gives them a false sense of security. If only they knew the truth! We are creatures of the dark for a reason, the dark hides our feeding, hides the hideousness that we undoubtedly are. The life of a vampire is solitary. We hunt alone, choosing the dark streets to tread and hunt our prey." She was impassioned by what she had become.

Anthony sighed, continuing where Mary had left off. "Forget the glamorised version; it's a lonely life being a creature of the dark. You can never go back to what you were. Never feel the warmth of the one who loves you, never see the sun. You are trapped in the dark for eternity or however long you choose to take the mental torture inflicted by your solitude. The Family provided perfect cover for me, a supply of fresh blood on tap, a revered position, and the life of luxury. But now you have degraded my status to hunting with the night animals, to feeding on the dregs of society. You shall pay for that." Anthony stared coldly at Dan, his emotionless eyes piercing though to his soul.

Dan pulled his eyes away from the stare and faltered his words. "Sounds like hell."

"You have no idea." He said, then under his breath. "... at least not yet."

"Of course, things would have been totally different if you had only just sacrificed Alanah. None of this would have happened, you would have been a happy, full member of the Family and Anthony would have willingly relinquished the leadership to you once you had proven you deserved it. Life could have been so simple, so rewarding." Mary smiled at her son. "But no, destiny had to choose you. It makes the 21 years I spent watching Alanah seem like such a waste of time." Mary looked at Alanah and sighed dramatically.

"That's my wife you are talking about." Dan said sternly, knowing full well that Mary was wrong. His life would have ended as soon as Alanah's had, neither of them would be here alive now if he had chosen that route, and he knew that to be the truth, Anthony had admitted as much to him himself.

"I knew, that is my point. The struggle I had with Alex's mum, to ensure she would be yours. Even back then I knew there was something compellingly special about you. I could never put my finger on it, I just knew that I had to keep an especially good eye on you, and if I'm honest, I quite enjoyed it! I even borrowed someone's baby so I could go to the same mother and babies groups as you. I was quite good friends with your mother for a while. I think the thing that makes me laugh the most is the fact that you don't even remember that I was one of your teachers in senior school. Admittedly I had short curly brown hair – a wig I might add, but still you just can't remember me can you 'Eloise'!" Mary smiled.

"Mrs Hayward!" Alanah gasped. "My French teacher. You gave us all French names for class. It was you who made me fall in love with French." Alanah couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Well of course where possible we infiltrated your life to keep tabs on you, and I just happened to be fluent in French, so taking the job meant regular contact with you. Don't forget Tessa went deep under cover. She made a great sacrifice when she had that ghastly tattoo done. When she returned to the fold she was honoured and the tattoo was removed with acid and she wears the scar with pride."

"Oh my god." Alanah said feeling suddenly very sick at the prospect. Tessa had had her tattoo done on her wrist and she couldn't imagine how much it had hurt when it had been removed – with acid.

Anthony turned to Alanah. "My dear, Dan is quite right, you are almost as pale as I am, and you haven't touched your food. Come, you must eat your dinner or you will faint from hunger." He said brightly.

"I'm not particularly hungry, especially after that story. It's also not easy to eat when someone is being slowly killed by blood extraction right in front of you." She replied shrinking away from him.

"Yes, I think I can understand that. I remember the first time I saw a vampire feed; it sickened me to the stomach. Still, I soon got used to it when I became one myself, but by that point I didn't have a choice in what I did, I was a vampire and there was no way around it. Well then, come with me and we shall see if we have anything that you might find appetising." He held his hand out to Alanah, who hesitantly took hold of the ice cold appendage, it wasn't as if she was in any position to decline the offer.

Dan stood up, sensing something was going to happen, but he was instantly pulled down by Mary who started to talk to him, trying to avert his attention from Alanah being walked from the room.

He knew something was dreadfully wrong.

CHAPTER 19

Alanah was gently led from the dining hall like a rabbit caught in headlights. She couldn't prevent it from happening, it felt natural, but it was a false feeling, like he was guiding her and finally making her feel safe – something she knew she was not. But although every fibre of her body was screaming in alarm, there was nothing she could do to prevent him leading her gently from the room.

And she was right to feel anxious – he wasn't leading her to the kitchen as he had promised, but across the hallway, through an identical wooden door into a small cold chapel.

"No!" Alanah whispered as her eyes took in her surroundings. Adrenaline finally kicked in and her body took back control of itself. She tried to back out of the room, but Anthony blocked her way. His body was a pillar she could not get away from.

Anthony grabbed her wrists and laughed darkly at her. "Time for the ultimate sacrifice, you never could escape it." And he pulled her towards the marble altar that was waiting to receive her.

-o-

Dan stood once again, knowing for certain that something out of his control was taking place. He ran towards the door at the other end of the room, only to be intercepted by his mother, who had moved at breakneck speed towards him. She had a malicious look in her already evil eyes as she looked at the son she despised.

Dan stood frozen to the spot unable to move, it was as if Mary's stare had welded his feet to the floor. He felt complete fear as he saw a glint of the future in his mother's eyes.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" She laughed and she looked up at him with her intimidating eyes - there was so much happiness in her eyes that Dan could hardly believe it. His mother hated him. There was a resolution in that stare that Dan had never seen before – she was on a mission.

"Destiny has finally caught up with me hasn't it?" Dan asked his heart beating fast, his words choking in his throat. He was out of time and possibilities to save himself and Alanah from whatever was to happen.

His mother nodded smiling. "You are about to meet your maker." She pounced forward with unexpected force and Dan fell back onto the ground, Mary pinning him by the shoulders to the stone floor, she was smiling and her teeth were bared. "That would be me." She ripped open his shirt and sunk her teeth into his neck, greedily drinking from her son.

Dan withered on the floor in agony, she was being anything but gentle with him, he could feel the blood in his body rushing around at great force, the unbearable sound of it in his ears, the incredible pain as it started to leave his limbs, starving them of its supply, trying to keep his organs working, but failing. His toes and fingers became both freezing cold with the lack of blood and burning hot with the pain of that starvation, as if his hands had been frost bitten by the cold, they were painful and red. Every part of him hurt and he shook in pain and shock gasping for every breath he was taking. As the blood began to run out he felt an excruciating pain in his chest, he finally let out an unearthly scream as his heart reached its last mortal beats. Mary took her wrist and slit it open with her teeth, forcing Dan to drink from the wound. Ironically, for once, the vampire stories were accurate; you did need to re-drink your own blood tainted with a vampire to be reborn one.

Dan drank his blood back with gusto, he couldn't help it – his body was desperate to be saved and the liquid life that was his mother's blood was what his body needed, wanted even. He held tightly on to his mother as new feelings began to enclose around his body. The blood he was drinking back was charged with something new, an intoxication greater than alcohol, better than any mortal drug. He felt a new feeling of power and strength flow into his organs, and then down to his limbs, it was as if he were drunk, his head spun violently as electricity reached his brain, he felt invincible, but like a vulnerable new born baby. He was at the end and the beginning, an equinox of death and birth a unique experience, but one every new vampire encountered on the road to immortality, one he would never have again. He eventually pulled away from the sweet liquor; he was out of breath – the last human function his lungs would perform and lay on the floor in ecstasy.

His mother stood over him, smug satisfaction on her blood stained face. She was enjoying the hunt and exacting her punishment was as sweet as Dan's blood.

It was an almost instantaneous reaction. He licked his lips of the glistening red blood, his eyes glazed over, and he froze on the spot. Realization of what had just happened seeped into his mind, he knew what he was becoming. He started screaming. "You bitch! What have you done?" He finally managed to shriek.

"At long last, I have got my revenge on you. You were supposed to be my ticket to power but the coup you created too that away from me, you cut that off and turned me into a fugitive, I was created by Anthony, to reign next to him, but you took that opportunity away from me when we had to leave the Family. He took my human life, and now I have taken yours. I am your mother and your maker. You are a vampire." Mary laughed menacingly.

On the floor, Dan began to change from being the golden tanned man he had been, to being a deathly white creature, resembling human form and features. His heart finally stopped and he lay deathly still, his human life ebbing from his body.

He felt light headed and unattached to the world. His body was heavy and dragging him towards the earth, he felt trapped and free at the same time. He began to feel his heart pumping once again, but to a different, slower beat. It no longer beat to a human rhythm. Finally he sat up feeling different. His eyes darted around the room quickly, everything was the same, but somehow very different. He was looking at the world with new eyes, seeing things he had never seen before. Shadows seemed more real, sounds purer, every sense was heightened. He felt like he had had a massive hit of caffeine and was very alert and slightly tripping out.

Dan looked at his mother, and hate boiled up inside him, he wanted to kill her and he was determined to do just that. He stood up, ready to fly at her, but he was unsteady on his feet. He was sure rushing her was a bad idea; she was more powerful than he was.

"Where is Alanah?" He asked, he felt very vulnerable and tired, he was sure he needed sleep.

"In the other room with Anthony, I'll take you to her." Mary held her arm out to her son and supported his helpless body out of the room and across the hallway into another room.

Dan hated the necessity of her support, but the vulnerable state his body was in left him in no way able to walk on his own. Knowing he had no other choice, and wishing this was a nightmare he could wake from, he used his mother to get to his one love, Alanah.

The room in question was a small chapel. At the far end was a tapestry, which had the familiar insignia of the Family, the moon rising over the dark rolling hills, and the sun setting in the east.

There was a long beech table with two lit candles on it, and it was obvious that it was an altar of some kind. The room was long and thin, and in the middle of the room was a large slab of black marble. Alanah was tied to it, she looked pitifully at her husband, her face streaked with tears, she could see he was no longer human and she understood she was once again his sacrifice.

"I think you know what you must do." Mary smiled at her son, she stood intimidatingly behind his shoulder.

"There is no way I'm going to drink Alanah's blood." Dan growled. He would not let Mary be right about him killing Alanah. He had sworn never to hurt her, yet here he was, wanting to do just that.

"Oh, but you will, you are a vulnerable new vampire and without drinking the blood of a human you won't be able to exist and she is the only human here at the château for you to feed from. You won't have the energy, or the strength to exist, without it, you do understand don't you. Either drink her blood, or die before you have had the opportunity to see how wonderful the life you now possess can be. If you choose to die here and now, Mary and I will be delighted to drink her blood on your behalf, she will no longer be necessary in the destiny that you would be relinquishing, so she would be fair game for us. There are no other alternatives for you. If you love her as you say you do, you understand she is made just for you." Anthony smiled at the new vampire before him.

Dan looked at his beautiful wife and had unfamiliar feelings. He could see her as she was, the woman he had only just married that day, but at the same time he saw her as a source of food, something to drink, sustenance to survive. He had vowed to her that he would never put her in a situation like this again, but here he was, stood next to her salivating at the prospect of sinking his teeth into her flesh and drinking. He stumbled and fell to the floor. Dan rolled on to his back, and looked up to the marble slab and Alanah looked down into his pitifully dejected eyes.

Alanah could see her husband's body on the floor. It was his shell, but she was sure he was deep inside somewhere hiding. She looked into his once bright blue eyes, and although still blue, there was no sparkle, no shimmer, just a dull, almost empty stare. Her love for him was unshakable, and she was prepared to sacrifice herself to save him. She believed his life, in whatever form it took was important, and she was prepared to cease to exist to save it. She had pledged her undying support to him and had no intention of relinquishing her commitment. Alanah knew that destiny was out of her control, and if this was her ultimate destiny, then she would accept it and become the sacrifice she was supposed to be.

"I can't do it, she is my wife." Dan whispered as loudly as he could, he was beginning to fade quickly.

"Oh, for pity's sake." Anthony was loosing his patience. "If you don't do something, neither of you will be alive."

"Dan, please drink my blood, save yourself." Alanah cried in floods of tears. She wanted to reach down to him to take his hand and squeeze tightly to reassure him, but her hands were tied to the marble slab. She had only her words to convince him of what he must do.

"I can't Lani. You are too precious to me to loose." Dan shook his head, he was struggling to talk.

"Please Dan, just a little." Alanah pleaded with her husband, her voice was remarkably calm, given she was asking him to drink from her. "Please, for me. I can't loose you either. If you love me you will drink to save your life."

"My heart says no, but my thirst says yes..." Dan was confused by his feelings. How could he want to feed from his wife?

"You have a destiny to fulfil, by drinking from me you will be able to complete it. It is your fate to drink from me. I willingly give you my blood." Alanah begged, not really knowing if it were true or not, but willing to say anything to keep him alive even if it were in this altered state, she couldn't lose him, not like this.

"I guess I don't have a choice..." With great effort Dan stood and looked at her. His body was shaking from the need for blood – not her blood specifically, but the need for human blood. He knew without it he would go insane, and before him, inside his wife was the liquid that would prevent this from happening. Against his will, he leant over Alanah and brushed her hair away from her neck. Slowly, he bent down and touched it with his lips. He tenderly kissed it, he was about to take her blood - the substance that kept her heart beating. He felt sick to the stomach, but did not flinch as he stood before her.

Dan knew instinctively what to do. He could see the most prominent vein in her throat as if it had been painted onto her skin as a landing strip for him. His teeth were aching and he stood stock still in shock as he began to feel his eye teeth elongate slowly and painfully in his mouth. He fought with every ounce of strength that he had left not to scream in agony as his jaw moved around to accommodate his new teeth. He knew now for certain that he had no other choice to feed from Alanah. He carefully pierced the delicate skin on her neck with his newly elongated teeth. Alanah tensed below him, then relaxed as he began to drink. The flow of fresh red blood into his body exhilarated him beyond belief. Alanah was hypnotised, by what, he didn't know, and this made the experience even more intense.

He could feel her like had had never before, he could feel her love more intensely; he could physically feel the feelings she had for him. It was almost as if he became her whilst drinking her blood. He could see her thoughts, feel her dreams and fears, see everything that she was and everything she wanted to be. He could see her memories of the day, he saw himself stood at the end of the aisle waiting for her to walk to him – he was seeing their wedding through her eyes. He felt the nerves that she had felt, felt the devotion that emanated from her to him, the trepidation about the future, all the unanswered questions that circled her mind every day. But more than anything else, he felt her unconditional love radiating out to him, and could feel that she loved him with every part of her being. And he knew he was drinking in her soul.

Dan knew he had to draw away, to stop drinking his wife's blood. With great effort, he removed his teeth and wiped his mouth of the bright red blood. He looked at her limp body and wanted to cry out in frustration and anger, but he did not want to give Mary and Anthony the satisfaction of knowing how he felt. He turned to them and looked at them with his new stony black eyes. He tensed his hands, feeling his finger nails digging into his palms helped to alleviate some of the pain his dying heart was feeling. At least he hadn't killed her, he told himself. It didn't make him feel any better.

"Good isn't it?" Anthony asked laughing.

"Depends how you look on it." Dan scowled, his strength beginning to return to him. "You had no intention of letting us go did you? This was your plan all along. What happens to us now?"

"You go back up to your room and sleep until tomorrow evening. You are in no fit state to be let loose on the world yet. You are still in the process of changing, your body is rearranging itself, shutting down all unnecessary functions such as your kidneys and liver, your guts etc, things that are only needed when you eat human food. Your heart and lungs will function on a basic level, but in essence you will be dead, animated by harvested blood. I really do not recommend setting foot outside of the château until dusk tomorrow. " Anthony smiled.

"Alanah is coming with me. I'm keeping her close, she is not your food." Dan said sternly.

"Fine, you'd better untie her then." He clapped his hands and Alex came in. "Take them back up to the azure room."

Dan picked Alanah's lifeless body up and followed Alex back up to their room.

CHAPTER 20

On arrival, Dan noticed a change in the room, there was a huge addition. He gently led Alanah down on the bed, moving quickly away from her, not wanting to tempt himself with what was inside her, he could still taste her on his lips. He would not let Alex see the glimmer of desire in his eyes when he thought about the blood running through her veins.

"Red's is the bed, yours is the coffin. You will find that you need to enter the big box before the sun rises, you know the reason." He smiled at him almost callously. "Strictly speaking, I'm told that a coffin is not necessary provided you have some where to sleep you can be sure the sun won't get you. The thing is, Anthony is old fashioned and seems to like the protection a coffin affords him. Because of this he hasn't bothered to update the château with shutters to stop the sunlight creeping in. I'm told that because you are 'newly converted', even the merest amount of sunlight and you're a goner.

"If my memory serves me correctly, I remember you were never the greatest fan of enclosed spaces, so for once I'm being nice to you, I don't know why I'm bothering, I honestly couldn't care less if you were holed up in a match box, but I have my orders, so you're in luck. The coffin is huge, specially designed for two sleeping vampires, a mating couple who can't bear to be apart even when sleeping. It should make the whole experience so much more pleasant. I'll bury Red's body tomorrow evening after you have had your fill of her tonight. Enjoy the silk lining." Alex said as he shut the door behind himself. He knew Dan wouldn't kill Alanah, but he liked to twist the knife in his heart just a little bit deeper to keep up the pressure. Dan clearly heard the click of the key turning in the lock.

Dan stood stock still in the room, unsure of what to do next. Everything was different and he didn't quite know how to deal with his new body and senses yet, he felt completely detached from the man he used to be, but he was still functioning as a human on a couple of levels.

His heart ached in a very human way and his eyes looked at Alanah with nothing but love for her and hate for himself. He had hurt her and he would never forgive himself for that.

Anger raged through his body, the likes of which he had never felt before. He could have broken out of the room without any issues at all, he could tell that already, but he could hardly scoop Alanah up and carry her away somewhere, no matter how strong and fast he might be. There were two stronger and faster vampires in the château and reason told him they could find him within seconds of a break out. No matter how unsafe Alanah was here with him, it was substantially safer than trying to flee with her tonight.

Everything that Dan was feeling was inhuman. From the smouldering power that was making itself known throughout his body, to his incredible hearing and sight. Everything was clear and sounds and sights that he had never heard or seen before were suddenly very real. The smallest speck of dust, the slightest creek in the wooden floor was as clear as the proverbial bell.

On one level Dan felt euphoric – he felt stronger than 5 humans and he knew there was more strength to come, he could feel it creeping up on him every moment and he knew that a type of magic was working inside him. He felt as if he were the strongest man alive and his head was awash with thoughts on what he could and would do with his new found strength.

On the other hand he was stood before the woman who he had just that day married, just fed from ... was about to lose for good. The remains of what was human began to ache – not from the change that was happening inside him, but from the loss he would endure very soon.

He knew he would not feed from her, he promised himself he would not do that ever again, which meant that when darkness came the following night, he would send her away for good, walk her out of this horrible place and urge her to run away, to run from him. As much as he loved her, he could not, would not spend his cursed life with her, she would end up with nothing but a half life and he would not let her endure that for him. He was adamant he would ensure her safety before leaving her forever.

Dan had no idea what the future held. He just knew that destiny had caught up with him and that he was now turning into the creature he was supposed to be. Everything now seemed so obvious to him. He remembered strange unexpected things happening at the Family, people visiting Anthony and never coming back out, clandestine meetings that most of the Family were never privy to, but those who were coming back out drained and pale. So many small things that he had never seen before, even though they had been right in front of his face. He had been so blind.

He walked towards the mirror and laughed hollowly as he saw his reflection. "So vampires do have one." His face was ashen, he was no longer the golden brown he had been only half an hour before – only half an hour, he could not believe how much had changed in such a short time. But he knew the changes weren't yet complete, his body was still changing, still becoming the vampire he was destined to be.

He looked to Alanah; she had been in a trance-like state ever since he had drunk her blood. Dan walked towards her and sat down on the bed gazing at his wife. His eyes were draw to the wounds of his feast, they had dried up and were prominent on her pale delicate skin. He did not like what he saw, he knew he had broken the only promise that had ever made with complete sincerity, and nothing anyone could say would take away the guilt he would eternally shoulder.

Dan led on the bed next to his wife. He put his arm around her waist and put his head on her chest. He could hear her shallow breathing and it comforted him. She was his one true love and he craved being next to her in bed, to be normal once more, knowing he would have to get into the coffin before the sun rose.

Alanah lay motionless and barely breathing, she was in an unknown state, stunned by the removal of her life source. He looked at her, a feeling of rage boiling up inside him. He sat up and jumped to the floor, he was livid at what his mother had done to him, what she had taken from him. He wanted to scream at the top of his voice, to tell someone, anyone what had happened to him, to summon help, to turn back time, something, anything to clear the tension from his body, the pent up anger and frustration he had secretly been harbouring for years.

He resorted to pacing the room, from one wall to another like a confined beast. He looked at Alanah, at his food and he launched out with his fists, throwing them at the wall of the château, leaving shattered wood behind him in the panels. His heart was torn in two and he wished he could travel back in time and warn himself as to what was going to happen to him, to prevent it from occurring, but he knew this was not possible, this was real life, not some scene in a movie.

Dan sank to the floor, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. In such a short time he had changed beyond recognition, apart from the strength and other newly heightened senses, to himself he was still human, he just had more power and strength than he used to have, but something told him that was going to change. Now there was something inside him, changing him from the person he had always been into an unknown entity that he had no control over, something that would soon engulf him and take over his body for itself, leaving his humanity lost somewhere.

He recalled what his father's letter had said about becoming the thing he most despised. He could see he had now achieved this and knew what the foreseeable future held for him, hiding in the shadows and pouncing on humans for food. He had relished the food he had had in the chapel, had loved the feeling of it flowing into his body, but he hated that it had come from Alanah. He loved Alanah, and he would never do anything to hurt her, but he had drunk her life source.

What choice had he had? Either he did it or Anthony and Mary would have, and he would never forgive himself if the man he hated and his treacherous mother, had taken the blood of the woman he loved more than life itself. They would have won a victory that would have cut straight into his heart, and he could never have continued if that had happened.

She was pale and limp, but Alanah still looked beautiful. Her lips were red, and moist. He touched her face with the back of his hand, and even Alanah's pale face looked dark against his pallid skin.

"I love you Alanah Newman." He whispered. He gently stroked her loose hair and kissed her cheek. Carefully he slid the protection ring off his finger, and placed it back on Alanah's. "You need protecting now more than ever. Especially from me." He couldn't help but wonder if the only reason he had been able to drink from her was because she had not been wearing the Midnight Son ring. But he knew that he couldn't go back and place the ring on her finger to test that theory.

It was nearing dawn when Dan knew it was time to climb into the dark box that was in the corner of the room. The large black lacquered coffin was foreboding, but Dan understood that if he were to get through the daylight, he would have to sleep in it. Wearily he pulled the lid from the casket and stepped into the silk lined box. It was nothing like he had expected, it wasn't cramped and body shaped, Alex had been true to his word, it was an elegant casket with plenty of room to move around, large enough for a 'mating couple' as he had put it, but he could hardly say he found it inviting. He took one last look at Alanah and with the last ounce of strength in his body, he pulled the lid back over himself.

Dan lay in the darkness and began to weep.
CHAPTER 21

Alanah was awoken by the gentle noise of rain on the window. She stretched and purred contentedly. Yesterday had been such a wonderful day, she remembered walking down the aisle to meet Dan at the altar, the picnic by the river with the people who meant everything in the world to her. She felt so happy in remembering these things. "Dan..." she reached out to where Dan should have been, only to find cold empty sheets. She sat up in a panic. "Dan...?" It was then that she saw the imposing coffin at the other end of the room.

The big black ominous box shone in the dim light; it was almost as if the sun was flooding through the curtained window onto it, it was definitely the focal point of the room. She looked around the room, trying to remember where she was and why Dan was not with her. The only memories she had were of the previous day, she could not remember how she had ended up here in this room. Her head ached and she wondered if she had been drugged again and taken back to the Family.

Alanah slowly slid off the silk sheets and her naked feet rested on the bare floorboards, a stark difference to the bed. Her head span gently out of control and she sat back onto the bed to prevent herself falling faintly to the ground. Her arms were cold, she saw that she was wearing the emerald dress from the Family, and she knew, although everything else was still a mystery, that she was once again in serious trouble. While she looked for something to put over her arms she saw a clock in the corner of the room. It read seven minutes past eleven. There was a certain amount of de ja vu in the way she was feeling.

"How long have I been asleep?" she wondered to herself, and then she remembered she was cold.

Alanah picked up a shirt from a chair, realizing at once it was Dan's. She gratefully wrapped it around her arms, glad to have his musty smell near her once again. She snuggled it around her body trying to warm herself quickly.

Her attention returned to the coffin. Her memory of the night before was vague, almost nonexistent, she remembered sitting down to a meal, but from then onwards she could remember nothing. She looked around the room. She had been in here yesterday with Dan, she could vaguely remember that. She saw the hole in the wood panelling, the size of a fist. Could Dan have done that? He had never lashed out like that before; if it was him something must have made him mad to do it. She stood before the mirror and saw the two angry wounds on her neck. At first she could not remember how she had received them, but as she looked closely, all at once, she began to remember. She took a sharp intake of breath as it all came flooding back.

It was a swift vivid recollection of the night's events, she could remember Anthony leading her into the chapel and pinning her to the altar against her will. He had been so strong she could not resist his grip. He had stood above her, his face a combination of hatred, sorrow and acceptance.

Anthony had spoken only once to her once she was tied on the marble slab. "Don't worry, he won't kill you now, but the life you expected to have has been taken from you. You may be married, but you will live as a widow. He will be a vampire when he comes in here, and you are his first meal. I remember my first meal. She was just like you. Seeing you lie here brings back all the memories, only this time I stand here, and Dan has my place. The future of the world lies on your shoulders, and it is my job to make it as difficult as possible."

She remembered Dan being helped into the room by his mother and the transformation that had happened in less than ten minutes, from being the handsome man she had married to a sickly looking creature with his features. He was a vampire. Her eyes welled with tears as she remembered the look in his eyes, the hunger in them that she had never seen before. She had been terrified of him, but she would have done anything to keep him alive, and she had.

Alanah remembered how she had pleaded with him to drink from her, to save his existence. She had told him how she could not live without him, and she meant that more than she had realized – she really did not think she could live without him. She would have done anything to prevent him from dying completely, she knew he was dead but she could not bear to lose him from her life completely. She would have given her last drop of blood to keep him alive, she was sure his life was more important than hers.

She could not help but remember the feeling as his teeth penetrated her skin, it had been a momentary searing pain, followed by the feeling of anaesthetic flowing through her veins. She had been able to feel his cold lips against her skin, feel him sucking gently on her neck, hear every swallow as he took the blood from her vein. Everything he had done had been tentative, she knew he did not want to hurt her, but done with an instinct she knew he now had.

He may have been a vampire for just a few minutes when he had started drinking from her, but she could feel a strength in him that she had never been aware of before. The strength had grown as he had fed from her. He had started out no stronger than a young boy, and grown way past that of the strongest man, gone way above any expectation she had ever had. She had felt it rolling off him, and she knew she had given him that strength, the ability to survive.

Alanah knew it had been incredibly difficult for him to pull away from her, she had felt him slowing down in his gulping, hesitating, gulping again before removing his fangs from her throat. He had kept his lips there a little longer, and she was sure she felt something drop from his cheek - a tear? His lips had brushed her neck, and they felt slightly warmer than when he had fist placed them there before he had started to drink from her. He had silently kissed the puncture marks, she had felt so light headed by this point, but to her it seemed to be both a thank you and relief that she was still alive.

And then she had felt nothing until she had woken on the bed. She guessed Dan was in the coffin, in truth she could not think he could be anywhere else but in the coffin. She knew very little about vampires – real vampires that is, and she had no idea what state he would be in. Would he be dead – as in only alive during the night, or would he just be asleep as he would have been if he had been next to her in bed?

The room was pretty dark, but she made sure the curtains were as closed as they could be, and when she was happy that she could not see the slightest hint of light through them, she walked towards the coffin.

She had to do it. If he was inside this box, she had to know, yet she was petrified she was doing the wrong thing. What if opening the coffin during the day killed him? Could she live with herself if that happened? She reasoned with herself that Anthony or Mary would more than likely put her out of her misery pretty quickly if that happened. But still she did not know what would happen to her husband if she opened his coffin.

His coffin. God, no. How could that be? And it was as if some sort of force overtook her body and she walked towards the intimidating black box. She had to know, whatever the consequences, she had to know the truth. Alanah lifted the lid and pushed it gently onto the floor. She looked down on her sleeping vampire.

Her heart accelerated as she saw the man she loved led in the large black box. Her breathing quickened as she took in the sight of her dead husband and she stifled a small scream with her hands. Her whole body shook as she realized, without a shadow of any doubt that her husband was indeed a vampire.

Dan was led with his arms by his side. His eyes tightly shut, his mouth was straight and motionless. His pale naked torso shone in the dim light, and his lips were blood red. He looked peaceful.

She looked at him, desperately wondering what to do. Alanah wasn't sure if he was 'alive dead', or dead. All she could see was the body of the man she loved, and it looked dead. Whatever state he was in, she was scared of what he had become, what he had done to her, what he could do to her, and wished there was something she could do to give him back his human life.

She was 21 and to all intense and purposes a widow. What kind of a relationship could she really have with a dead man? Destiny had taken him away from her and her heart broke a little more as she looked down on him.

"You mean everything to me. Without you I am nothing." Alanah began to weep. She wept salt tears, and they softly landed on Dan's cheek. Alanah wept so much she failed to notice Dan wake up and brush the tears away.

He looked at her and his heart broke. He reached his hand up and stroked Alanah's cheek with the back of his hand. "You're more beautiful than when I first saw you." He smiled, trying to hide the pain he was feeling inside. "Even through your tears you are still perfect." He smiled bravely and looked into her tear filled eyes.

"You should be next to me in bed, you should be naked and tanned, not deathly white and lying in a coffin." She stood up and backed away from the casket. "You're not my Dan. My Dan's gone, he's dead, he's no longer here, he's somewhere else, far, far away." Alanah muttered to herself, she was struggling to accept seeing him lying in the coffin.

"Lani." Dan called, panicked by her retreat, he sat up, looking at her with scared eyes. "Lani, come back to me. I'm still here. Somewhere inside I'm Dan Newman. But I'll never again be the man you married. Look at your neck; see where I drank your blood. I am not human any more, I'm a blood drinking, life taking vamp........"

"You're the man I love." Alanah protested. She wanted to block her ears from that word.

"...ire, if you open the curtains, I will cease to exist. I shouldn't be out even now. We shall have to talk about it when night falls. I have to get back in the coffin. I shall see you when the sun goes down." With a heavy heart he heaved the lid back over him and fell back into a dreamless, black sleep.

CHAPTER 22

Alanah was quietly distraught. She sat on the bed not knowing what to do except watch the minutes tick by on the clock in the corner of the room, occasionally looking up and taking in the black box that contained the body of her husband. She felt like she was having her own personal wake for the man she loved unconditionally, even though he could still do everything, more even than he had been able to do when he was alive.

It wasn't even as if she could lie back and forget her troubles, they were all locked in this room with her and she could always see the big black box in the corner of her eye. There was absolutely nothing in her surroundings to comfort her in any way. She wasn't in their cottage, she didn't have her own things around her and the only person who would be able to comfort her was in the coffin sleeping. Everything that was her world had shattered into thousands of pieces around her and she didn't have a clue how she was going to pick the pieces back up. It seemed impossible.

The room was comfortable, and she could not complain about it, but she had been left no stimuli to occupy her. She had nothing to do but contemplate the situation she found herself in. She felt very alone and very depressed.

She looked at the brand new wedding ring on her finger and sighed at losing everything she had spent the last few months dreaming about. Her happy ever after had gone, and she knew she was never going to get it back.

Pain enveloped her heart as she realized what a dire situation she was in. But she had already made her choices and she didn't regret any of them. She just had to learn to live with the consequences of her decisions. She needed time to adjust to her new and completely unexpected circumstances.

More than once she opened the curtains to look at the world, to check she wasn't dreaming. That the strange void in her life was reality, and not some waking nightmare she was experiencing. More than once Alanah had tried to find a way out of the room. The window was stiff and she could not open it to see if she could find a way down, and from what she could see, it was a long way down.

Even if she had been able to get out of the room, she didn't know where she would go. She knew she was about three miles from the village, and she could probably make that in less than 30 minutes if she ran, but she wasn't sure she could truly get away from here before Mary or Anthony found her. It also seemed safer for her to stay at the château until nightfall, as she knew her parents and brothers would definitely be gone – they should already be in the air on the way back to America, but knowing her father, she wouldn't have been surprised if he had made the whole family miss the flight by his lateness, he had done it before. Callum and Christina were leaving on the afternoon train to Paris and were going to spend some time there, so they would be safe then. Jessie was staying for a couple of days, and she had no idea what John's plans were.

But there was another reason – probably her only real reason to stay. She had to see Dan again. How could she leave him without talking to him? As his wife, she owed it to him to discuss what they were going to do together, even if that meant they would have separate futures. She hated that idea, but reality was quickly catching up on her and she could see no other path for them to go down. Alanah did not want to be alone.

By the time Alex came with her lunch, she was ravenous and sat at a small table he had brought in with him. He stood watching her eat as she had hungrily eaten every scrap on the plate, desperate for food as she had not eaten anything the night before. Alex had left the door slightly ajar, and once she had realized she was close enough to run towards it, she couldn't help but leap up from the seat and bolt towards it, but all Alex had to do was step in front of her and close the door before she got there.

"Don't be a silly girl." Alex smiled at her sourly. "Do you really think I didn't know you would try and escape?" He laughed, mostly to himself. "And where did you think you would get without a car, we're nowhere near the village, Red, it's quite isolated out here, just the way Anthony likes it." Alex stroked her cheek and she recoiled as she saw the intense look on his face. Alanah thought he was revolting.

"Leave me alone." She whispered backing away from him.

"Why? Because your husband is just a few feet away from us? He's as vulnerable as a new born baby, which I suppose on one level he is. Even if he was awake, and I truly doubt he is, he couldn't step anywhere that may have the slightest hint of sun, and let's be honest, all I have to do is open the curtain and he goes poof!" Alex walked towards Alanah, who back stepped her way away from him and landed on the bed. "Ah the perfect setting. You may have been stolen from me at birth, and married my rival, but that doesn't stop me from taking you for my own right now..." He sat on the bed next to her and pulled her close, squeezing her waist so hard it hurt.

Alanah yelped as she realised what he was really about to do. He grabbed her face and pulled it towards his own, planting his lips on her, trying desperately to gain access to her mouth. Alanah tried in vain to pull away from him, but she could not. Instinct kicked in and she bit his lip, drawing blood, making him pull away instantly.

"That won't stop me!" He glared at her, his lips red with his own blood.

Alex pushed Alanah back onto the bed and made to mount her, grabbing at the green silk of her dress and trying to pull it up to reveal her legs. Using all her strength – more than she thought she had, Alanah pushed him off of her and rolled off of the bed towards the wall. She planned to kick him, bite him, scratch him, anything to keep him away from her, but she didn't need to, someone had kicked the door open and was heading towards him. Whoever it was, power and strength radiated from them and she was scared of the power that had come into the room. Instinctively Alanah crouched down, not wanting to be seen by the person who had entered.

The woman's voice boomed as she cowered by the bed. "Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid?" She had clearly grabbed Alex somehow as Alanah could hear him whimpering – a sound she had never heard from him before. "How many times do I have to tell you, she has a destiny that is starting now and you can not interrupt it. Without what will happen to Alanah, without the decisions she makes during her life your destiny is shattered, eradicated and you remain nothing more than what you are now, servant to a vampire who despises you and would sacrifice your life at the drop of a hat. Leave her alone, she is not your ally at the moment and if you ever do what you were intending to do before I stopped you, I can guarantee that I will kill you so quickly you won't even know it happened. You will not violate her." And the woman left the room pulling Alex with her.

Alanah raised her head above the bed just in time to see a swathe of red fabric exit the room before the door was slammed shut and she was alone again in the room, save for the body in the coffin.

Alanah shook in terror; she could not believe what had just happened. Alex had tried to rape her; she knew unequivocally that if the woman in red had not come in the room, he would have done just that.

Something caught her eye on the floor, and steeling herself against the idea of staying where she was on the floor, she stood and walked towards the shiny object. Bending down to pick it up, she recognised it immediately. It was an amulet. A scarab beetle to be exact.

She had seen one like it before in one of her mother's text books when she was young. She had in fact seen the real thing at the British Museum in London. It was a brown red stone, and the word carnelian came to mind as she felt it in her hand. The one she had seen in the museum had been very old and well worn as if it had been handled every day to protect against evil over thousands of years, but the one in her hand looked relatively new, and had a cartouche on the flat bottom containing a name. She could not translate it, but she knew her mother could. If she ever got out of here, she was going to ask her to tell her what it said.

Whoever the woman was, she had saved her life, told her, although not directly at her, more a furious rant at Alex that the choices she would make in her life would have a huge effect on the world, and it worried her that she had so much power over the future of the human race, just her, she had not mentioned anyone else, yet she knew she shared her destiny with Dan. She had also learnt that although Alex was superfluous to requirements right now, but sometime in the future he would be an important player in her destiny and she didn't like the thought of that one little bit.

CHAPTER 23

Coming back to reality, Alanah looked at the box that contained her husband and felt so alone and isolated. Even though she knew this was her reality, she needed to believe that this was all a dream, that she would wake up and find that Dan was not a vampire. She desperately needed bodily contact with him, knowing he was in the room, knowing he was so close almost sent her out of her mind. She shivered every time she thought of how cold and white his skin was.

Alanah was sure of what she had to do. It could go dreadfully wrong, but for her own peace of mind, her very sanity, she knew she had to do it. She climbed off the bed and walked towards the dark looming coffin and carefully slid the lid off. She looked at the sleeping Dan. There were no signs of breathing, he looked to be dead, but she could see behind the ashen exterior he was alive somewhere inside.

She remembered back to the night she had lost her virginity to him. It had seemed so natural to make the decision for him to be the one to take her innocence. She recalled how shocked and adamant he had been that it was not his to take, she smiled knowing that since that morning they had hardly gone a day without it!

It felt peculiar to wake a vampire from his slumber, but Alanah needed to tell him that she still loved him, and the only way she could do that was to rouse him. For when night came, he would not be interested in her declaration of continuing love, only feeding.

She tenderly kissed his forehead, stroking his hair. She smiled as he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. He was shocked to see her, but couldn't help but smile at her. "I'm cold." Alanah whispered. "Can I come in with you?" She knew he could not provide warmth, but she had to have a reason for waking him and it was as good as any other. She hoped it would show him she didn't care what had happened to him, that to her, he was still her Dan.

Dan looked stunned at the notion, but smiled as he saw Alanah's bambi eyes look down at him. "Of course." He carefully moved to one side, although it wasn't really necessary due to the amount of space that surrounded him, and Alanah stepped in lying next to him, there was more than enough room for the two of them. Dan pulled the lid over and they were in pitch darkness. There was an icy silence between them as they realised how close to each other they were, but they both felt so alone in the darkness.

Even in the pitch black, Dan could see Alanah's scared face and hear her heart pounding away in her chest. He began to salivate at the smell of her blood, but he restrained himself, she was not food, she was his wife and he loved her with everything human remaining in him at the moment, it was stronger than any vampire feelings he had. He put his hand out to her cheek and gently stroked it. Dan's hand was freezing cold, and Alanah pulled away at the icy touch.

The reality of what she was doing kicked in. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you." Alanah began to push at the lid, she started to panic, thinking she was mad at entering a coffin with a demon. She was desperate to get out.

"Lani, don't go, please, I need you now more than ever. Don't leave me." Dan pleaded, his voice breaking on the last word; he was distraught at her need to be away from him.

Alanah looked towards the black shadows, where she was sure Dan's face was. His voice had been so small, so quiet but had told her exactly how he felt, because she felt it too. "I'm scared Dan." She whispered, holding her hand out in the darkness, finally finding his face. She took his face in her hand and cradled it, feeling the familiar contours in the dark, and the new coldness of his skin. She felt him relax into her hand and she knew that he was as lonely as she was.

"So am I Lani." Dan admitted.

"I'm scared of you, what you could do to me. I don't want you to turn into Anthony." Alanah confessed to him. "Yet being out there alone is horrible, knowing you are in here by yourself, the single most important person in my life. I was never scared of you at the Family when I hardly knew you, I trusted you completely, but now I am scared for my life. Your immortality scares me, knowing you will live forever and that I will die." Tears fell silently from her eyes. "If Mary is right, if it is my destiny to be your sacrifice, please get it over with as soon as possible, the anticipation and worry is becoming too much of a burden to carry. Free me from it now if that is my fate."

Dan shed a tear, loathing the creature he was becoming, hating the way Alanah was feeling. Being told his wife was scared of him hurt him to the core; there was nothing else in the world that could cut deeper than that. He calmed himself, swallowing hard, but his voice still trembled with emotion as he spoke.

"I will never become like Anthony. Whatever else may happen, I promise you that. You are scared of me because I drank from you. That was the worst thing I have ever had to do, worse than what happened back at the Family and I thought nothing could be worse than that. I promised you that I would never hurt you again and that I would protect you for the rest of your life and I have let you down. I drank from you, used your blood to keep myself alive and I will have to live with the revulsion I feel for myself for the rest of my existence. There is nothing I can say to you that will take away the hate that I feel for myself. I have broken the one promise that I made with complete sincerity - to protect you, and the vow I made yesterday that I would take care of you in sickness and in health.

"Think of what I am now as an infection, that I am unwell. You are the reason I continued living and breathing. I would give anything to take you away from this place, to take away our destinies. But I know that wherever we were to go in this world it would have caught up with us and we would have had to face the inevitable. My fathers' letter said I would become the creature I most despise and that I have to learn to live through the eyes of darkness. So that is what has happened, I have become the creature that I most despise, I am like Anthony, and now I must live in darkness." He stopped, Dan was aware that ultimately fate was going to rule their lives and there was nothing he could do about it. "Please don't leave me alone here, not yet." He whispered.

"I won't." Alanah replied simply, she was sure that although Dan had fed from her, he was the one who was going through a greater hell than she was, and that she had to be strong for him as well as herself. There was again silence, until Alanah finally plucked up the courage to say. "Dan, will you hold me?" It was the only thing she wanted in the world.

"Of course I will." He wrapped his cold strong arms around her and held her tight. His whole body was unbelievably powerful, but the soft touch of his wife made him relax and he let out a sigh of relief as he felt her in his arms. Dan had no shirt on, and Alanah's hand roamed freely up his back.

"You're freezing. I didn't really think you would be." She whispered. Apart from the lack of heat, he still felt like the same man, even though he was now immortal.

"I'm not human any more." Dan replied solemnly cradling Alanah in his arms gently. He had great strength in his arms, and Alanah could feel that he was holding back, there was a tension in every muscle that she had never felt when he was human, but she felt safe, and she knew at that moment, although she was scared of what he now was, she would always feel safe when she was in his arms.

"What are we going to do?" Alanah asked nervously, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know." It was an honest answer.

It took all of her courage, but Alanah finally asked. "Will you make me a vampire Dan?"

"No." Was his sharp and instant reply. He couldn't believe she had had the courage to ask that, but he thought he could understand why. He just couldn't bear the thought of her becoming what he was. He brought his voice back under control. "Besides, I don't have any idea how Mary did it, I was practically dead when she turned me. I wouldn't want you to go through what I've been through, the pain was unbearable. I wouldn't want you to never see the sunlight again....." His voice broke as he realized for the first time that he would never see the sunlight again.

"But I want to be with you. I love you, I need you. I can't live without you. Please, can't something be done?" Alanah pleaded.

"Like what? I'm as new to this as you are."

"But you were in the Family, you were supposed to be Next in Line for the leadership. Surely you know more about vampires than anyone else?"

"I never really believed that vampires existed. I always thought that the Family was just a figment of someone's warped imagination that went horribly wrong and somehow became a sick kind of reality. A reality I lived in all my life. And now it seems that vampires really do exist, hell I am one and you can't dispute the evidence before you. God only knows what Anthony and Mary could do to this country, let alone the rest of the world if they wanted to populate it with them." There was a strained silence as the two of them realised what a dire situation they were in.

Both of them were aware that they had not consummated their marriage, and as such were not technically married. Even though Dan, to all intense and purposes was dead, there seemed to be an unspoken, but acknowledged necessity to fulfil the ritual. They both wanted to feel loved one last time, as they knew deep in their hearts they would be going their separate ways come sunset.

They started kissing, hesitantly at first; Dan was scared of hurting her with his teeth, even though they had only elongated when he had drunk from her, he was scared that his proximity to her would make them come out and he didn't want to scare her with them. It felt like the first time they had made love, they were both timid and feeling vulnerable, which was odd as they both knew each other's bodies intimately. Anthony and Mary had an uncanny habit of making them feel nervous around each other.

"Can I undress you?" Dan whispered, there was urgency in his voice.

"Yes." Alanah said breathlessly. Dan slowly and carefully undid the buttons of her dress and pulled it away from her body, he ripped her corset off, unable to control his urges any more and his hand slid softly over her breast. Alanah could not help let a small moan out as she felt the coldness of his hand against her naked body. He tenderly caressed her nipple with his palm and it became hard at his icy touch.

Alanah's hand moved up his back and along his chest. She moved her lips down to his neck, and smelling the musk of his body she kissed it. The two of them were naked.

Dan wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, and his long muscular legs around hers. He smelt her sweet hair, and he felt that for that short time he would be in heaven and no one could take that away from him. He traced her body with his hand and slowly moved it down and rested it next to her leg. His whole body was trembling with anticipation and excitement.

"I love you Alanah Newman." He whispered in her ear.

"That's good, because I love you too." She kissed his cheek and took his head and guided it towards her lips. Dan responded to her touch and kissed her back with love and tenderness. His hand traced her body again and up to her face. Every kiss felt like it could be the last, and he was desperate to savour her lips as much as he could. He requested access with his tongue and Alanah opened her mouth, their tongues' tangled together, and she could not help run hers over his teeth, subconsciously searching out his fangs.

Although she could not find any additional length to them, she could feel a new sharpness to them that had never been there before.

"Careful, you're playing with fire." Dan moaned as he realized what she was doing. As much as he hated the thought that she was actively searching for his fangs, he was unnervingly turned on by her necessity to find them.

"I thought I was playing with ice!" Alanah giggled, but sobriety returned to her quickly. "I can't help it, I still can't quite believe it, this seems like a dream." She whispered into his ear.

"Some might say a nightmare, but I assure you, I am a vampire, and if you cut yourself on my teeth, I can't vouch for my will power being strong enough to resist you." His mind returned to his feeding from her and his excitement grew.

"When I'm with you nothing is a nightmare, no matter what has happened to you. But now you are so much more than you were before, so much stronger and that is undeniably a turn on." Alanah whispered, surprised that this was actually true.

"Yes, I think I can understand that." Dan said, he could not help but smile. What he was now could so easily have been a turn off – Alanah could have been repulsed by what he was, but he could tell that it was quite the opposite.

Dan's human senses were heightened, and his vampire ones were telling him exactly what Alanah wanted and needed, he was a highly sexually charged creature, and feeling Alanah's warm smooth body in his arms made him shiver in excitement. He had no idea what was really going through Alanah's mind, but he could tell what her body was thinking and although he detested what he was, he was determined to use his new senses to take Alanah to ecstasy. The confines of the coffin intensified their connection, their bodies touched at every point, every sense heightened to new peaks and every stroke made both of them euphoric. Every emotion that was flowing through them at that moment was urging them on to become one, and neither of them was going to prevent that from happening. All good sense had left them both long ago.

Alanah felt extremely sensual in the arms of a vampire; there was a feeling of vulnerability she had never felt with Dan before. Every emotion that she had ever seen him have as a human was heightened here in the confines of the coffin. She could feel every one of them rolling off him as if she was able to see him, which she could not.

There was such sadness to the way he touched her, anger radiated from him – but not towards her, she knew he was controlling it completely and she did not worry about it at all. He was still adjusting to what he had been forced to become and the anger stemmed from that. Yet at the same time as the negative emotions she could undoubtedly feel happiness and desire in his touch. It was clear to her that he was very confused at what was happening, she was too, but equally she knew that they had no other choice, how else could they show the other just how much they loved each other?

Dan was stronger than any human and could do anything to her and she would have to surrender to his wishes. She was well aware that one of these wishes could be for him to feed from her again, and that didn't scare her. She knew it was something he was going to be doing every night going forward, and she knew he would not kill her, but equally, she knew he would kill. Her heart ached as she realized that was what he was going to do, but it would not be his fault and she would not hate him for it. She could not stop loving him - that was something that would never happen.

They were in complete darkness and she could not see what Dan was going to do next, this added an extra air of suspense, anticipation and mystery, especially since she was aware he could see her. Regardless of what the future held, and she knew she couldn't change that, this moment here with him meant everything to her, and she wasn't going to let any worries of the future take anything away from this stolen moment.

Dan gently kissed Alanah's neck, with no intention of repeating his earlier feasting, this was love not survival, and he had no intention of surviving on Alanah's blood. He could feel that they were fulfilling their destiny. There was a magic surrounding their cocooned state and he intended to leave Alanah with a beautiful if somewhat unusual memory. Alanah trembled in delight as she felt his icy breath on her neck. He could see her as if the sun was above them shining down on them, and he could see the ecstasy on her face. It was strange, and very unexpected, but he could see that she had accepted what he was, and would give herself completely to him if he asked, and he knew that included her blood. He would never ask that of her. How could he? Why would he want to live off the blood of the woman he loved? And it was at that moment he knew, no matter what happened, he would make this moment perfect, so that when he left her, she could remember something wonderful, rather than something seedy and untasteful. He would make her feel like the beautiful and loved woman that she was.

Alanah kissed his soft perfect lips and smiled nervously. Dan sensed she was anxious, and wanted her to relax as much as possible. He traced his hand along the side of her body and quietly whispered in her ear. "I won't drink from you, but I want to make love to you." He wrapped his arms around her and tenderly kissed her neck.

Dan's lips tickled and she shivered with anticipation, Alanah kissed his ear and smiled to herself, she was already in ecstasy. "I'd love nothing more than to make love to you." She smiled. She wondered if drinking blood went hand in hand with love making, and she quietly said. "I don't mind if you drink from me." Her words shook as she said them.

"I won't ever do that again. I won't drink from the woman I love." His words were so gentle as his suspicions were confirmed, but he would never let himself be drawn into that type of dependency on Alanah. He wanted to make love, not feed.

Dan carefully lifted himself up and over Alanah, taking care not to bang his head. He kissed her lips. He whispered in her ear. "You're beautiful."

Alanah held Dan in her arms and withered in pleasure. Dan eventually collapsed and lay panting next to her.

"That was wonderful." he sighed breathlessly. "But I'm exhausted. I've used the last of my energy." He kissed Alanah's forehead.

"Go to sleep then." Alanah replied kissing his cheek, understanding he was still going through the metamorphosis that would take his human life away completely. Dan led his head against her breast and Alanah held him close. "No matter what the future holds, I will love you unconditionally." Dan kissed Alanah's cheek and draped his arm over her body and they fell asleep.

Both had forgotten the world outside the coffin.

CHAPTER 24

Dan slept in the coffin with Alanah's head on his chest and his arm around her protectively. They had often slept like this when they had been in bed together, but right now, it felt more precious to him than he had ever realized, even though he was asleep, he could feel the warmth of her body next to his and it comforted him. His body relaxed for the first time since becoming a vampire, not a mean feat, his whole body had been tensed, ready to fight or feed at a moments notice, but with Alanah so close to him, her human heart beat resonating quietly in his ear, he began to dream about his former life as a human man.

The first thing he remembered was seeing Alanah on the dance floor at the night club. The thoughts of that moment in time came flooding back to him, everything from lust, and he could not deny that, to pity about what was to happen to her. Even though he was dreaming, he could remember that feeling of helplessness when he realized that there was nothing he could do to prevent her being his sacrifice. A momentary vision of red fabric flooded his memory, someone taking his hand and leading him away from the club... from Alanah.... And then his memory went blank.

The next memory that flooded his dreams was of him and Alanah in her room at the Family. Alanah had accepted everything he had told her and sealed that acceptance with the most beautiful of kisses. His lips remembered the touch of her lips that time; it was as if she had given him an unbreakable commitment with that kiss. This was the first time he had ever felt her hands on his body, her fingers gently teasing his stomach with their light touch. He had never felt so electrified as he had in that moment, and he smiled in his sleep as he remembered the sheepish look on Alanah's face as she realized what she was doing to him. It had been a glorious moment amidst the mayhem that had been the sacrifice process. He remembered holding her in his arms, much like he was now as they lay chastely together in his bed, before his dreams changed again.

All he could remember was the turmoil going through his mind when Alanah had begged him to make love to her. He remembered his desperation to be with her, but his trepidation about it being the right thing to do. But it had been, and he had no regrets over loving her the way he did that morning, and every day since that wonderful morning that had meant freedom, not only to Alanah, but to him too.

His memories became more recent, his last day as a human. He was stood at the altar watching Alanah walk towards him, remembering clearly what had happened the day before. His dream was a heightened mix of what had really happened and what his vampire senses were telling him had happened in the chapel with him.

Every detail of Alanah permeated his dream. He saw the excited look in her eyes, the pale pink of her cheeks, the nervousness that evaporated once he had kissed her. Her dress had been luminous in the dim chapel, and he remembered every detail of the lace that had covered the silk dress underneath, the bell like sleeves and the beautiful deep red ribbon. In that moment of complete togetherness, it had been so easy to believe they would be that happy forever.

From the corner of his mind's eye, he could see someone he had not seen when he had actually been stood at the altar waiting for Alanah. He couldn't understand how he had not seen her at the time, the darkness had not been so much that he would miss this person. A woman dressed from head to foot in red, but he couldn't see the face – any distinguishing features, but something in his mind was telling him to look closer, to remember who she was, but even though he was now looking at this memory with his new eyes, he could not see her, could not distinguish who she was and why she had been at his wedding. Besides, his main focus was on Alanah, everything about this dream, this memory was about the beautiful woman he had married and nothing else. It was beautiful to relive the moments of the happiest day of his life...

Swiftly he was at the top of the arc de triomphe in Paris – he was taking her there on the first part of their honeymoon, a chance to do the touristy things they had not yet got around to. This is what he had been planning, this was where they were supposed to be on their way to right now, the beginning of the rest of their lives, instead of lying together in a coffin. He drank in every detail, wishing it was real, wishing he could give this dream to Alanah as a reality.

Alanah was so radiant, clearly still on a high from the wedding, everything about her was perfect. Her eyes were so happy, so relaxed, so perfect. She smiled at Dan, that smile that she had given him when they had first met, first kissed, just married. It was a radiant smile that he knew he was going to miss. Her hair blew gently in the wind, her eyes sparkled, her décolletage was ever so inviting, so bare, he was so hungry...

Dan woke with a start. He sat up abruptly hitting his head on the lid of the coffin, he felt fury raging through his body. He pushed the lid up and off the box with minimal force, throwing it to the side. He growled in frustration as he realized where he was, what he was. The room was dark, it was night. He stood up and stepped out of the casket, he was still naked and walked around the room like a raging caged animal. His body felt strong, stronger than it had the night before. Every muscle felt powerful, like he was trying to control a bucking horse inside himself. He felt a pleasure in the changes that had occurred, and he wanted to find out what he could do with his new found strength. Dan felt an uncontrollable thirst in his throat, his body was craving food.

Dan looked back at the box, Alanah was still sleeping soundly, the crash of the coffin lid had not roused her. He looked at her naked body; the one he had so tenderly been making love to only a couple of hours before, seeing nothing but a vessel of blood. He walked purposely towards the coffin salivating as he went, he knew what she tasted like and he craved her now as food, sustenance to keep him alive. He was on a path to drink from her.

As he neared her, he felt another presence in the room, something new and untainted. He stopped in his tracks and he tried to figure out exactly what it was he was feeling. He could feel it emanated from Alanah and instantly knew what it was. She was carrying his child.

He didn't know what to do, he was torn between the hunt and great joy at the discovery he had made. He picked his clothes up from the coffin and hurriedly started to dress himself. His head was spinning from the smell of Alanah's blood, he wanted to feast from her, drink in her soul, but knowing she was with child confused the situation and he didn't know what to do. How could he feel this newness inside her, and why was he only feeling it now, why had he not felt it before?

He looked at her sleeping in the coffin – in his coffin, and reality began to dawn. He was sure they had conceived their child in there and he felt guilty that it had happened in a bed of death rather than in the sunlight. But he knew from his death a new life was beginning. His father's letter was coming true. He had married Alanah, been turned into a creature of the dark and now their child was embedding itself into Alanah's womb, making a home for itself for the next nine months.

He stood over Alanah, tormenting himself over what to say. His body was saying one thing – 'I need blood and this girl is perfect' and his heart was saying another – 'I love her and she is pregnant with my child, how could I hurt her?' Confusion warred in his mind. How could he have created a child? How could he know Alanah was pregnant so soon after it had happened? And then he knew, Anthony himself had told him. It would take some time for his body to convert completely to being vampire. He had created this child with the last of his humanity.

Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror he turned and looked at the monster he had become. Every ounce of humanity was gone from the reflection in front of him, replaced with someone he did not know at all. He looked into his black eyes and saw nothing in the image that reminded him of who he was. Dan was no longer the man he had spent his life becoming. He was gone, replaced by the creature of darkness that stood in the reflection before him. He saw the unasked for tattoo on his arm, the symbols of his mysterious destiny, he looked at the two blackened scars on his wrist that his father had created and knew that his fate was well and truly out of his hands. There was absolutely nothing that remained of his humanity, save for his hair and the shape of his features. Everything else had changed; even the little crows feet that Alanah had always said were endearing were gone. The reflection showed nothing but a creature of darkness, clothed in the pallid skin of the man he had once been.

Fury overtook every feeling in his body, it rippled with it and he lashed out at the reflection before him. He smashed his fists into the mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces on the floor. He stood in front of the empty frame, blood running from his hands; he fell to the floor and began to sob in complete frustration.

CHAPTER 25

Alanah had been awoken by the shattering of the mirror. She sat up and looked at her husband. The glorious man he had been was gone. Instead she saw a mad man sobbing on the floor. "Dan? What happened?" She stood and got out of the casket, worried by Dan's weeping. Feeling conscious of her naked body she wrapped herself in his shirt, quickly slipping on her shoes to avoid the broken glass. She carefully walked to her shattered man, wondering what comfort she could give him.

Alanah saw his shaking body and she had no idea what had caused him to go into melt down. Thirst was probably the most likely cause, and she decided she would proceed with caution, but regardless of what was causing him to get so angry, he was her husband and she would not be made to feel frightened of him. Alanah placed her arm around his cold naked back, expecting it to help; instead Dan sprang to his feet and ran to the other side of the room. The look on his face was horror, combined with shock. He had not known she was close by.

"Keep away from me Alanah, I'm not safe to be around." He said putting his hands out to keep her from him.

"I'm not afraid of you Dan." Alanah said calmly, she started to walk towards him. Whilst this was true, she was acutely aware that he was unpredictable and she knew he could hurt her without realizing he had done it. It was a fine line she was walking.

"I'm afraid of what I will do to you. You should be afraid, I woke with an un-containable thirst and went to feed from you." Dan turned around on the spot, his hands grasping his head, his hunger was driving him mad.

"What stopped you feeding?" Alanah asked confidently, she could see the confusion on his face.

"Because..." Dan looked at the woman he loved, knowing he carried information he was desperate to share with her, information that should make him want to smile, to jump up and rejoice, to hold her close and protect her from everything evil. But he knew that he was the evil in that room and he did not trust himself to hold her, but he urgently wanted to embrace her. Using all the remaining human restraint he had left, which wasn't much, he rushed towards his wife. He opened the shirt that covered her body and placed his hand on her flat stomach.

Fighting the urge to sink his teeth into her soft flesh he steadied his voice, about to drop a bomb shell. "It's too early for any test to detect it. It hasn't reached where it will grow yet, and I have no idea how I know, but I do. I can feel a presence inside you and it's new and has only just been created and it has a long journey to become what it will become. You are carrying my child inside you." He fought back his tears, not sure how he felt, and if telling Alanah was the right thing to do, but this was the only reason he had stopped his hunt to feed from her. If this tiny spark inside her had not been present, he would have fed from her and he knew he would not have stopped this time.

Alanah stood in shocked silence. Pregnant? How could that be? They had always been careful; she had been on the pill and knew she had not missed any. It was impossible, yet she had to admit they had never abstained from the moment they had started, making love had been an almost daily occurrence. But right now, how could it be such bad timing? She looked into his tear filled eyes and felt her mind separating from her body. She remembered the letter that John had given to Dan when they had escaped the Family, she knew her destiny involved having a son, but she had no idea it would be so soon. Destiny had caught up with them yesterday, and Alanah knew unequivocally that her being pregnant at this moment in time was part of that destiny, and she knew nothing would have stopped it from happening. She felt numb, as if she had just hit a brick wall. "How do you know?" She asked quietly, she was choked with emotion.

"I can feel the presence inside you, feel something growing and taking your energy. You conceived..."

"In the coffin .." Alanah shivered with cold, something told her this is where it had happened, and she realized then, that regardless of any precautions they had taken, fate had taken over and overcome these obstacles. "Destiny is cruel." She felt tears running down her cheeks, tears of despair. She looked at her vampire husband and felt alone. She took hold of the hand that was still touching her stomach and held tightly onto it. "We can do this together, I know we can." She said trying to sound convincing, desperately wondering how it would work in reality.

"You know full well that is not true. Even now I am fighting with myself, stopping the demon that I now am from pouncing on you and feeding. The remaining humanness that is left in me is desperate to be with you, but I know that it can't ever be. You have to get away from me and live your life, bring up our child on your own. I can not be trusted around either of you." Dan pulled away from her, reality sinking in.

"I'll die without you." Alanah whispered, she dropped to the floor, her head felt dizzy.

"You'll die if you stay with me, and so will the child. You must get away for our baby's sake. How could it ever work? I am a blood drinker, you would end up being my donor. I won't have that." Dan walked back to the other side of the room.

"But I love you. I'd do anything to be with you, even that. What has happened since last night?" Alanah wailed.

"I am almost all demon now. Conceiving our child has used up my humanity. I crave you; but I crave your blood more than anything else. There is residual undying love for you, and at the moment it is that which keeps me from feeding on you, and I won't let you be a convenient blood supply for you. Can you imagine what it would be like to have me in a coffin whilst you went about your daily business? Knowing that when night came I would either be out the door feeding from innocent people, or coming to you for a snack?"

"Then I would sleep during the day too, be up when you are up." Alanah said, she was desperate.

"And what, spend every day asleep in a coffin with me? Our child snuggled in between us?" Dan scoffed at the idea. "You love me so much that you would give up everything for me, and I do mean everything. You would spend every waking moment, whether they were during the day or night worrying that I would feed from you. You would end up hating yourself for the choice you made and me for being what I was destined to be. The love I have for you will never end, and I know that without having to think about it, because in truth, it has always been there. But I will not let you give up everything I fought so hard for.

"Your life is the most precious thing to me, and to know that my proximity to you could, and more than likely will kill you is like a dagger through my heart. The letter may not have specifically stated it, but lets be honest Lani, we were always meant to be apart when I became the creature I most despised. If I killed you, I would be killing our destiny, our child's future, and I can not let that happen. Whatever is in the future for us, for him, means we go our separate ways. Don't let the love you have for the human I once was dictate how you deal with the vampire in front of you." He stood, his eyes finally clear of tears, knowing that he would kill her if he stayed with her. "Don't make me your murderer Lani. We both know I am going to do that enough without taking your life too."

Alanah nodded, knowing what he was saying was true. "I don't know if I can do this alone." She whispered.

"You won't be alone, Jessie will always help you, you know that and your parents and brothers will be home soon. Find my father, tell him what has happened, and tell him I expect him to look after you. I know he will, something tells me he knew this was going to happen. Don't ever think I am leaving you because I don't love you. I am leaving you because I love you." He smiled at her as best he could. He knew he had intended to get her away from him, and he knew it was the only thing he could do. How could he face her every day... night with her knowing what he had been doing or was about to do. By being forced into being a vampire, he knew he had sighed the death warrant of too many innocent people and he knew that he alone would carry that burden.

The door opened and in walked Anthony.

"Well, well, well, look at the two of you naked love birds, I never would have thought you would have kept her alive this long." Anthony grabbed Alanah's wrist and tried to pull her towards himself. He was delighted to see what they had been doing, and he hoped that the outcome would be the right one, and he was pretty sure it would be.

"You take your hands off her Anthony." growled Dan.

"What are you going to do?" laughed Anthony, he was incandescently happy at the scene in front of him.

"The way I am feeling right now, I could rip your heart from your chest. Now let go of her. I love her." He felt his love for her would never waiver, but he knew that his body was craving blood, and if he stayed here with her she would ultimately become his food, and he would not let that happen.

"You're a vampire, you can't love." Anthony sneered, but to know that Dan still had residual love for her was encouraging.

"Yes I can, let go of her." Dan warned.

"No." snapped Anthony. He was enjoying playing with Dan's cravings. He may have been happy with what had happened in this room, but that didn't mean he liked Dan.

"Look at her right hand Anthony. Does that ring mean anything to you?"

"So I was right, you are the vampire that was prophesised and I am delighted that I am able to set you on the road to destiny. Still I thought I'd seen the last of that ring." he let go of Alanah and walked away from her, his gaze never leaving Dan's.

"I gave it to Alanah when we escaped. I have been told my whole life that I was to give the ring to the woman I love as it would protect her and that is what I have done. Alanah wears this ring and you can't do anything about it. You can't touch her ever again."

"That may be so, but there are other people you hold dear that I can get to." and Anthony drew a knife from a sheath and looked Dan in the eye, it was clear he was planning on killing Dan's father, and probably Jessie too.

"You're forgetting yourself Anthony. Mary turned me into a vampire, I am more than capable of protecting them myself, and if I have to I will. I will not let you take out your anger on innocent people." Dan smiled menacingly, relieved that his new form might actually allow him to prevent Anthony killing them.

Anthony was silent before he eventually said. "You are right of course. I don't need to anger you any more than I already have. Killing your father would serve no real purpose except making you more determined. You'd better get your shirt back from your wife, it is time we went out to feast. I will wait for you in the corridor, I'm quite sure you would disapprove my staying for that. Be quick though, I get the feeling you are struggling to contain your urges." He laughed soullessly before leaving the room.

Alanah slipped out of Dan's shirt and handed it back to him, suddenly feeling very vulnerable in her nakedness. Dan wrapped her in the cover from the bed, feeling her body conceivably for the last time.

Dan kissed Alanah's forehead, determined to prove to her he still had a little humanity in him. He whispered in her ear. "Get away from me, leave me to my misery, go and live in the sunlight. Please, there is nothing more I can give you at the moment. Keep yourself safe." He followed Anthony out of the room.

Both Dan and Alanah understood what he had to do.

Dan followed Anthony down the stairs and out of the château.

CHAPTER 26

"Your mother has already gone out, she couldn't wait for you, she woke up with a thirst for someone as evil as her. She said she didn't enjoy drinking from you. Your blood was too good for her and she had done nothing but dream about being human again and she desperately wanted to get rid of your influence over her." Anthony remarked heartlessly.

"That will be difficult, I've never met anyone as evil as her, apart from you and you are already dead. She wouldn't be feeling like that if she hadn't drunk from me, killed me and turned me into a vampire. She has no one to blame but herself for the dreams she had. But I suppose if it hadn't been her, it would have been you that did this to me. You planned this, taking my life and turning me into this thing." Dan looked at his white hands, turning them into fists, wanting to use them to lash out at Anthony. But although he was sure that would help the rage that was boiling up inside himself, he knew it would not cure the state that he found himself in. His humanity was lost, and he would never regain it, nothing in the world could restore it. "I'm surprised you didn't leave me with Alanah, wait for me to reach breaking point and drink from her." Dan's mouth was full of saliva, as he thought of his wife's blood. It disgusted him, lusting after his wife in such a manner, the thought of what he had to do sickened him, but to prevent himself from going mad he knew he had no choice. How could he live with himself, knowing what he would do every night for forever?

"I'm not that cruel. Believe it or not, I am not cruel by design. I used to be human once myself, and I remember back to my first hunt for human blood. The confusion that raged inside me controlled me for some time, but I learnt to live with the life I was given, I chose to embrace it, and whilst it took me time to get to that point, embracing it and understanding what it is we do, what we can do, how we can make their last moments alive the most wonderful made the difference. You will learn the skill yourself in time. You must make your choice how you deal with the gift you have been given. You can be kind, or you can fulfil your wildest demonic dreams and consume hungrily. I do have to admit, that these days I feed hungrily, and I adore the fear in the eyes of the person I am consuming. Times change, and so did I." He laughed as he clearly envisioned what he was going to do tonight.

"Well I can assure you, I will be going for the softly softly approach." Dan said through gritted teeth.

"Of course you will. Probably not tonight, but in time you will learn to control the blood lust you are currently feeling. Best not to be too disappointed when you get back here, when it dawns on you that you were anything but kind and gentle with your food. It takes a lot longer than you can imagine being able to control the urges that your body is currently feeling. I must commend you on your restraint around Alanah. This morning she still only had one set of bite marks, you didn't feed from her when you were having sex." Anthony chuckled.

"What makes you think that happened?" Dan growled, he couldn't believe he knew and was taunting him with it.

"Oh come now Daniel, I may be a vampire, but I am still a man at heart. The state of undress I found you both in this morning, can lead me to no other conclusion that you mated. And seeing as the sun has only just set, I can imagine there was no other place for the two of you to have had this naughty moment other than the coffin. Alex did after all provide you with a double coffin, plenty of room for mating!" Anthony seemed exuberantly happy at the notion that they had made love in the coffin.

Dan had no answer to this, it was clear they had been caught and denying it any further was futile. Instead he glared at Anthony, seething with hatred and distain.

Anthony could see he would not get any further comment on the subject, so he asked. "Do you want guidance, or will you be able to choose your victims yourself?" He sniggered.

"It's inbuilt into my body isn't it? I can do it on my own; I'm not having you revel in my first kill." Dan scowled. How could he let anyone be party to something he was dreading doing himself? It was true that he had started to shake in need of blood, but he would not let anyone gloat at what he had to do.

"Then be back at the château before the sun rises, you know what will happen if you're not. Have fun, take your time if you can control the need for blood and find out the extent of your new body. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you can do now." Anthony left swiftly leaving Dan abandoned in the dark valley.

Dan stood alone, the blood lust slowly turning him crazy. He held his hands to his face, trying to beat the pain from his head. How could he have been so different to how he was this time last night? How could he feel so angry, so hungry so determined to do some real damage to someone? Blood. That was all he could think about, how could that thick, silky red liquid be the only thing he could think about, how could it be all consuming? Why did he want to run as fast as his legs could take him and locate the first human he could find and feed from them, consume their blood and take their life?

How could a man who had just started to love the life he had and adored the woman who loved him unconditionally want to run back up the stairs and sink his teeth into her delicate porcelain skin? How could he even think that? His mind was playing tricks with him, all that he could see in his mind was blood flowing into his veins from Alanah's throat and he could not stop the thoughts and cravings he was having. He knew that from now on he would be plagued by the red mist that was clouding his rational mind and he did not know how he could control what his body was wanting. He screamed in desperation, the cry swirled around the valley and then disappeared. He felt no better.

Finally resigning himself to his fate, he started towards the town, wondering who his first victim would be.

-o-

Alex looked down into the garden having watched the exchange between Anthony and Dan. He couldn't believe it, Dan was what he wanted to be. Anthony had promised him when he came from the Family that he would grant him the gift of eternal life, but so far the gift had not been forthcoming.

'Be patient, you cannot rush these things.' Anthony had said every time he had broached the subject. 'How can I give you what you ask for when I need you in your human form, I cannot trust your responsibilities to another human, we would be exposed as what we are and we would have to flee this comfortable environment and start all over again.' His reasoning's had substance, but that didn't make Alex feel any better.

Hadn't he done everything he had been asked to do? Been a faithful servant, provided victims for them when they didn't want to go out and hunt. He had brought Dan and Alanah here hadn't he. Why was he being denied what was rightfully his?

A human wasn't strictly necessary; he knew that even if Anthony wouldn't believe him, it was true. It wasn't as if was still the dark ages. There was such a thing as the internet, and everything from banking to luring humans to the château could be done on line. No, he knew that Anthony just liked the power he had over him and giving into his request for an immortal life would take that power away from him.

Many times Anthony had berated him for not completing his sacrifice, telling him he could easily have overpowered Dan when he came at him when he was feeding from Imogen. He told him he had not drunk enough of her blood to even overlook the fact he had not killed her. No death meant that he had not taken enough of her soul and blood to be close to becoming a full member of the Family. But the fact that she was still walking this world as a live human seemed to be the clincher in his trial by Anthony and Mary. Regardless of the loyalty he now gave them, it was becoming clear that they did not really see him as vampire material and even though Anthony tried his best to placate him by telling him that one day he would indeed turn him into a vampire, he was sure that day would never come, at least not from Anthony.

But he was sure his destiny lay in him being a vampire. Sekhmet had told him that one day he would be as powerful as she was, and he knew she was a vampire. By default surely that meant that was what he was supposed to be, a vampire himself. No human could be as powerful as a vampire and he was desperate for the transformation to take place sooner rather than later.

Sekhmet had also said that Alanah would be his in 12 years time, and said that age was relative. So he must be human for the next 12 years himself, if he was to still be relative in age to Alanah. 40 years of age! What would he look like when it came to it, and who would be the one to turn him into a vampire? Would it be Sekhmet herself?

Twelve years of humanity, when he was sure at heart he was vampire, 12 years of the chance to be killed outright without the ability to heal the way a vampire did. He would have to be very careful, bide his time and not do anything that could make Anthony want to use him as a snack. It would be a long and frustrating time.

His hatred for Dan was personified beyond anything it had ever been before and he knew it would only get worse. He was jealous that he had gotten exactly what he himself had wanted without wanting it or asking for it. Everything was always so easy for Dan. He was now immortal and would get to live the life that Alex wanted. He hated him completely, and he would never be able to get rid of that hatred, it would be with him every second of every day and night and he knew he would find it beyond difficult to pretend otherwise.

And Alanah, how he wanted Alanah. He couldn't explain it, it was somehow inbuilt into him and he had no idea why. His mother had told him how she should have indeed been his when she went to choose the baby that would become his sacrifice and how she had been stolen from her by Mary. His mother had been bitter and hated Mary from then on, although she never let on that that was the fact. But this went way beyond that. From the first moment he had set eyes on her when she had been brought to the Family there had been an uncontrollable need for her and he would have her. One day, when everyone least expected it he would take Alanah for his own. If that meant he had to kill Dan's destiny to get to it, he would, but nothing would take away his need for Alanah.

So he stood looking out of the window as Dan ran away from the château at break neck speed, hatred and desire flooding his body in equal measure. He was going to end up twisted and broken, but he didn't know that yet.

CHAPTER 27

The night was dark, and Alanah was scared being alone in the room that was her prison. Strangely enough, she wanted to be back in the cocoon that was the coffin. She wanted to be next to Dan, to feel the strange type of security that she had felt in the arms of her vampire, but he was far away and not likely to come back early, besides he was no longer the man she had married.

His last words to her had been for her to flee from the château, to leave him to his misery and it felt like he had freed her from their marriage, but there was nothing he could have said that would have done that, to her their marriage was a binding contract, and she intended to uphold her end of that bargain as best she could, but at the same time she knew she had to leave, she knew that he had only told her to leave because he could not bear to kill her and deep down she knew that if they did stay together, he would undoubtedly do just that.

Her heart ached so much she felt like it was really breaking, she felt sick in her throat, but she knew that she would not actually be sick, it was more a stress reaction to what had happened since she had married Dan, and a lot had happened. She knew life would never be the same again.

She sat on the bed, her hand on her stomach, wondering what was happening inside her. She was trapped between feeling elated and happy about the child growing within her, and complete despair at the loss of her husband to the darkness. It was the worst combination of events that could have happened, and whilst she knew she would be a good mum, she wished that Dan could have the chance to be a good dad, something she had always expected him to be, but something he would not have the opportunity to be as he had said he would not be with her. She could understand his reasoning, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She had seen in Dan's eyes that he had felt the same unexpected happiness mixed in with complete despair, and Alanah was anxious for him to be there now holding her, talking about the future and how their child would change their lives. But she was realistic and knew that was not possible.

He had told her to get away from him, to leave him and live in the sunlight, but she was trapped in the room alone. She had already tried to find a way out, but to no avail, the room was secure, and where would she go even if she did manage to escape?

Alanah had never really liked the dark – Steve had tormented her about the creatures that lurked in the dark when they had been children, and she had never liked being alone at night. She had begun to believe as she had grown up that things that goes bump in the night were nothing more than fictitious but knowing that Dan was now one of those creatures hiding in the dark made her feel even more insecure than she ever had as a child. Dan was out feasting on poor innocent people to keep him alive. Destiny was merciless and she wished there was something she could do that could turn back the clock and prevent the night before happening. She looked at her wedding ring, it had been on her finger less than 48 hours, and she knew she had lost the man who had placed it there. She sobbed in desperation.

"I'm sure you will have Dan back one day." Came a strange voice from behind her.

"Who are you?" Alanah asked, her heart accelerating once again. She turned around to see a tall man standing in the door way.

"A friend. I am probably the best friend you have at the moment. My name is Damian, I am Dan's Grandfather. He thinks I am dead, and so do everyone from the Family. There is a long wait ahead of you before your destiny ends and the rest of your life begins. I wish things could be different for you, but life is never that simple. You were chosen on the day of your birth to be Dan's sacrifice, but your life was never to be sacrificed at his initiation."

"I kind of gathered that from the fact that it never happened. He did everything he could to save me, and it worked, I'm still alive today, but he is not." Alanah wiped the tears from her eyes, looking at the man Dan had trusted for most of his life, the man who may hold the key as to why her future was so important.

"You have been braver than I could have ever asked, more trusting and loving than I ever thought possible. You were truly the right choice for Dan." Damian smiled at Alanah, aware that she was finding it strange looking at a slightly older version of her husband.

"I have never asked Dan questions as to what our ultimate destinies are; I know he has no idea. I have trusted him, followed him wherever he saw fit, believing he knew best, but now he is gone from me, and neither of us foresaw that happening. But you, you must know what the future holds and I ask you to please tell me what happens to Dan and our child. I need to know there is a happy ending somewhere along the line. Not knowing is starting to send me a little mad." Alanah pleaded with him.

"No one knows what the future holds for another. There are too many twisting paths to take, too much free will for people to exercise, too many other people with destinies to fulfil. I could tell you where you are going, but you might make the wrong choices along the way, changing the future is not why I am here. Saving you from your present predicament is my current aim. The future will take care of itself." Damian smiled at Alanah, he could feel the pain in her heart at loosing the man she adored, and his heart went out to her.

"What future can I provide for the child growing inside my womb? I can't go home to my parent's house; the Family know where it is. I can't stay here, Anthony and Mary know where I am, as does Dan, and I know all he sees when he looks at me now is a meal. The two places I call home are not safe, and who knows what will happen. I have no job in the UK, no money, no future apart from my destiny. Where can I go that is not on the streets with a new born baby? I may as well walk away from this destiny of mine. I can't stand the word and I wish I never had to hear it again. The future should be in my own hands, not planned out for me by fate. Maybe I should just let Dan feast on me and end my miserable life." Alanah looked out of the window into the dark night. Her spirit was broken, and her eyes filled with tears.

"You are carrying your destiny inside you. You are his protector, his mother and the world's fate lies in his hands." Damian said sternly to his granddaughter in law.

"But..." Alanah started. "So Dan and I are only a means to an end? All the suffering and heart ache we have been through was to create this child? Is he the second coming or something?" Alanah laughed tensely.

"Of course not. Your child is a bridge, a light to frighten away evil. He will be human, none of the special powers that comic book hero's have. But it is he who bridges the gap between you and Dan, between vampire and human. Between the three of you, you will set the power balance back to zero, ready for the future. It is true that without him the future is uncertain, but Dan and you are just as important as him, without the two of you, blood runs freely. That is all I can tell you, do not ask for more as it will not be given to you right now. Do you have the protection ring that Dan gave you?"

"I threw it back at him when we were having an argument. He has it on his finger." Alanah sighed, forgetting that it was back there and had already repelled Anthony. She could see there was no other information to come from Damian tonight, but he had given her the strength to carry on, and she was once again committed to her future.

"It's back on your finger now. The ring will protect you from vampires, as long as you are wearing it, you are safe and cannot be killed or fed from." Damian looked just like Dan, he looked to be in his forties, but she could tell from his eyes that he was considerably older. He had the same dark hair, the same smile as Dan, but there was an air about him that made him appear to be completely different. He had the maturity of a man who had seen the world, and understood what life was all about. He had been places that Dan had never been and would never go. He looked around the room; he seemed to have been there before. "We need to get you away from here. There is a house in England that you can use as a safe house, no one knows about it but me. I will take you there straight away."

"But what about Dan? I can't just leave him here with Mary and Anthony. He is my husband." Alanah asked alarmed, she could not help being devoted to him.

"Right now he is going through the blood lust. All he can think of during his waking moments is blood and how to get it. It will take time for him to have had his fill of death and find the right balance of how much he needs to survive every night, until then he will gorge himself every night. He will find you, you were his first taste of human blood, you gave him what he needed to survive, and he will forever be connected to you as long as you are alive."

"He'll come after me?" Alanah asked, both alarmed and strangely relieved.

"You gave him vows that you would be together till death. His body may be dead, but his soul lives on inside him. Dan is still in there somewhere; his love for you lives on." He smiled at her sympathetically. "We must leave, I need to get you away from here as quickly as possible before any of them come back."

"I can't leave without saying good bye." Alanah fought back the tears in her eyes.

"Then may I suggest leaving him a note, but be quick about it." Damian handed her a notepad from his jacket pocket.

Alanah sat on the bed to write the hardest letter she had ever written, she fought back tears, but to no avail, the ink was smudged in several places. Leaving the letter on the silk of the coffin, which only a few hours before had been the place her child was conceived she followed Damian out of the room and into an uncertain future alone.

* * * * * * * * *

Dan wandered into the village, wondering where to go, what to do. His senses were heightened and he searched the distance for someone to feed from. He was scared, he knew what he had to do, he was compelled do it, but his last remaining feelings of humanness was making it hard for him to let go and embrace his newly acquired dark life.

He ran on, wondering who his first victim would be.
CHAPTER 28

Alanah walked into her cottage and looked around the peaceful setting. On the table in the front room was the bouquet of roses she had carried down the aisle the day before. They had started to wilt and were in need of water and sunshine. She sighed as she looked at them. How could that wonderful day have only been yesterday? How could that amazing feeling have permanently gone, replaced by nothing but an uncontrollable numb feeling?

She stared at the roses, wondering what to do with them, she wasn't sure if she should put them in water or just leave them there to rot, she knew she couldn't take them with her and callously putting them in the bin seemed to be the wrong thing to do. She was brought out of her contemplation by Damian gently talking to her.

"You'd better change into something comfortable; it's going to be a long journey back to the UK. Just get enough clothes for the next few days, you can buy anything else you need when you are safe. Right now all you need to think about is travelling light and we can fix everything else when you get settled. We must be quick in case..." Damian tailed off, they both knew Dan wouldn't be coming back here tonight. "Where is your passport?" He said, feeling he had to change the subject quickly.

"In the cabinet in the dining room, top left draw. Will you get it for me?" Alanah looked at him, her eyes heavy from the last few hours. "I'll be ten minutes." She smiled as best she could, finding it difficult to believe she was about to leave the place she had been calling home.

She heaved her heavy legs upstairs and entered the bedroom. As soon as she saw the sight before her eyes she burst into tears. Every remaining ounce of energy left her body and she collapsed to the floor in a heap, the emerald dress spreading itself around her as if she were posing for photographs. She had not been expecting the sight that greeted her.

The bed had crisp new white linen on it and Dan had scattered rose petals on top of it and trailing around the bed towards the door. Any spare flat space had been covered in brand new white candles, Alanah knew it was Dan who had done this in preparation for their first night as a married couple, and Alanah could see he had been setting the scene for a romantic evening.

Every hope that Dan had had for their wedding night had been shattered by Anthony and Mary and Alanah knew she would never forgive either of them for taking away the night that should have been spent here in this room, in this setting. If the door bell had not gone at the crucial moment when they were getting ready to ascend the stairs to this room, Alanah knew she would have cried in happiness when she had seen this room.

She could imagine every one of the white candles being lit, feel Dan's hesitation as he led her into the room, hear him telling her how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress and feel his warm arms wrapped around her body. She would probably have cried in happiness and kissed him, telling him how wonderful the room looked, how perfect it was for the two of them.

Dan would have slowly undone the zip on her dress and she would have slinked out of it, having removed his jacket and his tie and undone the buttons on his shirt and he would have lifted her onto the bed, both probably giggling as they landed next to each other. Their love making would have been gentle and beautiful, their bodies in tune with each other as if they were made to be together, which she already knew they were.

If they had conceived the baby that was now planting itself in Alanah's womb right now it would have been in the most romantic of settings and both of them would have been warm humans and neither of them would have been changing into a demon. They would not have been fulfilling their destiny as they had in the coffin at the château.

Alanah recovered herself enough to stand up and she looked around the room. The irony of the pure white setting did not loose itself on her. Fate had not dealt the pure white destiny she would have liked. It was instead taking her and Dan to the darkness away from the light. From this darkness their child would be born.

Finally, having seen everything as she would have wanted it to be as nothing more than a day dream, she realized that there was nothing left here in this cottage for her. The only person... demon that she wanted wasn't here and it was nothing more than a pile of stone, and her heart felt as heavy as one of them. She began to scream at the top of her voice, letting out, for the first time since she had been tied to the slab in the chapel at the château the feelings she had been storing up inside her. She hadn't dared to believe that it had really happened. She knew it had, but Alanah had used everything within her to deny it. She was married to a vampire, carrying his child and all alone in the world. Her vampire may have said that she was not alone, that her friends and family would support her, and she knew this was true, but alone she was, because he was not here and never would be.

She looked down at herself and could see nothing but the greenness of the dress she was wearing, desperate to be rid of it for good. The colour that had been the Newman's at the Family, had singled Dan out as the next potential leader, a colour that had unwittingly haunted her dreams ever since she had last worn this dress. The dress that had singled her out as his sacrifice, that he had hesitantly removed when he had saved her. The dress that had once again been forced upon her and signified the sacrifice she had become again for Dan, the sacrifice she was destined to be.

She ran to the other room and pulled a long pair of scissors from the pen tray and hurried back into the bedroom. She raised the scissors and began to cut the dress away from her at the chest, hacking as she went. She nicked herself with the tip, but ignoring the paper cut pain she carried on until the dress was in shreds on the floor around her. Next she began work on the corset, determined to leave it in the same style as she had the dress, un-wearable and unrecognisable. It wasn't so much the fact that she never wanted to wear the dress again, it was more that she wanted to remove the possibility of her ever being Dan's sacrifice again as this was what it represented to her. Not only had she sacrificed so much by falling in love with Dan, and she knew she had. The moment she had seen him in the Maze she had given him her heart and forfeit the ability to ever have a normal life again. Dan had been forced into making the ultimate sacrifice by his mother and every choice he made from now on would be haunted by that. Every human he killed would be on his mother's shoulders and she wondered how he would be able to live with himself, knowing what he would be forced to do every night for forever. Immortality came at the ultimate price.

Alanah sat on the bed sobbing her heart out. She had very few people she could turn to for help, and confiding in anyone who did not know about the Family would probably lead her to be locked away for her own good. Everyone knew that vampires didn't really exist, so her insisting that her husband was one, would undoubtedly send her to an asylum.

Her eyes rested on her dressing table, at the photo of herself and Dan. They were stood smiling at the camera, happy and carefree. It had been taken when they were still actively moving from place to place around Europe, ensuring no one was following them. They were in Barcelona, in front of the famous Sagrada Família, the beautiful church that Antoni Gaudí had designed. They had had a wonderful time in Barcelona, and she had loved being able to be a tourist whilst they were there, she had never been to Spain before and she had loved every minute of it.

Looking at the photo she remembered it being taken, the kind man who had offered to take it for them, the giggling as they had tried to act slightly dignified in front of a great church. Dan had kissed her instantly as soon as the photo was taken and hugged her a little tighter. Alanah remembered him whispering in her ear after he had got the camera back and seen the photo that it was perfect and he was going to frame it. And he had been true to his word. One of the first things he had bought for the cottage had been the frame that it was displayed in and presented it to her as a moving in present.

She pulled the photo from the frame and placed it next to her heart which was aching inconsolably. Never again would he whisper in her ear as he had that day, as he had the day before when they had married. His warm breath would never caress her skin again and she would never fall asleep in his arms, surrounded by love and security. Everything that she had held dear since escaping with him from the Family was gone forever and she was struggling to come to terms with her loss. She began to realize that she was grieving for him and she knew that if he had truly died she would be going through this exact process, mourning for her loss. The problem was that although dead, he was not an inanimate corpse, so she was not grieving for his death, she was mourning the loss of his human life.

Alanah sat quietly for a minute or two and began to feel quietness in her heart once again. She placed her hand over her flat stomach and couldn't help smiling ever so slightly. She was to be a mum.

And it was that thought that brought her back to earth. A small innocent child who would grow comfortably inside her for 9 months, before entering the world and become the centre of her attention. A little boy. The Midnight Son himself.

This baby growing inside her was the reason she and Dan were caught up in the destiny before them, but how this child impacted it, she did not know. She knew she could so easily hate the child for taking Dan away from her, but how could she? A new untainted life was beginning and she embraced that life with her whole heart, promising silently to herself that she would love the baby with enough love for bother Dan and herself.

Dan was right, no matter how much she could not believe it at the time, but she was not alone. Her whole family, Jessie, John and now Damian would help her bring up this child and surround him with the love and support he would need and deserved. Nothing and no one would be able to harm him, and she would even give her life for him if it came to it.

Realizing that she could do this, that loosing Dan was not the end of her life, she began to smile, wondering what the little baby would be like, what she would name him and what type of a mother she would be. The only thing that hurt her heart was that she knew Dan would never be able to be a part of the child's life and that would be a little dagger that she would carry around in her heart until the day she died.

Salvaging her self-control she quickly dressed, wrapping a thin stripy scarf around her neck, not wanting to see the wounds Dan had created. Alanah threw clothes and other items into the bag that Dan had bought her on her 21st Birthday. It was a little battered; they had travelled all over Europe with it.

The only real luxury she allowed herself to take was her jewellery box. Inside it, along with things that Dan had bought her, and her parents had given her over the years was the emerald jewellery that had been forced upon her at the Family as dowry in recompense for her death. She kept it to remind herself that her life could not be bought. She also took the silver key that had been her saviour from the slave collar that Dan had unwillingly placed around her neck on the first day of the initiation process. She was still mesmerised by it, and she could not bear to leave it behind here where she knew she would never come again. The significance of the freedom that it had afforded her was not lost, even though she was once again embroiled in an unasked for destiny.

She walked down the stairs slowly carrying the bag in front of her between her legs. Damian looked at her, knowing not to comment on what he had heard upstairs. They left the house ready to start their journey back to England.
CHAPTER 29

It had taken Dan less than 10 minutes to run all the three miles to the village from the château. He knew if he hadn't been so desperately thirsty, so weak he would have made it in half that time. If he had not been trying to not think about what he was going to do, what he had to do, he would have been elated at the speed he had achieved along the road and through the fields on his way here. A small part of him was greatly impressed with what he had been able to achieve, and also knew there was much more to come.

But his overwhelming, unwanted thought was of what he was about to do when he got to the village. It seemed alien to him, to stalk a human, decide they were what he was looking for and take from them the very substance of life. Nothing could prevent him from having to partake in this forbidden task, and whilst a great part of him was disgusted at what he was going to have to do, there was a small, but growing larger gleam of excitement at the prospect of sinking his teeth into the soft delicate flesh of a human and drinking them in.

By the time he had arrived at the outskirts of the village, his whole body was shaking with urgency, and he already knew that the first person he came across would be his first kill, he had no control left to pick and choose who would have the dubious honour of being the first victim for this new vampire.

His head was spinning in need, his senses on alert for any noise, any movement and smell and he didn't have too far to go before he came across the woman that would be his first kill.

He heard the car before anything else, it pulled slowly around the corner and came to a gentle stop close to a gate not far from where Dan was walking. He made it to the gate within seconds, his body urged on by the faint smell of the human inside.

Dan crouched by the gate, he was salivating as he smelt the dark haired woman inside the car next to him. And he was no longer feeling the crippling guilt that had accompanied him on his journey from the château. That had evaporated, replaced by nothing more than hunger and a determination to quench the thirst that accompanied the unbearable ache in his stomach. He looked through his heightened sight at her and saw nothing but a ready meal waiting for him.

She picked up her handbag, checked her face in the mirror, puffed her hair up a little then got out of the car and locked the door. Smoothing her dress down she began to walk along the pavement, her heals making a clicking noise along the cobbled path. She was walking towards the centre of the village, towards Dan's hiding place.

Dan stood to his full impressive 6 foot height and walked towards her as if he had just exited the gate onto the street. He smiled at her politely before asking in French. "Do you have the time?"

"Pardon?" She asked looking up at him, startled.

Before she had seen his face, Dan had pounced and was holding her to the ground, she had no warning that Dan was dangerous to scream out for help. He was right, everything he was doing was instinctual and he needed no guidance from Anthony or Mary. He sunk his teeth into her and began to drink eagerly, the hit of her warm blood hitting the back of his throat as it began to flow freely from the wounds he had inflicted on her neck. His body felt a rush of adrenaline as the blood began to flow down his throat and quench his thirst. At first all he felt was the warmth of her blood beginning to circle through his body, the rush to his head that felt very much like alcohol coursing through his blood stream, the intoxication as it began to take hold of his body and he realized just how much he needed it, but more than that, how much he loved the feel if it flowing into his body. His dependence had begun. It was a beautiful feeling and he relished it with everything that he now was. The power that he was feeling at that moment in time was enthralling and he loved it.

But at the same time, even though he was having the time of his undead life he knew that this very act was what had taken Alanah away from him. The fact that all he would want to do every night from now on would separate them forever. It tinged the hedonistic feelings he was getting from the woman he was drinking from, but that did not make him want to stop. Nothing would make him stop now that he had started.

Then something he did not expect happened, he began to get something else. He began to taste her feelings. He felt her hardship, her determination to succeed and her need for love, someone to share the future with.

He saw the education in her mind, the facts and diagnosis she was learning to become a doctor, putting herself through medical school was hard work. He saw her deepest fears, her wildest dreams, her past and present melded onto one. He could see that everything about her stopped at this moment in time, that there was no future to her life, that he was drinking it into himself. He saw into her heart and saw how broken it was by failed dreams and how worn down she was by life and the struggle to succeed and please her parents. He drank in her worries and her heart ache, taking it all away from her. Her name was Nicole and she lay dead in his arms.

Dan looked at her, the life drained out of the body he now gently cradled. So this was his first kill. This was the woman who had given her life for him tonight. The first of many. He was tinged with guilt, but not consumed by it. Her life was now coursing through him and she had given him the strength to continue and live in this altered state, to be able to wallow in sorrow for Alanah, for the loss of her from his life. But hunger raged through his body, he needed more.

Dan placed her limp body back into her car and left the scene. He felt content from the blood he had devoured, but empty and a growing misery at killing his first human. He desperately wanted to stop doing what his body was craving, but it was not long before he was thirsting for more.

-o-

Mary was impressed. She couldn't deny it, having just watched Dan feed from his first victim and he hadn't flinched once. He was definitely going to be a force to reckon with when the time came. If he kept this hunger up, this need and desperation for the blood of humans he would be strong when the blood moon came.

He would be tortured by Alanah's blood, the blood that had helped with his conversion. Every vampire except the father of the Midnight Son consumed completely their first blood and the father could never bring themselves to finish the blood of the woman they loved, their eternal sacrifice. Alanah's blood would never leave his system, and would taunt him every night, binding them together until the blood moon. Every night he would be tortured by his desires for blood, and every day he would be haunted by the souls of the people he killed. Anthony had been right, he would indeed live in hell.

She remembered her first kill as a vampire, she and Anthony had had to quickly disappear from the Family before they were caught and she had had to grab the first person they had come across and it had not been the best of experiences. The man had struggled and Anthony had had to hold him down until she could get a good grip on his dirty skin. She had felt embarrassed and disillusioned because of it, and had momentarily felt relinquishing her human life had been a mistake. Still she had made up for it many times since then.

It hadn't been until they had made it safely to the château, and Anthony had been able to dedicate time to show her the real delights of feeding from humans that she had begun to enjoy the intricacies of feeding. She now considered herself to be a pro, and she loved playing with her food.

Watching her son, her 'protégé' would be an interesting occupation over the next few years and she was going to enjoy making things as hard for him as possible. That said, he certainly seemed to have the instant talent for killing and she would definitely try and lure him to her side. The very reason for his existence as a vampire was to help with the choice both he and Alanah would have to make on the night of the Midnight Son. A human to champion for humans and a vampire to champion for vampires. And she would make it her mission to ensure Dan chose to bat for the vampires when the time came and if she could tempt him back to the Family, she knew they could make him see sense and choose the Family that he had spent his entire life a part of, he would realize the error of his ways.

The fact that he had taken so well to feeding made Mary happy. If he could be persuaded that this was the right thing for him to do, he could be persuaded that culling vampires was wrong.

Only time would tell.

He began to run swiftly to the centre of the village, looking out for his next meal. He was in the midst of blood lust and nothing but his next meal was on his mind. Hungry... hungry, those were all the thoughts that flowed through his brain. But somewhere deep inside something was calling to him. Someone... a female voice, an angry female voice... she spoke in French, but he did not know what it said, his French was limited, Alanah had always done the talking when they were out together. It wasn't loud enough to take away the hunger, but it niggled at him even though it was nothing.

His sights honed in on his next feast, he didn't care if it were male of female, but he had once again seen a woman before a man. He saw her stood waiting to cross a road, on her way to where he did not know, or quite frankly care. Right now, to him she wasn't human, she was food and nothing was going to stop him feeding from her and killing her.

He darted towards her, his mouth salivating as he went, intent on his actions with little remorse. This time there was no worries, no concern over who she was, he'd already killed tonight and now that the blood of Nicole was flowing through his veins, powering him and giving him the extra strength, extra power, sight, everything that he now was, was being powered by her blood and now that he had started, he had no intention of finishing. All humanity had left him during that first feed, and he didn't know or care if he would ever get it back. Everything that he used to be was gone, and had been replaced by the demon he had carried inside himself since birth.

He knew what feeding felt like, and he was beginning to like it. He sunk his teeth into her greedily drinking from her neck. The warm liquid began to freely flow into his mouth and he moaned in ecstasy as his whole body became a little more alive with every gulp of her blood. She slumped into his arms, a dead weight, and he really did not care that he was killing her. He looked up, relishing in his kill, his eyes turning to panic, his face pained, the humanity he had moments ago not cared about flowed straight back into his body as he saw her. Instinct took over and he dropped the woman to the floor, and ran from the spot like a wounded animal. Everything that he once was, everything that he now was, was crying inside and there was nothing else he could do but scream. Nothing could have prepared him for it, nothing would ever take that away from her, she would remember what she had seen her husband do for the rest of her life. He was dismayed that he had been caught.

Alanah had seen him mid-kill.

CHAPTER 30

Alanah was frozen to the spot. She could hardly believe what she had seen, yet she knew without any hesitation that what she had seen was real. Her husband relishing the blood of a young woman. His eyes had not been his, they had been feverish with hunger and his face, which was covered in blood had shown nothing but delight in what she had caught him doing.

Her hands began to shake again as she began to come back to life. She could hear the sobbing of the poor woman who he had chosen to be his meal, and she knew she had to act to help her. Her husband had fed from her, it was her responsibility to ensure she was safe and not fatally injured.

Alanah looked at the poor girl led on the roadside, her neck had been torn into by Dan's teeth and she could see blood still pouring out of it. Her clothes were blood stained and she had begun to scream as soon as she realised that she was bleeding. Any louder and Alanah knew people would come running, and she couldn't let the people of the village know that the English man they had taken to their hearts had become a creature who was willing to feed off them and kill them. No matter how heinous his feeding, she could not have people thinking badly of the man he had once been.

There was a vague recognition of the girl on the floor. They had never stopped to talk to each other, but they had smiled in recognition as they passed one another on the streets as they went about their business. Alanah knew where she lived and it wasn't far from here. She knew with Damian's help she could get her back to her house with minimal effort, but first she had to deal with what was before her.

She felt physically sick by what she had seen Dan do, but she knew she had to help the girl that was led before her. Nothing in the world could make her walk away from the sight before her, that would be worse than anything else she could ever do.

She rushed to her and asked in French: "Are you OK, can you move?" Her voice trembled. The girl was shaking in shock and her clothes were blood stained. Alanah was not at all sure if she was going to be OK.

"Yes, what happened?" The girl replied, her screaming ending when she realized there was someone there, but her eyes were darting around her, scared the attack wasn't over yet.

"You were being mugged." Damian said coming to her aid, "We disturbed him before he could take anything, but he seems to have hurt you a little. I think it looks a lot worse than it really is." He looked at Alanah, his eyes telling her not to mention that she had actually been attacked by a vampire. He was experienced enough to know that she would survive, but it might take a little while to recover especially if she thought she had been attached for her blood. Ignorance was her greatest ally.

Alanah knew that would be a stupid thing to do, and she could tell that the girl was dazed and confused, much like she had been when she had come round after Dan had fed on her. "You live near here don't you? I've seen you around the village." She said, holding the girl's hand in hers, wanting to check she still had a strong pulse.

"Yes, my house is in the next square." She said pointing. Her hands were shaking and Alanah held on tighter.

"We'll take you there, make sure you're OK and then call the gendarme and ask them to see to you. We have a train to get otherwise we would stay." Alanah helped her up and she and Damian walked her to her house, they made her comfortable, cleaned the wound on her neck and Alanah was pleased to see that Damian was right, once all the blood had been cleared away it didn't look quite as bad as she had expected. They called the gendarme before making their excuses and leaving. It was one thing to help her, but another to give information to the police about Dan. Getting any more involved in what they had seen would not help them get quickly away from France tonight, and Damian was insistent that they left the village as quickly as possible.

Alanah felt sick – so sick that she ran towards a bin and was sick into it. She couldn't help it, she had seen the man she loved feasting on the blood of someone she knew by sight, someone who shared the village she had felt safe in as her home. Even closing her eyes did not diminish the memory of what he had done, and she knew that sight would haunt her forever. It was almost as if fate had dealt her another blow, she could have lived with the knowledge that he was doing this if she had never seen it – out of sight, out of mind, but now that she had seen it happening, she wondered how she would be able to contain the guilt of what she knew he was doing and was powerless to stop. He would do this again and again, night after night and there was nothing she could ever do to prevent it from happening, he would forever be compelled to feed.

Yet even with this knowledge, the memory of it, she could not stop loving him.

-o-

Dan huddled in a corner behind a bench shaking from his overwhelming thirst. But not only the all-consuming thirst, he was mortified that he had been seen. His life was in tatters, the woman he loved above everything else in the world had seen him commit the most shameful act a creature could commit. He had seen the look of disgust on her face as she realised who was executing the act. He remembered the repulsion in her eyes, the hatred that glared out from them. Dan felt defeated and dejected. He had finally become the creature he most detested, and he now was sure that he had lost Alanah forever.

He had considered himself a monster for what he had done to her at the Family, for the torture he had inflicted in his quest to free her from sacrifice. But not once had she considered him anything but a wonderful man, she had loved him unconditionally from the beginning, even when she had lost the will to continue after Mary and the priestesses had prepared her for sacrifice she hadn't considered him a monster, instead she had given him the strength to continue.

But not now. Now he knew she hated him, the look on her face had confirmed that. The one person he had promised never to hurt, he had hurt. His body shook with pain, an uncontrollable feeling as his humanity warred with the demon he had become. Everything that had been Daniel Newman had been erased, and although the remnants still resided within the demon, Daniel Newman was no more. He was dead to the world, and dead to Alanah.

He had smelled fresh blood from Alanah, knowing she was injured in some way but unaware of how, but he craved the blood not the woman now. He had curled himself up into a ball and silently sat there contemplating the future. His cheeks were stained with tears and all rationality had left his mind, he was a mental wreck.

Maybe it was best if she considered him dead and gone. Maybe she could live her life and bring up their child on her own. Maybe she would find someone else, another man to take his place in bed next to her. Maybe he would kill that man, take him away from her the way she had been taken from him, by force and against his will. He could never cope if she found someone else to love instead of him, could never be the one to walk away and find a way to cope... he knew his way would be to kill indiscriminately until he became like Anthony.

So this was his future. Feeding and hunting whilst wondering what Alanah was thinking and doing. He was doomed to hell, never seeing her, never seeing his child, always on the outskirts and never there for the family he didn't even know he wanted until he had realized what was growing inside the woman he had just married.

Thirst overcame every thought once again, and wallowing in self-pity slipped to the back of his mind. Dan could hear someone walking into the park, he heard them strike a match and light a cigarette. His senses came back to him in a second, his concentration heightened at the prospect of another kill. Nothing but the prospect of feeding from this person entered his mind, all his worries of Alanah were gone, replaced by the hunt for blood.

The man, for he could smell it was a he by his odour, had sat down on the bench he was hiding behind. Dan ambushed him from his hiding place engulfing himself in the blood of his victim. He wouldn't have even known he had been bitten.

He gorged himself in the liquid that flowed freely from the wounds he had inflicted indulging in the taste that sent him near bliss. Then he began to see his feelings as he had with Nicole. Everything about him, he was well known by everyone in the village, well known to Dan himself. He caught a flash of memory from this man and it was of Alanah in her wedding dress, he had been one of the people who had come out to greet them the day before when they had come back into the village, he had invited them to his restaurant. It wasn't until he had laid him down on the bench that he realised he did know him. It was Luc, the owner of the restaurant, the man who had invited them there for dinner, the man who had arranged the wonderful wedding breakfast they had enjoyed by the river, the man who along with the village, along with Nicole had embraced them as part of the community and not strangers to be feared. He knew he had breached that trust, and he had to get away from the people he had in life considered friends. He would not kill any more of the people who had accepted him as one of their own.

Dan fled the scene and ran as far as he could before he stopped and shook in horror.

CHAPTER 31

Damian knocked on the hotel room door and he and Alanah waited patiently for the door to open.

"Lani!" Jessie cried as she hugged her friend tightly. "I've been so worried, you haven't been answering your phone and neither has Dan. I thought we were supposed to be meeting for food...." She stopped, seeing Alanah's drawn face. "Lani, what has happened?" She asked looking at her worried. The only other time she had seen Alanah like this was when she was recovering from Anthony's vicious attack on her wrist with a knife at the Family.

"There isn't enough time to tell you, too much has happened since I saw you yesterday, but you must trust me, we are leaving to go back to the UK, and you are coming with us." Alanah said, holding back the floods of tears that she wanted to unleash. They wouldn't be helpful right now and she knew they would distract Jessie from packing.

"Where's Dan?" Jessie asked, looking at Damian. "Damian, what has happened?" She asked worried. She had met him back in the UK and knew who he was.

"I promise I will tell you both what you need to know, but right now, my only priority is to get both of you to safety." His voice was full of gentle authority and Jessie understood that asking questions right now would not be a good idea.

"OK, it won't take long to pack." Jessie nodded, leaving the door open for them to enter. She grabbed her suitcase and started packing.

"Jessie knows you?" Alanah asked bewildered.

"Yes, she has been helping John and I in the UK. I told her it was a surprise for you, so act surprised when I tell you."

"OK?" Alanah said sceptically.

"Ready." Jessie said pulling the zips closed. "Not my usual masterpiece of packing, but I'm guessing from your faces spending half an hour rolling everything so it doesn't crease is out of the question."

"You are right. Time is of the essence, we need to leave as soon as possible." Damian took the case from the bed and carried it out of the room, Jessie and Alanah following behind.

-o-

Alanah stood with her possessions in a bag over her shoulder waiting for the train to arrive at the platform to take her to Paris. She looked into the distance, not noticing the other people waiting for the last train of the night. Her thoughts were elsewhere, far away from where she was stood. She had never in her wildest nightmare thought this would have been how she would have been fleeing this beautiful little village leaving her vampire husband behind.

Jessie stood next to her, still looking bewildered. In the car on the way to the station Alanah had explained what had happened to Dan and that they were worried Mary would come after her if she didn't leave with them. To know that someone she cared for deeply was no longer human had shocked her to the core. The fact that it was possible and that vampires actually did exist had kept her silent since Damian had first uttered the words. She had started looking at the world differently already.

As Alanah sat in the carriage staring out of the window, looking into space, all she could think about was Dan, and what she had seen him do to the girl in the square. Even when she closed her eyes she could not escape the scene she had seen, it played itself out over and over again and she wiped tears from her eyes, knowing this is what he had been reborn to do every night from now on. Alanah knew she had lost her husband forever.

She could not block out the sight of him bent over the girl, taking her life, hear him gulping her blood, and enjoying it as he did. She could see the pain on the girl's face, the life ebbing out of her. Her Dan had done that and she felt crushed knowing that this was what he was going to do, night after night. She shut her eyes, wishing she could stop re-living the torture she had seen in Dan's eyes as he realised she had seen him. Alanah now knew for certain that the romanticised version of blood drinking was nothing like the reality of it. Reality could never lived up to fiction.

She had seen the utter devastation he had felt at knowing she had seen him in the act of feasting. He had scuttled away like a cat, desperate to hide himself from her. She sat quietly, a tear she had missed falling from her eye. Her heart was broken and she didn't know what the future held for her and the child she was carrying inside her.

Alanah looked at the man sat opposite her. He could have been Dan in later life. She looked at the smattering of grey in his hair, the wrinkles around his eyes that spoke of his life, the same strong jaw line, a little slack with age. She looked at him and wondered if she would ever see Dan like this, older and contented, questioned whether she would ever grow old with him like they had planned, have more children and live the happily ever after fairy tale every girl dreams of. It seemed more and more unlikely.

She was worried about him, anxious to know if he was OK, what he was doing, how he would cope without her, for she wondered how she would survive without him. She fell asleep, restless as she worried about the imminent future, where her life was taking her, and if and when she would truly see Dan again.

CHAPTER 32

Feeling suicidal and alone Dan returned to the château as the darkness in the east began to brighten and he intuitively knew the sun was beginning to rise. He had fed from four people that night and it had intrinsically changed him forever. He had killed three and he would have given anything to take away the thoughts and feelings that were now coursing through his body.

He had easily been able to ignore the single female voice that had niggled at him when he was searching for his next kill, but now he had three voices competing with each other to be recognised, three voices regaling their life stories to him over and over again. He had begun to realize that these were the consciousness, the souls of the three victims he had killed tonight. They were angry at him for taking their lives.

His blood lust was over, for tonight. He was almost back to being himself, if he could ever be that again. His head span in pain and he desperately needed sleep, wanted to feel the oblivion of nothingness to take away the pain in his head and the one that would always remain in his heart. The closer to the château he went, the more the voices subsided. The vampire was replete and the man could show himself once again. But he was a shadow of his former human self by the time his mother opened the doors to him. All joy and happiness had forever been extinguished.

"Well, well, well, I didn't think you would be back." Mary smiled at her son as he slumped onto the marble floor. Maybe he was already prepared to embrace the darkness inside him. Maybe they had already won even now.

There was nothing but pain in Dan's voice as he began to accuse his mother. "You have taken everything from me that I held dear to my heart. You have turned me into a hideous monster." Dan rolled in agony as the voices in his mind reared their heads, using his skull as a bell tower, ringing out their suffering and outrage at being separated from their bodies.

"My son, your human life may have ended, but I have given you a great gift. You are not a monster. You have lived your new life for no more than a full night, and already you question your existence. I would suggest you accept with open arms the gift I have bestowed on you. Embrace your new life, it is stronger, more virile than the human one you have left behind. Can you not see the potential before you? The amazing things you can now do without any worry of death or sickness? Let me be your mother in this life, let me give you the love and support you deserve. I know I failed you when we were both human, I was consumed with desperation to become what we both now are, but I am here for you now, your maker and your mother, your protector and your guide through the darkness to come. Let Anthony be your father figure and between us we can become a force to reckon with." She smiled at him, her eyes looking at him with love – something he had never seen before. Now that they were both dead, both altered into demons she could love him, but he could not and would not reciprocate that love. His heart still belonged to Alanah.

"How can I live like this?" Dan asked, his head pounding as he spoke. How could he cope with feeling like this every night.

"My Son." She was deliberately calling him this. "What you are feeling now will pass in time. You are still at the beginning of your journey into this new life. You must return to the Family with Anthony and I. Together we can rule with an iron fist and a full belly. There would be no reason for you to suffer as you do, to kill when you don't want to. You can be the leader you were supposed to be. Anthony would allow it, I know he would, now that you are on an equal footing. Come back, be my son, we can live happily without Alanah, let Anthony guide you, be the father John should have been to you. You know it makes sense, you can't survive without us and you understand that. With no companions you life will be lonely. Come with us, I will teach you the ways of the dark life my son." Mary stooped over him, stroking his hair, she held him close, being the perfect vampire mother to her vampire son.

As comforting as it could have been, it was manipulating and Dan had enough of his wits about him to know this. He tried to sit up, but her grip on him was strong. "You have stolen my life, my wife and my son. Why would I want to return to hell with you? Everything I hold dear has been taken against my will and although I have nothing left, I would rather be alone than return to the Family with you. I swear on my mortal life, I shall have my revenge on you. You call me 'my son'? The only motherly thing you have ever done for me was expel me from your womb. From then on my life was guided by my grandpa and my father. You have spent my whole life trying to make it to the top of the Family, doing whatever you saw as necessary, not caring who you hurt on your way up. You well and truly hung close to Anthony, shunning Dad to flirt with power. Everyone knew what you were doing; you were a laughing stock even though no one had the guts to tell you to your face, known for shirking every responsibility except feasting from the recruits. You are nothing but a leach, taking everything from other people, but giving nothing in return. I won't let you take the remains of my humanity. I despise you and hate you with such a passion; I would kill you now if I had the strength." Dan pulled away from his mother, lying on the floor in agony. He was a tightly wound coil waiting to go off, but he resisted – he had killed enough tonight, and Mary had more control over herself, she would probably kill more viciously.

Mary stood up, it wouldn't be as easy as she had hoped, but she had learned a valuable piece of information from Dan's furious ranting. She could see the enraged hate he had for her, and did not wish to be exterminated here and now, no vampire could actually kill the father of the Midnight Son, but she also knew he did not know this. She had a purpose and intended to live to complete it. "Forget your past, your humanity is over, your present and future are set, you are nothing but a blood sucking leach yourself, and that is how you will stay until the day your immortality is taken from you. Wallow in pity until that day if that is how you want to live, but remember, without me you would never have been born. You owe your very existence to me, both mortal and immortal. I am your mother and maker and one day you will be grateful to me for both your lives. I suggest you sleep now, the sun is almost risen. But you will leave here tomorrow and never return. I don't want an ungrateful wretch like you to be under the same roof. Figure out on your own how to survive the changes you are going through, the guilt I know you are feeling. I wash my hands of you. Good bye my son, if I see you again don't expect any motherly love from me. You are on your own now." She turned and hurried away from her son, feeling nothing in her dead black heart, her show of motherly love hadn't worked and she was not prepared to keep up the charade any longer than was necessary. She detested the idea of it.

Dan lay on the floor, his hands were covered in blood and he could feel it dried all over his face. His spirit was in shambles, he wanted to walk into the sun and let it take him into it, to end his life now, but there was one thing that stopped him – Alanah and his unborn son. He pulled himself to his feet, dragging his body up the staircase and back into the room he and Alanah had shared the night and day before.

Someone had cleaned up the room, the shards of mirror had been removed and the gilt frame stood in the same place minus a new mirror. But there was no Alanah, the room was empty, he knew it would be having seen her in the village, but it still hurt to come back and find he was here alone. Dan's dark heart sank as he looked towards the coffin. Seeing a piece of paper lying on the silk he stumbled towards the casket and opened the letter. Alanah's words flowed from the page:

My Dearest Dan,

Leaving you is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Knowing that I am leaving you alone in hell is hurting me more than I ever thought possible. But we both know that staying here is the wrong thing to do. I must look after our destiny, and he is inside me.

I promise you I will take care of our child, I will tell him what a wonderful man you are, tell him how much I love you, and that I am sure one day we will see you and live as a family.

There will not be a minute that goes by without me thinking about you, wanting you next to me, holding me close, protecting me and telling me everything will be all right. That will never change, no matter what happens.

You are my lover, my husband, my soul mate; I can't ever see anyone taking your place. In my heart I know everything will turn out right, I just don't know how or when.

Never forget me. I miss you already and my love will never fade.

I am yours forever.

Alanah

xxx

Dan felt sick, less than 48 hours ago he had married her, now they were parted and he didn't know if he would ever see her again. 'That will never change, no matter what happens'. Could she really still feel that after what she had seen him do? He felt a pain in his heart he had never felt before, emptiness, hopelessness and an inconsolable despair he had never experienced. He felt lost and didn't know the way out.

Standing at the basin, washing the blood from his face and hands he looked at himself. His wedding suit was crumpled and his shirt blood stained. He pulled them off with indifference, numbness encircling his body. When he had first put on this suit it had been with such happiness and longing, but now it represented everything he had lost.

Seeing the sun was about to rise through the window, he laid himself into the coffin and pulled the lid home. It felt empty on his own and he fell to sleep in mourning for his lost love.

CHAPTER 33

Alanah, Jessie and Damian sat on the train to Waterloo from Paris. It was 7am and the sun had risen in the sky.

Jessie was sat staring out of the window, not quite sure what to think. Someone she cared about immensely was no longer alive, yet not dead in the normal way. Everything that Alanah and Damian had told her had been unbelievable, but she knew that what they had told her was the truth. Ever since she had been tricked into joining the Family she had had her suspicions that there was some other force at work, and she was sure she had been visited by that force when she was there.

She couldn't quite remember what had happened, but she had walked out of her room and up to Alanah's carrying a silver key and had been instructed to tell her that it would free her from her collar and that it was from John. This she had done, and no matter how hard she had tried, she could not remember who had given her these instructions, it was as if they had been wiped from her memory and there was no getting it back.

Jessie could very easily leave this situation and go and live her life without any of Alanah's troubles, but she would not do that. How could she? No matter what happened, she promised herself solemnly that she would always be there for Alanah and would never leave her without someone to talk to or turn to in a moment of need. She would be her constant uncomplaining friend, and something told her she would be greatly needed in the years to come.

Damian sat quietly reading a newspaper and Alanah stared at him. The three of them had hardly said a word since they had boarded the first train, both Alanah and Jessie were still in shock over what had happened over the last couple of days.

"You know what is going to happen don't you? Why won't you tell me? I am married to your grandson after all." Alanah eventually asked.

"He's not my grandson. He is my great grandson many times over." Damian smiled at her. It was the first time in ever so long since he had confessed this to someone.

"But how can that be..." Alanah asked before twigging. "But the sun is up, how come you can be in the sun?"

"I am over 500 years old. I was meant to be the last Midnight Son, the bridge between the night and the day, but my mother died soon after I was born, which meant that I was eternally stuck between the two. It was decided by the Council of Souls that I should live until the next bridge was born, to guide him and help keep him safe. Dark forces were present at my birth. I was granted clemency to live in the light as well as the dark. I am a vampire, it's the only way to have an eternal life on earth, I just happen to be able to live in the day as well as the night."

Damian smiled, he saw the expressions on their faces, and knew that suddenly they were frightened of him. "Please, don't be scared of me. I will never feed from either of you, I make you a solemn promise that you are both safe with me, I don't need to feed the way others do." They both nodded, trying to contain their worries, he had saved them both after all. "The Highest Authority chooses when it is time for another bridge to be born. It started when John, Dan's father was born. I was visited by the Council of Souls – they are the beings who monitor the vampire - human ratio and told that he would be the father of the father. John was brought up knowing that he would have a role to play in the greater good, and everything that is still known about the Midnight Son was told to him; but he was sworn to secrecy that he knew who the father would be else Dan would have been killed when he was a child. Dan has spent his whole life living in danger, if it had been revealed to anyone what he would become, every vampire in existence would have been out for his blood and his life. His very existence is a threat to all vampires, as is yours and the child you carry inside you. If one of you were to die, or the ceremony does not go to plan, then life as humans know it would be over forever." Damian let his words sink in, and he watched as both Alanah and Jessie's faces went pale white. He could tell Alanah could not believe that her life, that the life of the child that had now nestled itself inside her womb was of any importance to the continued survival of the human race.

He continued. "John understood that he would be there to protect Dan when necessary, and he knew his destiny involved taking his youth blood, a cruel but necessary ceremony. I was unaware who Dan's mother would be until John fell in love with Mary. We had been told that his first love would be the mother and that is why they married and had Dan. The older Dan grew to be, the more evil she became, it was like all the good that had been inside her had been transferred to Dan, and the only thoughts and feelings left inside her were evil."

"But where does the Family come into all of this? You were the leader after all?" Alanah asked, needing to know why her sacrifice had been necessary, and why so many other people had been sacrificed over the years.

"Vampires are as old as the human race." He said smiling at her wistfully. She looked at him with her big green eyes in shock. He continued quietly, not wanting everyone on the train to hear him. "There have always been blood drinkers, a small sect of people who chose cannibalism over all other human values. I don't know much about it, but think of them like the difference between humans and Neanderthals, they evolved at the same time, just differently. Vampires were touched by the devil at the beginning and have lived silently next to humans ever since, feasting on the strong and able just as much as the weak and helpless, adding to our flock by feeding humans their own blood mixed with that of a vampire.

"The Highest Authority in the Universe was not happy with the way the vampires were feasting on the humans with no regard to the consequences of their actions. There were many human deaths, vampires were always stronger than humans, innate power left in them by the devil. At one point vampires outnumbered humans and the Highest Authority was so angry that his children – the human race was being obliterated by the vampires. He created the Council of Souls to take charge of eradicating vampires from the face of the earth.

"The Council of Souls was unable to completely remove the vampire bloodline, although it tried for thousands of years before man became civilized in any way, the only compromise they could come up with was the decision that the darkness would be for the vampires and the sunlight for humans. Eventually the Council came to an arrangement with the Mother of the Dead – she spoke for the vampires of the time, a relatively small group of about 50 vampires. She agreed to a limit on the number of vampires and sacrificed herself to bind the deal. It was shortly after this point the Family was born." He stopped, looking out of the window for a second, letting the story permeate through her mind.

"The Family of the Eternal Life came into being over 4000 years ago when it became evident that vampires could not live peacefully next to humans, we were after all feeding off them, and co-existing happily next to them was not a realistic long term option. The Family provides blood on tap to the pure vampires, with the promise of eternal life to the taps. It was a way to go underground – in other words without littering the world with dead bodies - without the blood supply being cut off. If you give your blood freely, you are not a victim, however the Family themselves are oblivious to the fact that they serve vampires, believing instead they are living in a community dedicated to achieving the goal of Eternal Life. They are sure that by drinking blood – for as you know they not only give it to the vampires, they drink it themselves, they will obtain at the very least an eternal life through blood.

"The sacrifice the Mother of the Dead made means there has never been a war of such, more skirmishes every 500 years or so. I'm afraid to say your family is already intrinsically involved in the latest skirmish."

"Don't tell me, 'since the day I was born'? She sighed, resigned to the fact that this was true for most things over the last year or so.

"Yes, but also way before, since John was born. He was the start of the new beginning. Your life has been mapped, you have certain 'tasks' to fulfil, so does Dan."

But I never... he never saw it coming." Alanah said, brushing away a tear.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that, I wish you could have had a different destiny, but alas it is outside of my power. As part of the Family, it was kept from him that we exist." He paused before continuing. "Vampires are callous, evil and manipulative creatures and will say anything to make you believe what they are saying is true, we should not be the subject of adoration and love, yet somehow that is the way humans are portraying us in this day and age. I find it both fascinating and gruesome at the same time. You yourself have seen what we do."

"Should I trust you then?" She asked nervously.

"That's up to you, but I assure you I have a vested interest in telling you the truth." He smiled at her, and she could see her husband in those eyes.

"Then go on, please." She gestured to him to continue.

"We are once again at the point where there are too many vampires." He said simply. "But like I said, the Council of Souls have never been able to completely irradiate them from the earth. That is where your family comes into it, the child you carry in your womb - your human son, will be the Midnight Son and you and your vampire husband are the conduits through which his powers will be released."

"My child will do what exactly, and when?" Alanah whispered, her hand on her perfectly flat tummy.

"Now is probably not the time or the place to discuss this." Damian said, gesturing to the people sat around them.

"Then when?" Alanah asked as sternly as she could. She needed to know what was expected of her child.

"Jessie will take you to the house she has been helping to renovate, I will meet you there tonight after I have taken care of a few things. I promise, I will tell you everything I can before the end of the day."

"I expect the truth. I don't want to be lied to." Alanah said staring at him with such force that Damian had to look again to see where it was coming from, he had seen it only once before, and it bothered him. He had seen it in the eyes of the Mother of the Dead.

"I will never lie to you." He said solemnly.

Alanah nodded then sat back and looked out of the window, wondering where the journey would end.

CHAPTER 34

Alanah was exhausted; she had been sat on the train for what seemed like days, her whole body ached and she needed to rest her head on a pillow and sleep soundly, but she really didn't know if she would ever be able to sleep soundly again. Her head span from the information that Damian had given her, and she was having trouble taking it all in. How could her little life and that of the child inside her be so important to the world? Why would Dan want to save the human race now that he was a vampire? Could her family really be the only thing that could tip the scales one way or another for good and evil? Was it really that clear cut, could one exist without the other?

Damian had left her and Jessie alone on the train before they reached London, he said he would meet her at night fall in the house they were going to.

Jessie had hardly said a word the whole journey, she looked to be in shock and Alanah was worried about her, she knew it was a lot for her to take in too. "Are you OK Jessie?" She asked squeezing her hand.

"I think so." She said looking at her with scared eyes. "I don't know how to feel if I'm honest. I lived in the Family for four months, with vampires." She shook all over as she whispered the word. "I don't know who was human and who was not. I never fit in, but I at least thought I blended in with everyone when I had to, now I'm not so sure. I'm struggling to get over that, and the fact that Dan is now one of them. If I am struggling, I don't know how you are coping."

"I think I'm hanging on to my sanity by a thread and I think it would be very easy for that thread to be broken or cut, and I really don't think I could ever regain it if that happened. I've lost everything, no husband, no home, nothing that I hold dear, but gained a child and I can't even verify that I am pregnant, so as far as I'm concerned I've gone about as loopy as I can go without it being irreparable. I'm sure all tests would say that I'm not but Dan knew, he was aware as soon as he woke up, he said he could feel another presence in the room, and knew that it was inside me. It sounds suspiciously like magic to me, but then I guess this is a supernatural situation. And Damian as well, he said the baby had settled in my womb, he seems to feel it too, so it must be true. My god, nine months from now, I'm going to be a mum!" She sat back in shock as she was finally able to accept it as true.

"Oh Alanah, what are you going to do?" Jessie asked, wondering what the hell she would do if she were in her shoes.

"Be a single mum and get on with it." Alanah replied soberly. "Thousands of other women do it, I can do it too." She sighed, trying to convinced herself that actually she could do this alone.

"You know I will stand by you and help however I can." Jessie said empathetically.

"I know, you are the best friend anyone could have, and your help will gratefully be received." She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes, she didn't know how to be happy anymore.

"Your mum will go mad when she finds out!" Jessie giggled.

"Well, I'm a married woman, there is nothing she can complain about, she will just have to get used to it." Alanah said. "And so will I."

"What are you going to tell her about Dan?" Jessie asked gently.

"I don't know. But telling her the truth will only send me to the nut house. I'm going to have to come up with something a little more convincing than 'his mother turned him into a vampire on our wedding night'." She sighed. "And I can hardly tell them he's left me alone and pregnant. Dad would flip and I'd never hear the end of it. I think I'm going to have to tell the truth to some degree, I think I'm going to tell them that he died in France."

"That will make you a widow." Jessie said quietly.

"I am not a widow, he's not irretrievably dead." She emphasised quietly. "But to the world, yes I would be a widow. I'll call mum sometime today, tell her that he's been in a car accident or something. There is no way they will be able to turn around that quickly to attend a funeral. It's cruel, I know, but I'm learning quickly that life is cruel. I'll ring her in a few weeks to let her know I'm pregnant, by then I can easily have returned to the UK by myself, too sad to stay in France and then I'll go from there. I don't want to lie, but I don't have a choice. I have to keep them safe and away from Anthony and Mary. I won't have them used as pawns against me, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to any of them. My responsibilities now lie inside me, and there is no way I am going to do anything to risk my child. Nothing else matters any more."

-o-

Jessie indicated right in the car they had hired in London and turned up a small road, driving all the way to the end and pulled onto a gravelled driveway which was situated next to a beautiful white house. Alanah stepped out of the car and opened the gate, walking up the cobbled path with perfectly manicured lawns on either side. For the first time in days she felt safe.

The shiny black door was in the middle of the house, windows on both sides. There was a porch with trailing yellow roses winding up and around a trellis making the house look picturesque. The sun was shining and Alanah could feel the warmth on her face, she felt at ease for the first time in days.

Jessie handed her the keys. "Go ahead, it's your house." She smiled at her friend, hoping that this knowledge would make her feel better somehow. It could never replace Dan, but hopefully it was some good news to her.

"Not it's not, its Damian's." Alanah laughed.

"Alanah, the house belongs to you. Damian said your name is on the deeds." Her friend reiterated.

Alanah took the keys from Jessie, not believing her one bit but also knowing she would not lie to her, she must be mistaken. Damian had said he had a house, not her, but she had to admit the idea did excite her just a little bit. She slipped the key into the lock she opened the door and took her first step over the threshold. She looked around the hallway, it had been recently decorated, and was painted cream. There was a beige hessian carpet that snaked it's way up the stairs and around to the upstairs landing. There was a black coat stand with a pine chair sat next to it. To either side of the hallway were doors, Alanah peered into the room on the right and saw a study before her, the walls here were cream, with a little hint of coffee. Alanah thought she could enjoy many hours in here studying and reading - once she had filled the shelves with books. That is if it was her house.

She went back into the hallway and over to the room on the left, it was a comfy front room with a big brown sofa you could snuggle up on. There was a log burning fire with a grand fire surround and a mantle that would have not looked out of place in a grand country house and Alanah was sure she would be comfy in here.

Walking past the stair case, and an amused Jessie who stood watching her in the hallway, she walked into the red dining room, with a long wooden table and leather chairs, it was a room fit for entertaining, but she wondered who she would entertain! Walking from the dining room to the kitchen, Alanah looked at the room in amazement; it was fully equipped and ready to go – if only she knew how to cook something worth serving in the dining room!

Alanah was speechless, she had never imagined this when Damian had said he had a house she could go to, she had expected something basic and run down, not newly renovated!

She practically ran up the stairs and looked around the bedrooms, looking at the master bedroom that would tonight be where she slept, the pine sleigh bed that would hold her aching body, the dressing table that would hold all her personal items, the wardrobe that would hide all her clothes, she felt like a princess.

She ran to the other bedrooms, three in total, two were clearly guest rooms, both decorated to the highest possible taste, and one that was empty. On the door was a note:

I thought you might like to decorate and choose the furniture for the baby's room yourself. You have nine months to decide on what you would like. Damian

Alanah smiled, she couldn't help it, she had been pregnant less then two days, and already he had been planning. 'I guess my destiny is well and truly out of my hands if he knew so far in advance that I would come here pregnant, or that I would come here at all.'

-o-

"So, what do you think of the place?" Jessie asked excitedly, but there was an underlying sadness in her words.

"I don't think I could have chosen a better house myself! Close to the town centre, but not too close for comfort, and the decorating is pretty good too!"

"Good, because I helped with that, I wanted to go for cool and sophisticated, something you and D..., something you would be happy with." She smiled at her friend, but try as she might the smile did not reach her eyes.

"I just wish Dan was here to share it with me. It all seems so lonely without him." Alanah sighed, knowing he was in the château in France, alone sleeping in his coffin.

"Oh Lani, I'm so sorry, I had no idea what was going to happen, John and Damian said decorating this house would be a surprise for you when you came back from France, I automatically assumed that Dan was included in that." Jessie was distraught.

"Jess. Stop it. There was nothing you could have done about it, and they were probably trying to prevent you having the heartache of knowing what was to happen. It's my destiny not yours." Alanah grabbed her gently by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. Both of them were scared, and they saw their own feelings reflected in the face of the other.

"You need to rest, go upstairs and have a sleep; your body clock must be all over the place, what with being up during the night, and travelling back. That little child is also taking its toll on you already - I can see the bags starting under your eyes!" Jessie joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh don't. The sleepless nights have not started yet! Sleep would be lovely." Alanah yawned. "What will you do whilst I am asleep, you've been up too?"

"Yes, but I think I've had more rest over the last couple of days than you have. I'll go to the supermarket, stock up the cupboards and cook dinner, anything in particular? Any cravings yet?" Jessie asked curiously.

"As long as it's not ham, I can't stand the smell. Someone had a ham sandwich on the train and it made me feel queasy." Alanah felt sick just thinking about it!

"Right, no problem, I'll see what I can rustle up. See you later."

Alanah dragged her heavy body up the stairs and lay on the soft mattress of what was now her bed. Within seconds, she was asleep, forgetting her problems, and drifting off somewhere safe and happy, somewhere far from what she really felt. If only she could be there in reality, everything would be so perfect.....

CHAPTER 35

Dan awoke the following evening with, once again, an angry thirst in his throat. His eyes opened and he was not scared to find that he was in a coffin. Tonight would be nothing like the night before, tonight he knew what to expect, what to do, how to hunt and he hoped he would not feed from someone in the village. That was one promise he made himself, that he would leave the château, leave the village and never return to either. His victims would be strangers, and where possible people who deserved to die, drug dealers, pimps, anyone who would not be missed. He could not guarantee this, but he would try his best not to be the murderer of innocents.

This evening he did not hit his head on the coffin lid, instead he lifted it up off the coffin and pushed it onto the floor. He stepped out like a lithe panther, ready to spring into action to feed from the first human he saw. His demon senses were more acute than the night before, more in tune with the world, and he was beginning to see the benefits to them and he liked the idea of being quicker, stronger, almost invincible compared to how he was just a few days before.

Whilst he mourned for the loss of Alanah, he couldn't help it, he had spent all day dreaming about her in both a food form and a wife form, he was practical and thought as little about her as possible. He had realized that he could not spend eternity moping for her. What type of existence would that be if he spent forever thinking about her when he could never have her for himself?

He did not want to embrace what he now was, but it was becoming evident that he did not have a choice. Alanah was definitely a prominent thought in his mind, but his most pressing need was the consumption of blood. He knew he could not think rationally on any level without it, so resigning himself to going on a hunt again he reconciled the disgust he held deep within himself, reasoning that once he was rational he could make plans for getting back to the UK.

He dressed in new clothes that Alex had left for him, nothing special, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and opened the door ready to leave the château, knowing he was never to come back. Why would he want to? This place had brought him nothing but misery since he had set foot here. He wanted to wipe every trace of memory of this ghastly place from his mind, but knowing that was impossible, he would settle for never setting eyes on it again.

Dan listened to the house, there were footsteps coming in his direction, he looked down the stairs to see Alex walking towards him. He stopped and gestured to Dan to follow him, there was a playful smile on his lips as if he had something naughty he wanted to show him. Alex led Dan up three flights of stairs towards another room. He opened the door and they walked in. Led on the floor at the far end of the room there were two caskets, and Dan instantly knew whose coffins they were.

"I think they are having a lie in." Alex whispered to Dan. "They are past the crippling thirst that you have." He laughed quietly. He was teasing Dan, aware he needed to feed, but also aware he was seeking revenge on Anthony and his mother. He had a plan, knowing that Dan was still weak, and that he could not win against an old vampire and a relatively stable one, Alex wanted him to be annihilated here and now, so that he could pursue Alanah. He was not being flippant when he had said he was not a patient man, he really wasn't. He had spent his whole life being told that Alanah had been stolen from him, and then for Sekhmet to tell him that one day she would be his, made everything about him tingle with anticipation at what was to come, but 12 years was way too much time for him to wait. He was trying to grease the wheels and bring that timing closer. He was a desperate man, and would try anything, even tempting a volatile vampire. He itched with eagerness, expecting Dan to try and destroy them.

"What does that matter to me?" Dan hissed, desperate to find his first feed of the night, and right now Alex was looking like a real possibility.

"Don't you want to take your revenge?" Alex asked, almost shocked at his lack of blood lust towards the two vampires who had caused him so much grief.

"What good will it do? I've already lost my wife and my mortal existence. Revenge will not get either of them back." Dan made to leave.

"How do you know it's not your destiny to kill them now?" Alex enquired, trying to give him a reason to attack. If he had been in Dan's position, he knew he would not have given up an opportunity like this to attack the cause of his melancholy.

"How do I know it is? Whatever choices I have made since this all started have lead to tonight, and I know that the choice I make tonight plays a great part in the future of my family. My first instinct is to leave them alone. I cannot beat them yet, I am not strong enough to kill them, and I know I need to survive a little longer than a couple of nights as a vampire. I choose not to take my revenge and let destiny lead me once again." Dan held his hands up, surrendering to his fate.

"You are passing up a golden opportunity here, you may never get another chance at it." Alex called after him.

"I hope to never see either of them again, but I am sure that I will. Let them live in their own tainted little world until then. I will take my revenge when the time is right, until then they can rest in peace. I am leaving here tonight. I have people to protect." Dan ran from the château. He wanted to find Alanah; even if he never held her again he had to look after her and his child, albeit from afar.

But first he had to feed; he could not make it on an empty stomach.

-o-

Alex wasn't happy. Why would he be, every plan he had come up with over the last 48 hours had failed miserably. Maybe Sekhmet was right, it wasn't his time to be with Alanah yet.

His mother had told him from an early age that he was special and that his life would amount to something spectacular – 'he would change the world' she had said so many times that he had started to believe it himself.

Not forgetting what Sekhmet herself had said, but her foretelling of the future came with one major caveat – Alanah would not be within his reach for another 12 years – and Alex did not want to wait that long.

He had tried twice now to interfere, once with Alanah when Sekhmet had stopped him and once with Dan – the new vampire, but his sensibilities had stood in his way.

For one tiny second Dan's eyes had lit up at the prospect of staking Anthony and Mary and Alex was convinced he would have been killed in the struggle leaving Alanah's destiny in tatters and him able to fulfil his ultimate destiny way ahead of schedule.

Why was Alex so obsessed with Alanah? What had she done to make him want to make her his?

Nothing. Except be born. This wasn't about some dumb ass love story that had happened between Alanah and Dan, this was about what rightfully should have been his before Mary had put her oar in and demanded that Alanah be Dan's. Alex thought he was taking back what rightfully belonged to him anyway.

But he could not deny that he would like to take her to bed. Now that she was no longer a virgin, he could seriously consider a future with her, and somehow he knew that one day she would herself agree to that, Sekhmet had confirmed it and he believed everything that she said, he had no reason to disbelieve her, so far everything that she said would happen had.

There was a knock on the doors to the château and smiling he walked the short distance from the kitchen to the main hallway and then to the elaborate front doors.

He had been working on this project for about 5 days and he knew Mary and Anthony would appreciate his efforts. This was about the only job he enjoyed doing for them, he felt a sense of pride in this particular task, he rarely got thanked for doing anything, but he knew that when either Mary or Anthony praised him for his choices they really meant it. Opening one of the doors he put on his biggest smile and greeted the young couple before him.

"Welcome, I am so glad you made it." He smiled genially at them. "Anthony and Mary are so looking forward to meeting both of you."

The young man and woman stepped through the door, both smiling back at Alex. He had chosen them carefully, knowing that Anthony and Mary were particular to specific features on each sex and each having their preference as to which they preferred, although neither were exclusive to one particular sex. This time he had been requested to find a woman who resembled Alanah – for Mary, and a man who could pass for being Dan for Anthony.

Although neither of the specimens looked exactly like Alanah or Dan, Alex knew they could pass for them enough for the reasons they had been asked to be here. Shame they would never leave again.

"Unfortunately, Anthony and Mary are still on their way back from Paris this evening, their train has been delayed, but they shouldn't be much longer. Anthony called me not long ago and said they were only a few stops from here." Alex smiled apologetically at them. "May I suggest I show you up to your bedroom, that way you can relax and unwind after your journey, freshen up if you want to before dinner?"

They both nodded in agreement and followed Alex up the stairs towards their room. Alex led them past the room that Dan and Alanah had been incarcerated in and up the stairs to the room he had taken Dan to before he had left the château for good. He opened the door and gestured for the man and woman to enter the room, which they did and as soon as they had passed into the room he pulled the door closed behind them and locked them inside the room.

Pocketing his key he descended back to his own room, knowing Anthony and Mary would not need anything from him for quite a while. He intended to catch up on some sleep, something he had very little of over the last few days.

CHAPTER 36

The man and the woman didn't notice anything out of the ordinary in the room they had been left in – a curtain had been pulled to hide the coffins, and Alex had locked the door so quietly that they hadn't noticed they were now locked in the room.

The woman put her bag down on the bed and walked to the window looking out into the dark courtyard. "It's the most beautiful of places. I can't believe they have said we could get married here! Just imagine all our friends and family staying here and us getting married in the great hall! How romantic, I can't wait to see it! It's so peaceful and quiet, so perfect for us."

But it didn't take long for that to change. Within minutes of them entering the room they heard something clatter twice and wood crash against wood. The floorboards shuddered as this happened and they looked at each other wondering what the hell had happened. All this noise had been behind a large heavy curtain and the man tentatively pulled the curtain to the side and began to scream at the top of his voice, the woman soon joined in as soon as she saw what he had seen.

Both of them could not believe the sight before their eyes, two coffins, now minus their lids, and inside a man and a woman who seemed to be waking up as if they had slept the day away in the wooden boxes which was of course exactly what had happened.

They both knew instinctively that what they were seeing was real and they were petrified, confused and caged, unable to get away from them.

Anthony sat up and stretched his arms above his head before his attentions turned to the man and woman who had still not stopped screaming. He could not help but laugh, this had been the reaction of pretty much every person who had been brought to this room for them, he found it hilariously funny and it made what was to come next all the more mouth-watering. He turned to Mary, who had already got out of her coffin and smiled. "Well I think they might just have an idea as to what we are!" He smiled warmly at her.

"Yes dear, I would agree. Do you think they have also figured out that they are tonight's dinner?" Mary asked as she walked towards the young woman who had frozen in place and finally stopped screaming, although her face had not returned to a neutral state, she could easily have started screaming again. Mary circled her, inspecting the food before her. She took a red curl in her fingers, not the same thickness or exact colour of Alanah's, but close enough she thought. She stood in front of the woman, whose name she did not know, or care to know and looked into her eyes. They were a dark hazel, nothing like Alanah's vibrant hazel green, but they would do. "Alex did well, if I can't kill the real Alanah, at least I can take my frustrations out on a look alike."

"Please, don't kill me, I'll do anything." The woman whispered, terrified.

"The moment you entered this room, death was inevitable I'm afraid. Alex chose you both as substitutes for the people we would really like to kill, but can't due to some rather stupid rules that would mean instant death to us." Anthony smiled as he looked at the man Alex had chosen to be killed in Dan's place.

"I'm sorry dear, but no amount of pleading on your part can prevent what is to happen now. Rest assured when you finally meet your maker that your suffering will be over permanently. I suppose I could turn you into a vampire, torture you every night forever in the place of the person who deserves it, but I'm not in the type of mood to be that tolerant tonight." She smiled ascetically. Raising her hand to the woman's cheek she gently touched her finger to her cheek and watched happily as she drew back from the cold touch.

"My dear, you are such a tease, but I get the feeling tonight will be the longest of nights for your guest." Anthony chuckled as he saw the anticipation on Mary's face.

Still looking at the woman Mary spoke. "Your death will be slow and painful and you will beg for your life, and there is only one person to blame for that and her name is Alanah Newman. She is my daughter in law and I would give anything in the world to be able to rip her neck open and bleed her dry. The hatred I feel towards her is all encompassing and to be able to suck the life from her little by little, painfully and slowly, taking as much pleasure in her pain as possible is all I can think about doing every night when I wake. Alas, I am prevented from doing this, so I will have to make do with you instead. You were chosen specifically because you look like her and I intend to take out all my hate and frustration on you, but if I happen to slip up and call you Alanah, you understand don't you?" She circled the woman – girl really as she ran her cold fingers over her décolletage slowly. There was nothing human about Mary at all. She had spent Dan's life becoming the evil creature that stood here in this room and she was looking forward to tonight's kill.

"You unfortunately look nothing like Dan Newman who is the one I really want to kill, but you will have to do." Anthony moved at lightening speed to force himself onto the man who had been desperately trying to open the door and had found that it was infact locked. "I doubt I will be as cruel as Mary will be to your companion, I don't play with my food quite as much as she does, I have the age you see, one thousand years of life to be almost exact. I can just feed and go if I want to with absolutely no remorse and I'll probably have forgotten about you within the hour and never think of you again, but you will be a momentary distraction to the carnage that this room will see tonight. Mary on the other hand has only had this life for about 6 months and she is still figuring out exactly how wonderful it can be to kill someone, either slowly or quickly. I have taught her well, but she still has much to explore. Currently she is favouring slowly – I think she loves seeing the terror in their eyes as she takes a bite here, or a lick there, and she has even been known to rip off a limb and drink from that before returning and finishing the rest of the body. She is experimenting you see, finding out which ways will be hers for the rest of eternity. I quite enjoy watching what she does; she has taught me a few things that even I had never considered. I love the recklessness that courses through her body as she abandons everything except the blood. Do you think we should watch? You might find it interesting to see exactly what you can do with a human body before you kill it." He smiled manically at him. The man shook his head, his whole body shaking.

-o-

Alex could hear the screaming from his room, the piercing shrieks that did not stop – both male and female. He knew he had chosen as well as he could have with the short amount of time that Mary had given him to make his choices. He had covered his tracks well, knowing there was nothing to lead anyone to the château once the bodies were found. He had become something of an expert over the last few months, as well as the one who dumped the bodies once they had had their fun and their fill.

'It's gonna be a long night for them.' He thought to himself. 'I'll never get any sleep with that going on.' And he turned on his iPod, turned up the volume and tried to drown out the screams.

CHAPTER 37

Once again there was only one thing on Dan's mind – finding someone to feed from. Tonight though, the thirst was not as crippling as it had been the night before, he seemed to have a reserve of energy left over from his previous nights gorging which made it less urgent for him to find someone to feed from. That did not make the hunger any less consuming, but it allowed his mind to still be his whilst he made his way to the village.

He reached the cottage he had until a few days before been calling home and slipped the key into the door. He wanted to grab a few things before leaving the village for good, and whilst he still had hold of his senses, it seemed wise to do it now.

He smelt her as soon as he entered the cottage, her lingering perfume that she always wore, the subtle hints of vanilla and musk that had become so intrinsically linked to her when he had been alive. But they weren't her natural smell, that was more raw, more basic and underneath the perfume that he would always associate with his wife he could smell her, the scent that now made his body hungry for her blood.

Trying as best he could to shake off the thought of feeding from her, he went to the cabinet in the dining room and found his passport where he had left it with Alanah's. Hers was now missing, and he was so happy to see that she had left, but so sad that she had been driven from somewhere she loved. If only she could have stayed in the village, the place she had been so happy in, but also where he had been ripped from her. Maybe her leaving was for the best, too many memories she wouldn't want to remember. He looked at the photo of the young man he had once been and mourned the loss of the tanned face that stared back up at him. It wasn't the tan he was mourning the loss of, but everything that went with the ability to obtain that tan had gone, and with it his life. He slipped the passport into his jeans pocket and ran up the stairs, passing the posy of roses that had been Alanah's on their wedding day. The petals had begun to fall off and he knew it would not be long until they were dead. Just like he was.

He had not forgotten what he had done to their bedroom on the morning of their wedding. His dead heart sank as he entered the room, seeing that it was mostly intact to how he had left it.

The only real difference was the shredded emerald green dress that was now scattered over the room. Irretrievable and never to be worn again. He spotted the scissors strewn on the floor and saw a spot of blood dried onto the blade. His smell was heightened by the smell of her blood and he sank down to the floor, seeking out the one scrap of silk that was soaked with a tiny drop of her blood. Picking it up he raised it to his nose and smelt all of her, the perfume, the base smell of her body and the blood that flowed through her veins.

There was nothing left here for him anymore. A few days ago he would have packed his phone, his computer, things that he had thought necessary for the happiness of his life, but now they were unimportant and unwanted.

He pocketed the scrap of silk, grabbed a small bag and stuffed a few clothes into it before exiting the place that had been safe, happy and tranquil for them, but was now a mausoleum to their lost happiness.

He was finally hungry and knew it was time to go on the hunt. Someone was about to die to feed him.

-o-

Dan stood over his latest kill drinking in his soul. His blood craving was almost at an end for tonight, one more slaughter and he would have his fill. His head was once again ringing with the voices of the people he had killed tonight, along with the three he had killed last night. It was becoming deafening.

"Hello Daniel." A comforting, familiar voice said next to him.

"Dad." Dan said. His blood lust subsiding at the sight of his father. He was relieved to see a friendly face, but ashamed that he too had caught him with his prey. He dropped his kill to the floor and held his bloody hands out to his father. He was confused and desperate for guidance.

"It's alright son, I'm here." He took his son's hands, disregarding the blood and led him to a nearby bench. Dan had started shaking and he knew he had to calm him down. He hated seeing his son so disillusioned and alone. "Everything will be alright."

"What am I going to do?" He sobbed. He was a defeated man, alone in the world.

"You must go back to England." John told his son gently.

"I know, but what am I going to do there that I can't do here?" Dan was distraught.

"You know what you have to do. You have a son to protect." John said quietly.

"You knew this was going to happen? You were aware they would turn me into a monster. How could you let them do this to me?" Dan was angry, he was sure his father could have prevented it from happening.

"Destiny..."

"Don't talk to me about my bloody destiny." He stopped, realizing what he had said and began laughing hysterically. It ended as abruptly as it had started. "Look at my hands, look at my face. Is this the destiny you wanted for your son? Do you want me to take you as my next victim? To feed off you like a leach, taking your soul into me, taking your thoughts and feelings, your fears and hopes with them. Do you?" Dan rose to his feet, his anger rising too.

John swallowed hard, his son was stronger than him and his reaction to the rational was out of control, he had to tread carefully. "Yes I knew what would happen. I've always known, and it's not something I could ever have prevented. Your life is not your own, you are akin to the Midnight Son and you will be taken to your final destiny when time sees fit."

"And what am I to do until then?" Dan asked furiously. He balled his bloody hands up and felt the sticky substance slide over his skin. He hated it.

"Live as a vampire lives." John said simply. There was no other answer.

"I've only been a vampire for three nights and I have loathed every minute. Doing it for an undisclosed amount of time will be like torture."

"You are being tested." This was no answer to give a blood lust vampire, but it was the truth none the less.

"Don't you think I've been tested enough? My whole life has felt like an ordeal. From as early as I can remember I was being groomed to be leader of the Family, told I would be instructed in the ways of the living damned. Now I find myself damned and dead, my wife disgusted by what I am, and my unborn child will never know his father. Why the hell am I being tested?" Dan was hysterical, his whole life had fallen apart and there was nothing left to bring it back together.

"All you need to know at the moment is that you have to protect your son, even if it is from afar. All three of you are intertwined together and your destinies are inseparable. The three of you must survive the years to come and although this will be difficult, you must remember what being human really means. Remember what my letter said to you, you must learn to live through the eyes of darkness, only then can you truly live in the light. Even before you were born your destiny had been written, it was started by the Mother of the Dead when she sacrificed herself to save her son. You are a descendent of the first Midnight Son, of the greater power that emanates from the dawn of mankind. Without your family, without Alanah and your son, the world will die."

"How can the three of us be so important to the survival of the world?" Dan scoffed.

John realized nothing but the truth would give Dan the strength to carry on. "Because at midnight on your son's seventh birthday there is one chance to save the sun before it is hijacked by the creatures of darkness, plunging the earth into permanent darkness. Think of the chaos that will follow. Your son is the link between you and Alanah, vampire and human that saves the sun. Without him the two of you cannot become what you must become. He is the enigma to save the world." John looked into Dan's black eyes, driving home the news.

Dan nodded, he could not fail his father. "I am trying to reconcile a lot of things which are out of my control, I know I have no choice but to accept my destiny. I shall accept my son's on his behalf." He looked at the man led on the floor. "I must lay him to rest somewhere with dignity, he cannot be found like this." He lifted him up and took him onto the village common. He laid him under a willow tree covering his face with his coat, determined to leave him in as noble a manner as possible. "His name was Philippe and he won't be my last kill. I have almost eight more years before my destiny is fulfilled, and many more will die to feed me." He said sadly.

"Their lives will be given for the greater good." John reassured Dan.

"No life is worth so little that it should be sacrificed for my destiny. I carry their souls in my head, I can already hear them and that is the burden I will have to shoulder until I have completed my destiny. They shall all haunt me till I'm truly dead."

John and Dan walked from the village knowing they would not return again.
CHAPTER 38

Alanah was in a deep sleep, her body finally catching up on the lack of restorative slumber that it needed. She knew she was asleep as she began to dream, knowing that what she was feeling, witnessing was not real, but so desperate for it to be real. It was a strange state to be in, feeling the dream as reality, but acutely aware that it was not.

She could feel the sun gently on her face as she was sat in a rocking chair in the very room that she was sleeping in. She sat alone cradling her new born infant in her arms; he suckled her milk and held tightly onto her thumb with his tiny hand as he gulped down the sweet nectar from her breast. The warmth of his little body permeated through her cotton shirt as she looked down on him in complete awe. She was completely happy, feeling nothing but encompassing love and protection for her new born child.

Singing softly she held him to her heart gently rocking him to sleep. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." His head nestled closely to her breast, his breathing was slow and constant. He was full and content.

Her body relaxed as the child fell to sleep, gently puckering his lips as if he was still suckling her milk. She smiled at the tiny baby wanting to do nothing more than hold him and comfort him, she was at ease. There was nothing in this world that could feel better than this.

The sun shone through the window and a gentle breeze made the curtains flutter slowly. She could hear the birds twittering in the trees outside. Her eyes were becoming heavy and she led her head back on the chair, ready to fall asleep.

Dan walked into the room and smiled at his wife and his newborn baby. She was cradling him and on the brink of falling asleep herself, but seeing the man she adored walk into the room, she beamed at him, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Let me take him from you sweetheart, you need some sleep yourself." He lent down and gently lifted him from his mother's bosom, cradling him high in his arms.

She sat there looking at father and son, smiling up at her husband dressed all in white, tanned and happy holding the most precious creature in his arms. He looked at home holding the child, confident and competent, the perfect father, realising she needed rest too, happy to take the tiny human into his protective arms. She could not feel happier.

She watched him hold his son close to him, confident in his skills as a new father. She could see the joy and happiness in his bright blue eyes and she began to stand to kiss him and her son.

As she stood the room went black, there was a crack of thunder then all of a sudden the light returned to the room, but a dark red light instead of the sunlight that had been flooding through the open window.

Her husband had changed; no longer dressed in white, instead clothed in black. His skin was drained of colour, his eyes ebony. He looked down at his son, cradled in his arms and began to laugh.

The child began to cry and she screamed at the top of her voice "NO!" She watched as he began to walk towards her with malicious intent. Screaming she ran towards him with no thought for her safety, intent on holding her child in comfort once again...

Somewhere in the distance she could hear someone calling her....

-o-

"Alanah, Lani, it's OK!" Jessie spoke to her friend.

Alanah sat up abruptly. "Where is my baby?" She demanded.

"Lani, you don't have a baby yet." Jessie gently told her friend. "You've only just found out you are pregnant."

"But... it was so real... I must have been dreaming." She looked around the room. "I've only just come to this house haven't I?"

"Yes sweetie, you came upstairs for a rest. What were you dreaming about?"

"You don't want to know." Alanah shook as she remembered the look on Dan's face as he held her son.

"Something about Dan?"

"Yes, something ghastly that I hope never comes true." Alanah shuddered. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. "He's gone isn't he? He's really gone. My god I feel so alone. I can't do this on my own." She looked Jessie in the eye, her face full of terror.

"You are not alone Lani. I will never leave you." Jessie looked at her friend. She could see Alanah was distraught. Her husband was dead, something difficult enough to deal with on its own, but Alanah knew he was still walking the earth killing others. She needed complete care and Jessie would be there for her. "Damian is waiting for you downstairs." Jessie said smiling weakly; she could see this was the last thing Alanah needed to deal with. "I could ask him to come back tomorrow if you want."

"No, I must deal with him tonight, I can't put it off, I still have a lot of questions to ask him. I had better go down and see him." She sighed. She was beginning to regain her composure. "Did you manage to cook anything, I'm starving!"

"I did, Lemon Chicken. I think I've cooked it for you before?"

"Yes, that night your parents had gone out and left us home alone, you were only 16! I vaguely remember it was pretty good." Alanah smiled weekly, but Jessie knew she was still in shock and on auto pilot.

CHAPTER 39

Jessie led Alanah downstairs and into the dining room, Damian was sat patiently at the table waiting.

"The last time I sat at a table with a vampire my husband was stolen away from me. Are you going to take something too?" Alanah asked sitting opposite him.

"No, I am here to discuss the future." He smiled happily. He could see nothing but a light at the end of the tunnel and he had been waiting a long time for it.

"I'll go and see to the dinner." Jessie said excusing herself.

"I want to hear all about it, but I have some other questions too, about the Family. They are such an integral part to Dan's history and I'm sure they will have a part to play in the future too, so I'd like you to give me some answers please." Alanah said pouring herself a glass of orange juice that Jessie had left on the table for her.

"Of course, there are other things that you should know, but firstly, we must discuss this house." He pushed a pile of paperwork towards Alanah. "It belongs to you; your name is on the deeds. If I could have added your child's name I would have, but as he has not been born yet, I couldn't."

Alanah looked at the paperwork, and for the first time saw her name written down as Alanah Louise Newman. She smiled, even though it hurt looking at Dan's surname.

"Also you won't have to worry about money or getting a job, there is a bank account set up for you with enough funds to easily last the next eight years. I don't want you to have to worry about making ends meet, what you are going through is more than enough of a burden for you to carry, and I have had plenty of time to save up."

"Thank you very much for giving me and my child security. But the very fact that these papers were drawn up before I even came here and the decorating that Jessie and John have done proves to me that you have known that I would become pregnant and that Dan would be given the dark life. I cannot be happy in this house, knowing that before we even talked about marrying, before we knew we would be separated and I would be pregnant, this house was here waiting for me and my child. I know my future is out of my control, but I thought I had some power over what happens to me. Evidently I am wrong." Alanah sighed.

"Everyone has an ultimate destiny – death, but most people do not have any specific destiny to fulfil, maybe having a child who has a destiny, that was John's reason for being born. Your life belongs to higher beings, from the moment you were chosen to be Dan's sacrifice, you belonged to them." Damian said solemnly.

"According to Mary that was before I had even been cut from my mother's placenta. I didn't have a chance at a normal life did I? Watched throughout my childhood and teens, kidnapped to be sacrificed at 21, and what happened? I fell in love with the man who was supposed to sacrifice me, and he fell in love with me! Now we are married with a child on the way, or at least that's what you vampires can feel, but Dan only felt that because his vampire senses told him I was with child. My husband is dead, yet he walks the earth feasting on humans. And the child I carry, what's to become of him, if it is a boy? How does destiny affect him?" Alanah asked.

"Your child is the Midnight Son, the missing link between humans and vampires. When the time comes he is what links you and Dan together, and between the three of you, you decide the future of the world. There is one born about every 500 years within the same family line, I was supposed to be the last, but you remember I told you Anthony killed my mother soon after I was born. It is the Midnight Son's purpose to enable the restoration of the balance of power. Without him vampires will soon rule the earth and the sun will forever be blocked by a blood red moon. There have been 1,000 years since the last successful Midnight Son, too long between them, too many vampires on earth at one time, too many human victims. If your child does not fulfil his destiny, humans will be slaves to the vampires and they will be harvested for blood, living in perpetual hell. Without your son, the earth belongs to the night and there will be no return to the fragile balance that has lasted since humans and vampires split from being one species. The future is in his hands."

"How can I be sure that he will not be taken from me when he is born, or that I will not be killed after his birth like your mother was? How long will I have to live in fear?" Alanah asked, how could she get through what was to come without a little knowledge?

"Provided you wear the ring bearing the Midnight Sun you are protected. Your son is protected automatically from the moment he leaves your womb, that is why I was not killed but my mother was. She had taken the ring off as her fingers were swollen, she wasn't protected." Damian replied soberly.

"You said my son would be human. How will he know the time is right or what to do when the time comes?"

"He will feel a compulsion, a need to be somewhere when the time is near. He will instinctively know what he is to do. It's in his genes as it was mine. Even though my ceremony never happened I still had a compulsion to go to the ceremony site. Both you and Dan will also feel this force and will all travel there whether your will wants to or not. Without the two of you his destiny can not be complete. The vampire father and human mother are part of the final rituals."

"What will happen to Dan when the rituals are over? Will he still be a vampire?"

"He will be given two choices, and he must make his choice by himself, whatever happens you must not influence him. It is for him to decide what fate he has."

"I understand, but I will do anything to be with him once this is all over."

"Alanah, you can not shape the future. It is too far away to think about." He handed her a dagger. "This contains the blood that was taken from Dan on the night you were to be sacrificed. You must keep it safe; it will be needed when the time comes." He handed the dagger to Alanah.

Alanah looked at the dagger full of Dan's blood. The blade was polished steel and reminded her of one of the rays of light radiating out from sun above the head of Horus on Dan's tattoo. The edges of the blade were wavy and looked sharp. The hilt was made of frosted glass and she could see Dan's human blood inside it. She held carefully onto it, knowing that if she had been sacrificed at the family it would have been with this knife. "So what do I have to do now?"

"Wait and live your life as best you can. Bloom into the mother you are going to be, take heart that the future for the time being is safe. No one can harm you."

"Not even Dan?" Alanah asked, aware Mary had said she would die at Dan's hands.

"The bond between you and Dan is strong. He may be a vampire, but he fights it every second he is awake, he will crave you forever, your blood is part of him now. But he will resist unless you offer yourself to him."

"Why would I do that?" Alanah asked suspiciously.

"Because you love him." Damian replied. "One day you will."

"I abhor what he is fated to do, but I can't stop loving him. He is my soul mate. I asked him to turn me into what he is, but he refused. He said he didn't want me to live a life without the sun." Alanah sighed remembering Dan as he was and what he had now become.

"You know there is nothing you could have done to prevent what he has become?" Damian asked, concerned Alanah felt it was her fault.

"I know I can not change what has happened. I know it wasn't my fault, but I wish there was something I could do to turn him back to being human, I miss him. I love him." Alanah sighed, wondering what she could possibly do to turn him back.

"You are carrying his child; you must focus on that and nothing else. Forget about destiny, enjoy your son. They are only young once." He smiled at her. "Do you still want to talk about the Family?" He asked kindly.

Alanah nodded. "You gave me a lot to think about on the train, and I want to know a few other things if that's OK?"

"Of course, I'll answer all questions honestly. I may be a vampire, but I'm an honest one."

"You spoke about vampires being cannibalistic and living side by side with humans at first. Do you know what turned them that way?"

"Every human culture has myths and legends, but have no real idea how the humans of today became how they are now. Yes, they have found skeletons and missing links over the years, but there are still a lot of missing links that will never be found. Remember, humans are still piecing together their ancient history, and even civilisations that existed and left plenty for you to find are still a huge mystery because you haven't found everything to do with that civilization and never will. It's the same with us vampires, only we only have the myths and legends, nothing else – no bones or anything from pre-historic times. There is the odd manuscript lurking around somewhere, but mostly we rely on hearsay, and seeing as the Midnight Son culls vampires every 500 years, hearsay is all we really have. I called them cannibals because all we know for certain is that vampires came from the same lineage as humans. They probably were humans, not a different species, but trying to explain all this to you is not easy. Don't forget we've done our best to stay under radar for millennia."

"And I suppose you have done a good job, mostly. But at some point, according to what you said you were openly feeding on humans, that is what drove the Highest Authority to act to stop you?"

"Yes, I suppose that is right. This would have been thousands and thousands of years ago, when human civilisations were just coming into being. Back then everything to everyone was new and unexpected and the vampires weren't restricted to the night as they are now. I suppose the humans would have been petrified of flesh eaters, and I doubt if there would have been much to let the humans be able to tell them apart from a normal human. Don't forget, humans procreate by having babies, but vamps are to all intense and purposes dead, save for a few bodily functions that are needed to keep the blood flowing around their system, and superfluous acts like live procreation are not deemed necessary, especially since our procreation happens with an exchange of blood, not the meeting of sperm and egg.

"With humans I suppose you could say it was hit and miss as to whether a child is conceived, the right time of the month and the like, and the 9 months to wait for the child to be born back then was an absolute life time. Death in childbirth would have been as common a place as making fire back then. Vampires had it easy. See someone you wanted, exchange blood, wait a couple of days and bob's your uncle a new vampire is born. That new vampire starts feeding, killing humans, making new vampires and the cycle starts again. It's understandable why the Highest Authority became worried, vampires reproduced and fed from the existing human stock, meaning it was more and more difficult for the human population to expand, and back then they could very easily have gone extinct along with countless other species of animals and plants. The Highest Authority had to act to save his children, and as vampires were the predators of his children he set up the Council of Souls to wipe out vampires, the first exterminators ever! But humans and vampires looked alike back then, they all walked in the sun and there was no difference in their complexions, so the Highest Authority separated them from the light and they became night walkers. That is when the pallor of our skins changed to the whiteness they are today, no sunlight to activate the melanin in the skin."

"But even then the Council couldn't eradicate them?" Alanah asked, wondering why this was.

"No. Our legends tell us they made countless raids on known vampires, killing them and sending them to oblivion, but somewhere there was always one, a dying human being reborn into the vampire life, undetectable by the council. Remember, it takes 2 days for a body to be reborn into that of a vampire. You're alive and dead at the same time and the amount of vampires that were being created back then compared to the humans alive was enormous."

"Is that why Dan and I were able to create a human child? Because he was still changing into a vampire and wasn't completely one yet?" Alanah asked, finally understanding.

"Yes. Now that he is fully vampire, he can not procreate with you. But he can still make love to you." Damian smiled, wondering if she really needed to know that last bit.

"Tell me more about the Mother of the Dead. She seems integral as to why the Midnight Son came into being and the Family."

"I suppose she is. I have met her in fact, only briefly but there is an air of power around her that is intoxicating. I was in awe of her." He smiled as he remembered back to his encounter with her during the aborted sacrifice at the Family.

"She is still alive today?" Alanah asked amazed.

"I think she can choose what point in history she is, she didn't say exactly, just that she's an enigma that will pop up from time to time. I don't know that much about her story except that she did indeed create the Midnight Son in response to the prospect of loosing her human family. She was up against another vampire who wanted to kill them, and she was violently against it herself. She called upon the Council of Souls and agreed a bargain with them. That bargain included the cull of vampires every 500 years, and made them go underground. Without her sacrifice the human race would have been doomed."

"But that bargain led to the creation of the Family?" Alanah asked.

"Yes and no. I'd call that laziness on the vampire's part more than anything else. Although they had been living in the darkness for thousands of years by this point, they had still had a certain amount of free reign to choose their victims as they liked and turn as many as they wanted to, but the bargain capped that too. A few vampires had a hair brain idea and wanted to start a 'farm', but corralling them as humans do to animals is not practical, firstly they are humans and secondly they will revolt. They had to be there of their own free will - hence the founding families. Each was brought in by a vampire and promised eternal life. That's where it all began."

"So Anthony was not the only vampire there, there were others too?"

"Not many these days, Anthony saw them off, or they disappeared to create their own version of the Family."

"And how are the humans kept there?"

"Well initially those that were born into the family wanted to be there. As the years went on, the taps, for want of a better word began to have children, who automatically entered the Family. It became apparent that they needed to feel included, so the initiation ceremony came into being. It was obvious the humans had to be controlled, the vampires knew they would revolt eventually. So it was decided that anyone who was born into the family, would be given a higher status than anyone recruited in. The sacrifice is seen as a binding deal, once you have killed and drunk from your own victim there is no going back. You are one of them. The sacrifice grew from stealing people from the street to grooming the initiation subject in the 'rites' as they became called. Over the years the whole thing has changed from a binding deal of silence and acceptance to the highly organised event that you were part of. Anthony has overseen many of the initiations, he has revelled in his obligations since they were first drawn up almost 1,000 years ago."

"Anthony was alive back then?" Alanah asked amazed.

"I believe he is currently the oldest living vampire." Damian nodded.

"Who made him? How old is he?" Alanah enquired.

"His maker is unknown to me, and Anthony has always been very guarded about his lineage. Since he created me I know he has gone by the name Anthony Newman, mostly so that we could be seen as brothers, but I am not aware of him truly being a Newman. We do know that he was made almost 1,000 years ago, just after the last completed Midnight Son. It is very possible he was the last remaining vampire at the time of the ceremony. He was present at my birth, the exact moment I was born. He promptly killed my mother and took me with him back to the Family, bringing me up as his son. When I was 45 he turned me into a vampire, he had been ordered to, he was to make sure I survived to the next Midnight Son, even though he wanted to kill me, he knew that if he did, his life would be forfeit then and there and he would eternally burn in hell. It was a no win situation. I had already had children and watched them grow, that was almost 500 years ago.

As time went by Anthony became weary of the Family and decided to leave to experience 'feasting in the wild' as he called it. He left me as leader, I was a son to him. That was over 150 years ago. He came back 5 years before he 'murdered' me. Dan was 19, and distrusted him the very moment he set eyes on him. You could see the hate in both their eyes as they looked at each other. Dan had no idea that either Anthony or I were vampires, none of the Family do. It's not that difficult to deceive people when they have no idea they are being deceived. If Anthony had ever had an inkling what Dan would be, he would have been killed many years ago."

"The Family think you are dead, how come you were toppled from the throne?"

"Anthony became paranoid about my loyalty to him and thought I was going to betray him. He decided it was time he was back in the hot seat, and staged my murder at a meeting. I was buried and had to leave. No matter what the Family may be, they don't really know that vampires exist." He looked at Alanah and smiled. "I think that's enough for now, you look exhausted, and it's no wonder considering all that you have been through." Damian stood to leave. "Your son's future is in all our hands. I have never been more excited about the birth of a child than I am right now. His very existence shifts the power back towards humans. I must leave, Jessie is hovering waiting to serve dinner. I will see you presently. Till then, be happy, it's good for the child inside you." He kissed Alanah's cheek and left the room.
CHAPTER 40

John and Dan were sat in a cabin on the ferry from Calais to Dover. There was an impasse between them, and the silence was almost unbearable.

Dan was hungry. Incredibly hungry and he was looking at his father with hatred in his eyes. He was desperate to kick the door down and feed on the first human he came across, but his father had warned him he would take drastic action if that was to happen.

He had not fed enough tonight, but John had insisted they take the overnight ferry to Dover. He had said putting it off until the next evening was not a viable option, and that he had to get back to the UK whilst he still resembled the human photo in his passport. He could easily pass off the paleness of his face as sea sickness, but if he left it much longer, questions would be raised and if he was detained by border control, he may not survive if they kept him past sun rise. He had not had the will to complain at the time, but now that he was in agony, he was wishing he had put his foot down and insisted they wait until the following evening.

John reminded him of two very important things. Firstly if he tried to feed he would either get caught or the bodies of his victims would be found meaning there would be a major delay when they arrived in Dover, and they only had minutes as it was to get him to darkness and secondly that there were children on this boat and he was in such a blood lust that he could not guarantee he would not feed from them. John knew how much he would regret that.

His body was beginning to go into shut down. As such a new vampire, he needed blood much more than someone like Anthony. He lay in a ball on the bunk, his whole body shaking. He was a drug addict in need of his next hit, but unable to obtain it. He cursed his father, he cursed Anthony and Mary, anything to get him through the journey.

He began to hallucinate, seeing things that weren't there, calling out for Alanah, repeatedly saying he was sorry, that he was ashamed of what she had seen him do. He was a wreck, and all he could feel as he lay there in agony was the desperate need to sink his teeth into something warm with a heartbeat and suck them dry.

To make things even worse, the voices that had been resident in his head since he had started killing humans were loud in his mind. They were screaming at him, telling him what a monster he was and how their families were mourning their deaths at his hand. He was being bombarded at every point, every sense that could be attacked was being attacked. He began to slip into unconsciousness.

John sat looking at his son, his vampire son. He had always known that this was going to happen to him, but he had never considered how he would feel once he was a vampire. He was sad. All the potential life had gone and now he saw nothing but a creature that was suffering before him.

He told himself that this was what was supposed to happen, that Dan had to become a vampire in order to save the human race, that him leaving Alanah pregnant and alone was always going to happen, but it hurt his heart now that it had happened.

Damian had once told him that one of the Midnight Son rituals almost did not happen because the vampire father was so desperate to stay with the mother of his son that he neglected his need to feed. He broke eventually, feeding from her and almost bringing her to death before he realized what he had done. He had been distraught and left her and the child to do what he was supposed to be doing, feeding and wallowing in pity for his lost life.

But seeing it first hand was difficult, and knowing he had known that his son would end up as this wreck for his entire life, even the first time he had held him in his arms as a new born baby made him feel sick. But equally he knew he could never have told him what was to happen, that would not have been something Dan could have coped with knowing. He tried to consol himself with the knowledge that Dan was on the right path, but it wasn't working.

Dan wasn't yet unconscious, but he was very close to it when the announcement came over the ferry's loud speaker informing them they were almost in Dover harbour. Damian had warned John that Dan might crash like this, and had sent a contingency plan with him.

John had been keeping the blood pack warm by carrying it under his shirt and now he removed it and carefully punctured a small hole in the clear packaging. He placed the blood pack next to Dan's face and pooling a small amount onto his finger he let it drop onto Dan's lips.

The response was immediate. Smelling the open pack of blood Dan honed in on it and sunk his teeth into it, taking seconds to consume the pint of warm blood. He sat up and looked at his father, anger in his eyes.

"You had that all along and you didn't let me have any?" He growled.

"It's not easy getting hold of human blood." John said looking down, he could not meet Dan's eyes.

"I've been in agony." Dan said wanting to rip open his fathers throat and drink, but somehow resisting.

"Before you even contemplate existing on donated blood, don't. It is processed so that it can be stored for saving lives, not keeping yours going. Your body needs fresh blood from the source, not from bags. This was just to prevent you going into a coma state. Do you understand?" John said urgently.

"I understand that you don't care about me, that you've known about this for a long time." Dan accused bitterly.

"True, but you must understand there was nothing I could do to prevent it, and I do care about you, I'm your dad." John said, knowing that Dan was not quite rational enough to have this conversation just yet.

"And I suppose you already knew that Anthony couldn't be killed when you stabbed him through the heart." He snarled.

"I knew that, but the Family didn't. They are as oblivious to vampires as you were."

There was another announcement on the loud speaker informing passengers they could now disembark.

"We had better wait a while, I won't have you exposing your vampire traits whilst there are hoards of humans on board." John said walking to the door. He looked out and saw scores of people vacating their cabins.

"Of course not, you don't want me to make a scene, how would you cope if I was caught and vampires exposed?" Dan said sarcastically.

"It's not that at all, although exposure wouldn't be a good thing. There are families out there, and I know you wouldn't want to hurt them. The last thing you want is to gorge yourself in front of an audience."

"No, you're right, vampires are supposed to skulk in alleyways and feed from the dregs of society. Wouldn't want to make a scene would I?" Dan said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry." John said looking his son in the eye. He sighed quietly. "Yes, I've always known this would happen to you and it has been a difficult weight to carry. I'm not trying to say that what you are going through is less of a burden, I know it is a much heavier load to carry, but your whole life I have watched you grow into a man I was proud to call my son, but aware your humanity had an expiry date, to be replaced by what you are now. I know you don't want to live as a vampire, but you must. If not to save humanity, then to protect Alanah and your son. Live to protect them and you will have a purpose to continue as a vampire rather than wallowing in self pity."

"They will be in danger?" Dan asked, his eyes wide in worry.

"As will you be." John checked the corridor again, but there were still too many people milling around.

Eventually there was only the odd person in the corridor and John and Dan exited the cabin and made their way up to leave the boat, they were foot passengers. John was worried about the impending sun rise, but as of yet he could not see the signs in the sky that it was rising.

As they walked from the boat, Dan could hold himself in check no more and once they were through passport control he found the first person he could to feast from.

The relief his body felt as the blood rushed into him was immense. John had been right; blood from the source was the only blood that would satisfy him, the packaged blood had tasted wrong. He relished the blood flowing into his body, he was engrossed in gratification and felt fulfilled. His blood lust had been satisfied, for the time being.

John watched his son mournfully, feeling guilty that he would have to endure the all consuming lust for blood as part of his destiny. He saw his son place the man's body on the floor gently.

He turned to his father, wiping the blood from his chin. "Every time I drink, I take their soul inside me and I am carrying them around within my head. By the time I die, there will be thousands. I won't know who I am soon." Dan hung his head in shame.

"You will always be there, no one can take you away from this earth until your destiny is fulfilled." John walked towards his son, knowing he had to get him away from the scene as quickly as possible. "Come, we must leave here before the body is found. Besides, the sun will be up shortly, and we both know what will happen to you if you are out during the sunlight."

Dan was once again on British soil.

CHAPTER 41

Standing outside the door, John looked at his son, wondering how to tell him who was waiting inside for him. As of yet he had not had the courage to tell him that Damian was a vampire and had not died at the Family as he had believed. He knew Dan would not take this well, they had been close and Dan would feel even more betrayed than he already did.

Walking into the room, Dan stood and looked at his grandfather. He was angry, but showing it here now would not get him anywhere. "I should say something like 'You're dead, what are you doing here?', but the last time I did that, it was said to Anthony, and I soon knew he was a vampire, so I'm assuming you are one too." He looked icily at him; he was not pleased to see him.

"It's good to see you Daniel. I have been watching you since my demise." Damian stood and began to walk to Dan.

"Why have you brought me here?" Dan asked his father, the betrayal John had been expecting was evident on his face.

"Because he is the fountain of all knowledge when it comes to your destiny."

"Ah yes, my destiny. Something you both clearly have known about for some time. Why the hell was I not informed of this at an earlier stage? I could have prevented everything that has happened to Alanah, how could you let me put her through this?" His heart beat fast at the thought of his wife. He had successfully been keeping her from his mind, and now the mention of her name sent him mad with passion, the craving for her blood was inconsolable without the act and the thought of feeding from her was intense. "I am in a waking nightmare and I have no idea when it is going to end." His fury was rising.

"You know destiny happens whether you are told about it or not. Alanah was chosen, she would have been killed if you had not saved her. You would be dead if she had not loved you enough to let you drink her blood and she would not be carrying your son if you had not fallen in love with her. Without her, you would be dead now and the human race would follow in a few years without the two of you and your son." Damian looked at Dan, he wanted to tell him what was to come, but he didn't have the words. "We are all waiting for the night of the Midnight Son. It should have been me five hundred years ago, I should have been the link between my mother and father. I was supposed to be the last, but Anthony prevented that from happening."

"He has a knack of doing that. What are we to go through and when?" Dan was resigned to enduring more pain, he felt like his whole life had been full of pain in one form or another. But he didn't want to be here and he was letting Damian know this.

"It is your child. He is the Midnight Son. Your son will initiate the ceremony and you and Alanah must be present for it to complete, but it has been a very long time since the last successful ceremony and we do not know exactly what to expect. They were written down, but I personally have very little information. Most of the manuscripts have gone missing and I have spent the last 500 years searching for them, but I cannot find any written record of them."

"I will not have my child subjected to pain and suffering." Dan growled.

"No pain, no suffering. He is just a bridge, protected by the Council of Souls, from the moment he is born he will be safe. He will return the equilibrium to the world, balance the power between vampires and humans. Without him, the world will be hell on earth." Damian looked Dan directly in the eyes.

"I can imagine, especially if Anthony and Mary are at the helm. I'm presuming by hell on earth, you are meaning vampires ruling the world, humans as slaves?"

Damian nodded. "The Highest Authority stated the day was for humans, the night for vampires, if there is no Midnight Son, the sun will be compromised and chaos will reign supreme, and humans will be ripe for the picking. There will be no going back if this happens." Damian looked him in the eye an understanding passing between them. "I'm assuming you comprehend the gravity of what the situation would be like if this happens?"

Dan nodded, he could indeed imagine the hell that Anthony and Mary would create. "So when is this going to happen?" He was abrupt, he did not want to be there.

"On your son's seventh birthday."

"So I have almost eight years to wait for this to happen. I guess I had better get ready to share my head with thousands of souls. Will I be ready for whatever is to happen on his seventh birthday, or will I be a blithering wreck and unable to do my job?"

"Dan, you are unique, no other vampire except the father of the Midnight Son retains the souls of the humans they kill. It is a burden I know, but one you alone must shoulder. When it comes to it, you will be ready and nothing will stop you. Without both you and Alanah the bridge can not be accomplished. You are a vampire, she is human and your child, whilst he will be human is also part of you. You are the trinity that will bring balance back to the world." Damian was happy at the prospect of peace. "The tattoo on your arm will protect your soul. It will be untouched by what your mind and body will go through."

"My tattoo, of course. I should have guessed it was protecting my soul. I bet it was you behind that. Did you arrange for the woman to take me to the tattoo shop? Did you watch whilst he pierced my skin with needle and ink?" Dan spat his words at Damian and watched as he could not meet his eyes with his own. "How did it feel knowing you were branding me for a living hell?"

"It was not I that branded you, and I wasn't there. But I am very glad it happened. I have lived through 500 years of hell. I have watched the creatures I despise feed from my family. I have watched friends die of old age, only to live on past them as I am now. Branding you with your destiny is the light at the end of the tunnel. It means Anthony's reign is almost over. Eight years will fly by in comparison to the half millennia I have lived through." Damian's voice was tinged with sadness.

"So until my son's 7th birthday I guess I live in the shadows of darkness." Dan sighed, wondering how he would get through the next eight years living as a creature of the dark.

"It doesn't have to be lonely. Stay with me, I will teach you all you need to know. I enjoyed teaching you when you were growing up, I've missed our sessions." Damian ventured, hoping Dan would take him up on the offer.

"I think I would prefer to be alone. Besides, Mary has already offered for me to return to the Family with her, an offer I flatly refused. I must learn to live as I am and try to get to grips with the path that fate has placed at my feet. I've done enough talking; now it's time to start living it." Dan looked sadly at Damian. "I must learn all that I need to alone."

"If that is how you feel, I will not force you to stay. Your blood lust will rule you for some time, take care, you may make rash decisions whilst it is upon you." Damian smiled at Dan, he knew it would take him a long time to come to terms with the creature he was, it had taken him three agonising years, and he hoped it would take less for Dan.

"What about Alanah? Is she safe?" Dan asked, sincerely concerned for her safety.

"You can feel it in your heart, you know she is safe. You are connected to her, not only through the child, but from the blood you drank from her. Hers was the first human blood you drank and it helped change you into the vampire you are now. You will always crave more."

"So I'm to always want to kill my wife?" Dan asked alarmed.

"Without her blood you would have died. All vampires consume and kill their first victims, except you. This is why you are unique, unlike any other vampire except the ones who have shared the title of father to the Midnight Son. You will always be part of each other and she will always crave you too." Damian said sympathetically.

"Crave me? Don't be so stupid, I saw the look on her face when..." He could not finish his sentence.

"I was there when it happened, I saw it myself. I promise you, it changed nothing in her heart for how she feels for you."

"Really?" Dan asked, hope in his voice, but terror in his heart.

"You were both always destined to love each other through everything you go through together. You know she is safe, I have given her a house to live in, and she will never want for anything, there is more than enough money for her in an account to last her a couple of decades."

"Very generous of you. I can feel her, you're right, I always will, but I will never get to be with her again." Dan was heart-broken at the thought.

Damian thought before speaking, deciding not to say something like time will heal, or you'll get used to the pain, he knew that would never happen for Dan. Instead he said "If you do need me, I will always be here for you."

Dan looked his father in the eye and then turned to Damian, staring him in the eye. "I think you have both done enough for quite a long time." He turned and walked from the room, leaving the building without looking back.
CHAPTER 42

Dan wandered along a small road, passing charming houses on both sides. Since leaving Damian's house he had fed from two people and he was as satisfied as he could be. As he neared the last house on the pretty little street he stopped in his tracks, he took a sharp intake of what would have been breath if he had been alive.

His heartbeat increased as he realized the feelings that were coursing through his body as he stood stock still in the road. He looked to the house to the left of him, he saw a cobbled pathway leading up to a beautiful white house with a porch and trailing roses winding up and around a trellis, and in one of the upstairs windows lit by artificial light he saw Alanah looking out of the French windows. She was about to close the curtains. He gazed at her, his mouth moist in expectation, but frantically trying to take in every detail of her. It had only been a couple of days since he had held her in his arms, but it already felt like a lifetime.

Alanah drew the curtains shut and Dan's heart almost jerked free from his chest. He looked up at the curtained window and screamed at the top of his voice, letting out all the frustration from the last few days. He looked forlornly back up at the window and saw Alanah looking out at him.

He stood and looked at her, she was pressing her hands on to the glass, anxiously looking down at him. Their eyes met and the two of them stared at each other, unsure what to do.

Alanah peered down at her husband and was reminded of the scene in Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet looked down at Romeo and thinks he looks like he is in a tomb. Right now, Dan was Romeo, estranged from his wife, embarking on a long lonely journey.

Dan looked up at the woman he adored, he wanted to run into the house, to take her in his arms, to hold her and sink his teeth into her flesh. The urge was un-containable and he stood staring up at her, disgusted at what he wanted to do to the love of his life.

Alanah had moved from the window, but come straight back with a lipstick; she drew a heart on the window, hoping it would show him how she felt. She blew a kiss, and felt her love leave her body and enter the air, hoping it would reach Dan.

Dan felt her love radiating down to him and he felt comforted. The last time they had seen each other he had been feasting on a victim. Without even realizing what he was doing he had bent his legs and jumped... landing lithely on the balcony in front of the French windows she was safely behind.

Alanah jumped back slightly, shocked that he had been able to get to her in one effortless jump. Regaining her control, she went to open the window, but was stopped by Dan shaking his head and holding onto the sill to stop her opening it to him – he did not trust his hunger. She nodded, understanding completely.

She still had the lipstick in her hand, and writing backwards so that the word was the right way round for him, she spelled out ALWAYS inside the heart that she had already drawn. She placed her hand on the glass, and Dan placed his over it on the outside of the pane.

They looked at each other, knowing the glass represented so much more than what it plainly was, it represented the huge gulf that would be between them forever.

Dan stared at her face, she looked pale and tired and he knew she was stressed. Everything that had happened to them had taken away everything that she had become and he hoped that she could regain it again without him.

Alanah looked straight back at him, so desperate to touch him, but what she wanted was out of the question, so she would make do with looking instead. His skin was an ashen grey, and his eyes were as black as the night. How she wished she could see his piercing blue eyes once again. She smiled sadly at him, knowing she had to be strong, or at the very least appear strong.

He placed his clenched fist over his heart and blew a kiss to Alanah, his heart feeling a little lighter. Knowing he had to leave, but not wanting to, made it hard to take his eyes away from Alanah's gaze. Shutting his eyes and trusting his new senses he jumped backwards to the ground landing neatly on both feet. Seeing the beautiful flowers in the garden, he picked a single red rose, the flowers she had had in her bouquet on their wedding day. He led it on the path, attaching a hastily written note to one of the thorns. He walked from the garden without looking back, leaving the quiet street behind.

-o-

Alanah ran down the stairs and rushed out of the front door, picking the rose up from the path. She pulled off the note that Dan had left for her and read his words:

I may not be with you, but my heart will always belong to you.

She walked back into the house closing the door behind her, she stood against the wall to steady herself, but her legs began to give way and she slid down to the floor and sat quietly holding the rose tightly in her hand, the thorns biting into her palm. She could not feel any pain as the blood trickled from the wounds and landed on the new hessian carpet.

-o-

Dan placed the corpse of his victim against the park wall and walked away. He was shaking from the blood rush, feeling full and satisfied. No longer feeling the unbearable guilt he had with his other victims, yet not enjoying what he had done. He had reached equilibrium, knowing he was compelled to feast, but aware he would never be satisfied with the life he was leading. He understood that nothing would ever gratify him except feasting from Alanah, and he was resolved never to do that, although deep down he did wonder if he could last without her.

Dawn was fast approaching when he found an abandoned building. He broke through a window and entered the basement flat. There was a stench of damp in the air, but he cared not for the smell. He looked around the derelict room, there had clearly been squatters here before him and they had left chaos in their wake. Dan was not concerned that he was stood in devastation; he cared for nothing any more.

As the sun came up, he settled down on an old mattress in what once was a bedroom, he lay emotionless, waiting for sleep to come upon him and drown out his emptiness.

He did not have long to wait.

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Don't miss the next book

Existence

Due out Late 2012.
