That night, Riley made me dinner while begging for information about Duke and I.

I told him the story, and ended it by telling him I didn't want to proceed with plan b, seeing as I thought plan a had worked, somewhat. He was shocked, but I had to convince him that Duke was right.

Now wasn't really the time and place, and after the whole ordeal was over, Duke and I wouldn't see each other ever again. I was going to die, he wasn't.

-

I happily ate my spaghetti Bolognas with Riley for about an hour before I made my way back upstairs to my room. It was about eleven at night, and I felt more exhausted than ever. I had to admit, scheming was hard work.

I changed into my loose pants and shirt from the night before. I then walked out of the bathroom, expecting Duke to be sitting there, but he wasn't.

I didn't question it and just figured he was a little late as I crawled in under my covers. I sighed as I watched the reflection of swaying tree's outside the window. It was a gusty night, and I listened to the sound of the tree scratch against the wall for about half an hour before the sound of it became more forceful, more like fingernails against the wall.

My eyes were open as I lay still, watching the clawed hands of the tree branches from outside.

Suddenly, I felt an all too familiar uneasiness in my stomach, like when we were at Janey's.

Something was wrong.

I internally became nervous, somewhat hoping Duke would sense it and fly up to check it was okay. As I did, I crawled up out of bed and slowly walked towards the window, leaning my head closer to it to look down at the noise.

As I did, my eyes quickly caught sight of a man racing towards the window, my heart stopped, my eyes wide as my hands instinctively flew over my face and head for cover. When the impact came, I could heard glass shatter around me. My eyes clamped shut, my body quickly being twirled around and thrown across the room to land against the far wall.

My ears began to ring, my gaze attempting to catch up with the loud grunting and the sound of speed around me.

As expected, I felt a sting in my wrist as it bent uncomfortably from landing.

Duke had at some point rushed in, obviously feeling my warning as he and the man sped around the room in attack mode. Just as quickly as it started, Darius, Parry, Riley and Jaymi came bolting into the room, the door near falling off it's hinges as they all ran towards the threat, each holding a limb as the man thrashed around and bared his fangs towards me, growling viciously.

His face was terrifying, his expression was held with pure hatred, pure evil as he snarled while staring his coal black eyes at me.

Duke was seconds later infront of me, blocking my view as he held my face up to watch his. I stared back at him, noticing the colour change in his eyes. Suddenly, there was a crack and a screech that filled the room, followed by a large puff of dust.

As fast as it had begun, it was over.

But was he was alone? Surely he wouldn't be, surely he knew that by Dodge and Ryde sending him here alone, he would end up dead, why do it?

I tried to contain my rigid breathing, focusing on Duke's face.

He gently let go of my cheeks and pulled me up, thats when I hissed out, a spike of pain shooting through my arm as he pulled my hand up, nearly clicking my wrist out of it's already damaged socket.

I winced, and pulled back my hand.

"Whats wrong?" Duke was instantly holding it, running his cold long fingers around my wrist that burned and ached

"I landed on it wrong" I told him, still taken back by what had just happened

"Is she okay?" Jaymi puffed as she stood besides us, along with Parry and Riley.

Darius had already taken off, hopefully checking that the man had been alone.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I answered for myself

"That was way too close" Riley began, looking at Duke "Where the hell were you?" He shot towards him angrily

Duke glared at him, but didn't say anything, only returning his focus back to my wrist.

"You're supposed to be watching her. She could have been killed!" Riley spat towards him, pointing a finger near his chest

Parry stepped in front of him, urging him back "Settle down bud. She's okay, no blood, no foul" Parry continued, pushing Riley back by his chest "C'mon, lets go for a walk to cool off, shake the dust off" He pushed him lightly

Riley did what he was told, but glared at Duke the entire way out.

"Is it broken?" Jaymi's voice worried

I broke my gaze from where Riley and Parry had left, looking down at my slumped hand

"No, I don't think so" Duke replied, his voice flat as he looked over my wrist "I'll bandage it up anyway. Then we'll get going towards the cabin" He continued, snapping my attention to his words

"Cabin? I thought we weren't going until tomorrow afternoon?" I asked, looking in between him and Jaymi.

"Well obviously it's getting too risky. Your room is also destroyed" He pointed out as I looked around the room. It was. Even though the fight had only lasted a few seconds at the least, the furniture was dinged and dented, along with the pile of dust that had settled down on top of the bed and floor.

"Can't I sleep somewhere else? On the lounge or something. I don't want to go until tomorrow, I need to pack" I panicked

"There's no point in going straight away, they'll suspect that, maybe follow you" Jaymi defended me, looking at Duke as he released my hand and sighed.

"Fine. Fine!" He agreed rubbing his temples

"I'm sure Riley can give up his bed for one night" Jaymi smiled as she began to walk out of the room

"No. No, she can have mine for the night" Duke snapped at the mention of me sleeping in Riley's room, let alone his bed.

"Oh. Kay. Whatever you say. I'll help you pack tomorrow Rose, maybe get you a few new clothes for the trip" She smiled sympathetically as she headed out the door

Why was everyone besides Duke so casual about the fight?

"C'mon" Duke spoke, leading me out of the room

I'd only ever been in Duke's room once when I was trying to escape.

From memory, it was beautiful, probably bigger than any other bedroom in the house.

"I'll go find a support brace for your hand" Duke told me as he gestured towards his room, holding the door open.

"Okay, thanks" I replied walking into his room as he disappeared

The light in this room was brighter from the angle of the moon than my own. Almost everything in the room reflected off the White light, blue rays giving it a mystical, fantasy feeling.

I sat on the edge of the bed, not sure as to what to do as I looked around at the perfect untouched furniture. It was simple and probably hadn't been used to wear within the last five years.

My head turned from the furniture when Duke's feet moved back into the room. He was carrying a black wrist brace as he sat beside me on the bed.

I held my hand out as he gestured for it in silence. His fingers were gentle as they held my hand. He began poking and prodding, slowly moving it up and down, rotating the bones. Occasionally, I would wince, but it didn't feel as though anything was out of place.

When he was satisfied, he placed the brace around my wrist between my thumb and over my knuckles.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, breaking the heavy silence

He didn't say anything in return so I took it as a go ahead

"Where were you?" I asked, curious as to where was more important than where I was in harms way

"Taking care of some things that I shouldn't have been" He spoke, as he Velcro strapped the brace tightly around my arm and wrist "Thankfully, this is just a sprain, the pain will ease in time"

He then lifted himself from the bed, avoiding me.

I rolled my eyes and didn't say anything in reply, I just crawled awkwardly over to the bedhead and lay down. Not even under the covers.

"You're going to get cold" Duke spoke, a fair few feet away from me.

"I'm fine" I answered, my voice muffled by the pillows that smelt like him.

It was intoxicating, and I had to refrain myself.

He sighed, and I didn't bother looking to where he was standing or sitting. I felt overly tired and closed my eyes , letting my brain clock itself out and fall asleep to the sweet scent beneath and around me.

-

When I woke the next morning, I wriggled around in the comfy satin sheets and pillows. It was the most comfortable I'd felt in weeks, and I fought to stay awake once my eyes peeled open. I didn't want to get up, I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay where I was.

"Get up sleepy head. We have packing and shopping to do" Jaymi's voice interrupted me from my thoughts as I tossed over to face her hovering face above me.

It was only then had I realized that there were blankets over my body. The same one's I had laid on last night.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Duke tucking me in after I had fallen asleep. It was a gesture that made the butterflies in my stomach flutter.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" I groaned as I flung myself from the bed.

"You definitely need to shower first though. Your hair is like a haystack" She giggled, pulling me along with her out of the comfort of Duke's bedroom.

-

After I had showered, I pulled my hair into a neat ponytail and threw on a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark blue and white striped t-shirt.

"Now, let's pack what's left in here" Jaymi began as I stood beside her in my destroyed bedroom beside my closet.

She pulled open the first draw as I held my suitcase open

"Panties and bra's. Nice collection you have here" She smirked, winking at me as she grabbed handfuls and threw them in.

She continued as she went from the first draw to the last. It was when we had finished packing that I realised the suitcase was only have full.

"I thought Riley would have brought them back up after washing them" I thought aloud, as Jaymi finished piling my few shirts left into my suitcase.

"You know Riley. He likes to start things he can't finish. Except for fights" She added as she smiled.

"I suppose so"

"Don't worry, I'll collect them just before you leave and throw them in here" She said, as she slammed closed the last draw and took the suitcase from my grip.

"C'mon, I'll put this at the front door and we can have our last breakfast together until after the fight" She beamed as she skipped out the front door, with me in tow.

Once again she was being overly casual about the entire situation.

When we were downstairs seated in the kitchen it was a full house. Parry, me, Jaymi, and Riley were seated around the dining room table, while Seth was stuck cooking our breakfast.

I offered to help him cook, but he was stubborn and refused as usual.

While he was cooking the rest of us talked. Parry was way too excited about getting his first taste of action last night with the intruder. Riley was quiet, but still spoke up to throw in his jokes. Jaymi just sat quietly and giggled on cue when Riley would make a remark.

"All I can say is, good luck when it comes to spending your days with Darius" Parry laughed as Seth began to serve our meals of bacon and eggs. I was aware that Riley's and Parry's plates were full, while Jaymi's was about as full as mine.

"Gee, thanks Parry" I threw sarcastically "Is it that bad?" I asked, now curious as to just how horrible it would be

"He's a bit of a wet mop, he's cocky, rude, doesn't like to talk too much" Parry replied, shrugging as he dug into his meal with force

"He's not that bad once you get to know him. He's sweet when he wants to be and if he decides he likes you, he treats you like royalty" Seth started as he took a seat beside me, watching the rest of us eat while he rest his head on his hand.

I took a mouthful of egg along with bacon, mixing the two as I listened intently to Seth.

"He's just weird about opening up with people. Guess it runs in the family" He continued

"Least I'm not the only one that's noticed that" I mumbled as I continued eating.

"They've only been like that since their mother passed and the whole Anna triangle doesn't help either. Everyone's still a little shocked that's she's now living at Darius's place after Duke kicked her out of here" Riley joined in as he scoffed down his food

"Woah, what? She's living with Darius?" I asked, looking inbetween them all

"Why do you think Darius keeps leaving the house" He raised his eyebrows

"She wastes no time, does she?" I scoffed stabbing more bacon on my plate

"Love waits for no one" Jaymi smiled as she finished up what was on her plate, leaning back

"No?" I asked, looking up at her as I thought about Duke and what he'd said about the timing not being right.

"Nope" She repeated as she rubbed her flat stomach now full of food

I continued eating until it was all gone, placing my fork and knife down on the empty plate.

"I'm going to miss you guys" I spoke as I looked in between them all

"We aren't going anywhere, where is your confidence in us?" Parry laughed gruffly as he stood up and collected everyone's empty plates

"What are you going to be like when it's all over and Duke says you can go back home?" Seth began as he patted my back gently

I didn't smile, I just looked down at my hands on the tabletop

"Maybe I should talk him into letting me stay here, permanently" I half joked as I smiled up at them

"You seriously should" Jaymi urged, taking me completely serious

"I agree. You should live with us, after all of this, you deserve a family" Riley agreed folding his muscled arms across his chest

"How about we take it one step at a time?" I smiled.

It shocked me, these people weren't even people. They were vampires. Vampires that in nature, were supposed to kill people like me, especially people like me"

It was nice and it made me feel appreciated.

It wasn't exactly a bad idea either. I'd just have a bunch of secrets to keep to myself.

Maybe these guys did actually care about me, because of who I was, not what I was.

-

Afterwards, I made my way to the front of the house where Jaymi, Riley, Parry, Darius and Duke stood.

It was time to say goodbye to my vampire family before they were to go head to head in battle for my life.

"I wish I had a superpower right now" I joked as I looked up at the group in front of me

"You're an idiot" Jaymi smiled as she pulled me into a tight hug "I'll see you when we get back, maybe I could move in too" She whispered into my ear, only for me to hear

We let go of each other regrettably as Riley threw himself at me next, instantly causing Duke to stiffen.

"Be good, don't give Darius too much crap" He laughed, speaking lowly in my ear

"Actually, I changed my mind. Give him hell" He winked as he let go

When I was finished with my goodbye hugs, Duke, Darius and I walked out the front. Duke threw my suitcase into the boot of the Rolls Royce and closed the lid, ready to go.

I wasn't looking forward to leaving or being stuck with Darius for the next few days. I was however, looking forward to seeing Duke every night and getting updates on what was happening.

"I'll see you later tonight" Duke spoke giving me a small charming smile that made me wonder just what he was thinking

I nodded and smiled in return, hopping into the back seat of the car.

The ride was to take about 2 hours, just like it had when we were going to Janey's. Darius was driving, so I was in the back seat alone the entire time. In a sense, it was nice, but it gave my mind permission to overthink.

-

During the drive I sat against the window watching the things that passed outside.

It was relaxing and made me drowsy. It was times like these I wish I had Clora around to entertain me.

Overall, it took the exact time expected to arrive. The car was pulling up to a secluded long narrow road, beside pine tree's we'd continuously passed within the last half hour. Wherever we were, it was deep somewhere in the mountains.

The car eventually stopped off to the side of the road, and I heard Darius get out of the car. I copied, getting out. The area was quiet and deserted from existence. There was something magical and serene about it that made me deeply inhale the sweet fresh air.

Darius walked towards the back of the car and pulled out my suitcase, throwing it over his shoulder effortlessly

"We have to walk for about ten minutes to reach the cabin" He spoke as he began up the side of the forest's close knit trees

I did as I was told and followed him.

Once again, it was times like these I wished I'd had a superpower or had Duke or Riley to catch me. I lost count of how many times I tripped over a tree root or got smacked in the face when a branch jumped up out of nowhere.

It was extremely tiring keeping up with Darius as we trekked upwards towards the cabin, but once it was reached, it was worth the effort.

It was a stunning little house.

It was made from deep brown wood logs, chunky mahogany lining the walls. It was small, yet spacious and boasted a matching wooden patio out the front.

Darius walked up the creaking steps and unlocked the large wooden door, holding it open for me.

I stepped in and automatically fell in love.

It was perfect, just like in pictures I'd browsed on Pinterest or Tumblr while searching for a mellow background on my school laptop.

Every inch was kept natural, everything priding shades of brown and greens. There was no sign of technology, everything plain and simple.

There were two vanilla coloured couches in the small living room, along with a matching rug and coffee table. Against the main wall was a fireplace framed with wooden planks.

The kitchen joined straight onto the living, all oak wood cupboards and draws, with a wooden coated bench top horseshoed around.

A small dining room table was placed in between the rooms, with two small chairs beside it.

Darius began dragging my suitcase down the wooden floors toward what I assumed to be the bedrooms. I followed.

There were three shut off hidden rooms. One to my immediate left and one to my immediate right. At the end of the hallway I spied the bathroom.

Darius pushed open the right door revealing a small neat simple bedroom. A double sized bed sat in the middle of the room decorated with turquoise covers and pillow cushions.

Opposite was a small set of wooden drawers. That was it. Plain and quaint.

"This is were you'll be staying" He gestured with one hand as he placed the suitcase ontop of the bed covers.

My immediate thought was where Duke would be sitting while on night watch.

"It's small, but in the best of ways" I smiled as I turned towards him

"Then my parents succeeded what they set out to achieve" He smiled in return, giving me an expression I'd yet to see on his features

"Did they build it themselves?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation up as I followed him back to the living room

"Yeah they did, it was a long time ago. When I was a teenager. I even helped to hammer a few nails in" He reminisced, gaining more progress on our non-existent relationship

"It must have been fun" I copied his movement, taking a seat on the couch, sitting on the empty spot besides him