Vlad had gone over the situation a dozen times already but no matter how he looked at it, there was no way he could stay any longer in Ellingsdale. He had to leave before dawn if he was leaving. He didn't like staying in a foreign land during the day, it left him too vulnerable and for a man with more enemies than friends, that was never wise.

"Hey," he kissed his wife's forehead to wake her up.

Her eyelashes fluttered but she didn't open her eyes.

He hoped she didn't sleep that heavily when he was not around. It made him nervous, her lying there all alone where anyone would be able to come in and do anything they wanted. Eric didn't even have guards outside her door.

He put his hand on her face, tucking away some stray hairs behind her ear. She looked extraordinary whilst she was sleeping. Her long eyelashes rested on her beautiful skin and her lips pouted sweetly.. If he listened closely, he'd be able to hear what was going on in her head. Whatever she decided, he hoped she decided to go home with him. He'd go insane if they were separated for any longer.

He brought his hand to her waist and softly caressed her where he knew she was ticklish, thanks to Alex. She jumped a little and pushed his hand away, giggling.

"Vlad," she complained.

"You were not waking up."

"Is something wrong?" She asked, now fully awake.

"No, but there is something I have to talk to you about."

He stood up, realizing he hadn't taken the time to properly look at her room.

Erinna watched her husband as he moved around, picking up everything and asking her about it. He looked at all her birthday gifts and the astrological drawings she'd made of the sky. He looked so wrong yet so right in her room. She had always thought her tower spacious but Vlad made it shrink in size. His presence was overwhelming, it filled the whole place.

He teased her about her poems of a prince charming coming to rescue her and called her books corny. She couldn't blame him, she cringed also when she looked back to the books she had read when she was a child, courtesy of Melissa. They had all revolved around princesses, princes and happily ever after.

After a lot of begging, Vlad finally put her fairy tale books down but then he picked one that made her blush. It was the Romeo and Juliet copy she had brought from Transylvania.

"I was going to bring it back," she quickly explained in case he thought she had stolen it. He always said what was his was hers but she was not yet comfortable with the concept.

Vlad however, waved her answer away as if it was of no consequence.

"You like the book?"

She couldn't gauge his tone so she decided to give a neutral answer.

"It's a good story."

"A bit tragic, don't you think?"

"Isn't most of real life like that?"

Fairy tales were just that-- tales. She might have once been a firm believer of the happily ever afters depicted by Melissa's books but she was beginning to realize that there was a missing 'n' before the ever. Life was more of Romeo and Juliet than Sleeping Beauty.

Vlad frowned and came to where she was now sitting on the bed with her legs dangling to the floor. He separated them and stepped between. The position was strangely intimate and made her whole skin flush and her mind to flood with inappropriate thoughts. His scent teased her senses. It was so fresh, masculine and so... Vlad.

"Did I do that to you?" he asked.

She blinked, coming out of her daze. What was the question?

"What?"

"Did I make you a cynic? You have always been positive."

She looked aside. She had known he would not let her go easily.

He was asking her questions she hadn't yet asked herself and she didn't know if she wanted the answers.

"It's nothing Vlad."

He held her chin gently between his index finger and thumb and forced her to look at him. Into his eyes.

"It's not nothing. Out of all stories you chose that one. Why? Is that what you think of us? That we'll end up like them?"

She really didn't want to talk this. She barely allowed herself to acknowledge it in her head, the growing cynicism. Staying positive was becoming more and more of a chore rather than a way of life. Every disappointment took with it some part of her personality and she didn't want Vlad to see that, didn't want him to see how she was changing.

What had driven her to the story in the first place was its similarities with her life. Romeo and Juliet had both been prominent members of their families. They had fallen into wild, irrevocable love despite the consequences, despite all they knew about the feud between their families and that love in the end had consumed them, had taken them both.

She didn't know how her story with Vlad would end but she was becoming familiar with the word punishment. The universe always found a way of getting back at you. You might rebel, decide to take your life in your own hands and live a little but there was always a price.

Vlad took her face in his hands, framing it between his callused ones. His grip was almost painful but it forced her to look at him. It put an end to the tirade of negative thoughts spiraling in her head.

There was desperation and anguish in his eyes when she looked into there. He was pleading with her to not lose hope, to not give up. Guilt immediately overtook her. She couldn't do this to Vlad. She had no right to add any more despair in his life. With effort, she chased away the darkness looming over her. Anything to remove that tortured look from his face.

"We're not like them," he said to her.

She nodded, tears misting her eyes.

"I mean it Erinna."

She tried to give him a reassuring smile but it came out melancholic.

"I know in the past I've told you this wouldn't end well but there is always a choice. Only we can let this be ruined, do you hear me?"

"Prophecy," she reminded him.

"No. Destiny. No prophecy is set in stone. But this," he caressed her Recognition Mark, "This is real."

He was right. The marks on their hands meant their union had been acknowledged by the universe. They were destined together. Whatever curses and prophecies had come after could not top that.

She put her arms around his waist and burrowed her face in his stomach.

"Thank you for coming."

"You already said that," he laughed.

"Well, I mean it."

"I had to. It's kind of hard to commit murder long distance and I do want to murder that arachnid," he said, playing with her hair.

"Homicide? I'm sure the law would have something to say about that," she laughed, looking into his eyes.

"I am the law, angel."

She rolled her eyes but sighed happily. She was just happy to be there, with him.

"You wanted to tell me something?" She asked, remembering he had woken her up.

"I talked to your father."

Ok that never heralded any good news. Her father and her mate were not the best of friends.

"And?"

"He's still alive," he shrugged.

"That's not funny," she swatted him on his chest.

"Oh it is," he laughed.

It was a beautiful sound. Rare, but pleasant all the same. He could make all the morbid jokes in the world at her father's expense if it ended with him laughing like that. It was contagious and she found herself smiling despite her efforts not to.

"You're outrageous. Now tell me what he said."

"He wants you to stay for a few more weeks," Vlad rolled his eyes, "I told him he's crazy of course."

"You did?" Erinna bit her lip.

It was not that she wanted to stay any longer in Ellingsdale but she was so close with her research. Her father had already granted her access into the archives, something she had never thought would happen. She had no idea what she would find in there but she wouldn't know unless she tried and she wanted to try. She wanted to lay the last of her doubts concerning her marriage with Vlad to rest.

If she could find the roots of this curse, she might have a better chance of breaking it. Mara had told her the names of the other known couple that had ignored the taboo like her and Vlad and gotten married despite the differences between their races. If she could know the details of their union and how their story had ended, it would make her better prepared.

"Yes I did. Don't tell me you actually want to stay," he frowned, displeasure immediately marring his features and chasing away his agreeable mood.

"Well not for long, just for a few weeks."

"No Erinna, that's not an option. We're going home and we're going now."

"But there's something I need to do first, Vlad."

"I gave you three weeks and what did you do? You got sick and you're looking as thin as a reed."

"I did not! I only got sick because of Xander and I'm not thin," she argued vehemently.

She was fine and he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

"You've lost weight Erinna. A lot."

She wrung her hands. Was he right?

"Fine, I'll eat then."

"Yes you will, at home."

"This is my home too."

His eyes flashed red, a sign that he was on the verge of losing his temper. They were as crimson as blood, the raging storm within bared for her to see. It didn't scare her but it unnerved her. Vlad's temper was a force to be reckoned with.

After five seconds, he finally closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, they were back to their normal color and he looked more in control of himself.

"Is there something I need to know?" He finally asked, his voice cold and dark as a winter night.

The room responded to his mood, the temperature dropping a few degrees.

"What? No."

"Then why won't you come home?"

She couldn't tell him she was researching the curse, Vlad didn't like it. They had disagreed over it in the past and he would cart her back to Transylvania if she told him.

He thought the curse was unbreakable and all efforts to break it would just waste time and make them more paranoid. He might like his blissful ignorance but Erinna was a creature of planning. She wanted to be prepared.

"It's complicated Vlad. I'll explain, just not now."

"So whatever this is, you do know it will piss me off," he scoffed, moving away from her to the window.

She didn't reply because she didn't want to confirm his words.

"What makes you think I won't pick it right out of your mind?" He asked.

Whilst she had problems reading Vlad's mind, he had never had any reading hers. If he wanted to find out something from her, he would. With or without her permission.

Before they had consummated the bond, she had been able to hide sections of her mind from him but with their bond now, there really was nothing she could keep from him as long as he wanted to find it.

"Because I'm asking you not to."

"I don't know what it is you need to do here that requires you keeping secrets from me."

"It's not like that."

He rolled his eyes and began picking his clothes, putting them on one by one. She had known he would take it wrongly.

"Vlad it's not what you are thinking."

"You don't know what I'm thinking."

"Then why won't you look at me so I can explain?"

"I have four hours until dawn," he said, pulling his leather tunic over his head.

She quickly got off the bed and took his hands in hers.

"Don't leave please."

Sure her people didn't like him but they would get used to him. She had never thought the previous evening's dinner would be a success but it had turned out fairly well in the end. As repelled as they were all by him, they had been able to hide their distaste to please her father.

"I can't stay here. Not during the day," he shook his head.

She understood him. Her people were one of the people vying for his head on a stake. He wouldn't want to spend the day, the time he was at his weakest around them.

"Are we alright then? Are you still mad?"

She wanted them to part on good terms.

"Yes I'm 'mad' but we will address that later. I'm sending Alexander to you and some guards."

"What?" She frowned.

She didn't need guards.

"That was not a suggestion. You either take the guards or you come home. They will be reporting everything to me, where you go, who you see and what you'll eat."

So much for trust.

"So not guards then. Spies," she rolled her eyes.

"You wanted to stay," he shrugged.

"And who'll be telling me what you'll be doing?"

She trusted Vlad but he bent a lot of morals when he thought he could get away with it or when he was pissed and thought he was entitled to taking out his temper on everyone else.

"If you come home with me now, you won't need anyone to tell you, will you?" He winked and vanished.

********