Hot. Everything felt hot.

I groaned, rolling over in an attempt to make the heat go away. But it was almost as if it knew I was awake, and grew from a small fire to a raging inferno. My body ached and throbbed, and I moaned in discomfort, unable to open my eyes.

"You did this to him!" I heard Zion's voice hiss, although it sounded slightly muffled.

"You're equally responsible, you did the same thing as me! And besides, you forced my hand in the first place, knowing I was unstable yet you still made me drink anyway! In fact, you're the one to blame entirely for this!" Chase snapped back.

What? Do they mean this heat? I don't give a flying fudge who's responsible, I just want it to go away!

"Maybe I did know you'd do this. Things were getting boring around here, I thought I could spice things up a little. And when you went ahead and did it like I thought, I left mine too. Can't let you have him all to yourself, can I? We've always shared everything"

"He's not an object, Zion, he's a person! I wanted to ask him if he wanted this first, but you forced him to have it anyway and he has no idea! There's no way to undo this, now he can't leave our side!" Chase yelled angrily in a whisper.

What did they do again? Oh yeah, I offered myself to Chase didn't I... But everything after he bit down is a huge blur...

"You'd better wake your new leopard up, Chase. After all, he belongs to you now. Well, us, but I'll let you do the honours since you did it first. I can tell he's awake and aware but stuck in a kind of limbo right now, until you awaken him. Don't leave him hanging"

Huh? What do they mean in a kind of limbo? I can hear them just fine, I'm just too tired to open my eyes...

"I'm sorry Fabian. If you're listening right now, just understand that I didn't want things to happen like this"

"Yeah yeah. What were you gonna do, propose?" Zion chuckled, but was quickly silenced by what I can only assume was a glare from his brother.

"Everything will be okay Fabian"Chase's soft voice spoke, before lips were pressed to mine.

The kiss was gentle and I welcomed it, until a bitter liquid began to seep into my mouth. I moved my head to the side, but he stayed with me, until he eventually pulled away. It took a minute, but soon I was able to open my eyes and move properly.

"What... happened? What the hell..?" I wondered aloud, not really expecting a response but I got one anyways.

"Chase and I drank from you. You enjoyed yourself a little too much, leaving us to clean up the mess. Although it was a tasty mess I have to say"

I felt my face heat up at 'enjoyed a little too much'. How did I find biting arousing?!

"Oh and I forgot to mention a minor detail. We marked you, therefore we lay claim to you and you are ours" Zion continued, grinned at me.

I didn't know how to respond to that. I've enjoyed the feeling of being loved and cared for by them, but I don't know about being theirs entirely. I'm not complete sure what they mean by marked, is there something on my skin?

I got up and stumbled to the bathroom, flicking on the lights. And I was a little shocked at the sight.

There were two prominent bite marks on either side of my neck, four deep punctures in total. The skin around them had turned a slightly darker colour, looking almost infected, but not how a normal infection would look. But that wasn't even the most surprising thing.

The most surprising thing was that my canines looked sharper. Usually they're only sharp in leopard form, but now... What the heck?

"Your skin will return to normal soon enough, and the marks will fade so you don't have to worry" Chase said softly, and he came up behind me putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Why are my teeth so sharp?" I asked quietly, fearing the worst. What if I'm a vampire now? Will I be able to turn into my leopard still? Is it even possible to turn a shifter? Will I have to hurt people in order to live?

I didn't realise I was hyperventilating until Chase made me look up and him and told me to calm down.

"Calm down, Fabian, I can see your mind is working in overdrive. We didn't turn you into a vampire, we just marked you. Well I shouldn't say 'just' marked. It's a big deal, and I'm sorry that Zion rushed us into this. Do you know what a mark means?"

I shook my head, tilting it to the side. If it's Chase's mark, I don't care what it means. It makes me feel closer to him. Maybe I'm a fool, but I crave companionship as much as ever.

"For a vampire to mark someone is a very, very intimate thing. A bite alone is intimate, but a mark is the next level up, so to speak. A mark is a sign that a vampire has claimed someone, it's a warning to other vampires not to touch, but it also shows that the vampire cares enough about the person to bond with them. It's like marriage, but more of a solemn yet loving version for vampires. It's a very powerful thing, it brings a vampire and their chosen parter closer together. But in order to maintain that bond, the vampires' partner must occasionally drink from the vampire, hence your new teeth. It has to be done to prepare for the change in most cases, but with us it's just about the bond. And it'll keep you healthy, for when we marked you we infected you slightly. I know it's a lot to take in, but I promise nothing much has or will change between the three of us"

After he had finished I just stared, processing what I'd just learnt. I don't think I can bite them, let alone drink their blood! The thought makes me shudder.

But what choice do I have?