I woke up in the morning feeling hot and bothered in more ways then one. It looked like the grand weather of Victoria would be acting up again today. I sensed a svelting forties in the making.

I pushed away from Lucian's cool but otherwise ineffective body. I didn't need two types of heat combusting and sending me off the edge of no return. Not only would I charred to ashes in the process but I would undoubtedly be drained dry as well.

Double jeapordy took on a whole new meaning with Lucian.

I rose gingerly off the bed not wanting to wake him even if I already knew he was awake but he was pretending at sleep and I didn't want to disturb that.

I grabbed my bathers, shorts and a t-shirt then closed the behind me to the bathroom. I emerged shortly later feeling lethargic from the building heat. You could never tell with the weather her. It could be scorching hot one moment and freezing cold. All in span time of a day too.

I didn't glance at the bed where Lucian lay staring hungrily at me. I didn't want to know just which hunger it was he was feeling most at this moment. The knowing didn't help. As with all useless knowledge it was counterproductive in the knowing.

The breakfast table was clear. Nicky, I could see was out door with dad helping with the fencing. Mum I couldn't see around at all. She must be out at the chooks. So I set about grabbing a quick bite to eat then packing up a picnic. Today would be as good a day as any for a visit to the watering hole.

I sliced some cucumbers, tomatoes and shredded some salad leaves. Mixing up some canned tuna with mayo, I put together tuna sandwiches. Cutting them into bite sized quarters, I stacked them up in one of mum's larger tupperware containers. I dug around for the old picnic basket from the store. And started to load it all up.

It was easier knowing both Nicky and Lucian would not be eating. Made for less food to prepare.

I glanced out again and noticed the flush to Nicky's cheeks. He didn't have a scion like Lucian. But made use of donors freely. He could even drink off the blood bag if he needed to but like all vampires prefered his blood warm fresh off the veins.

Lucian's case was different. I had known that from the start. But I hadn't questioned it that closely but I did so now. With glancing back at the man eho stood in dawning shadows watching me, I said," Why was it again you cannot drink from just anybody?"

Lucian's sigh was audible but he closed the distance between us. Pressing his length to mine he bent over to nuzzle at my neck. I swayed in his arms and leaned back against his chest. Letting him have all of my weight against him. And why not? He could easily support it.

"Nicky was infected. He is a turn not born vampire. I have been feeding from the blood of my mother's veins from birth till I reach six years of age. Since then I have been feeding of you," he said shocking me into stillness. That was not the story he told me earlier but then I hadn't known he was a born vampire earlier either.

I turned around to look him in the eye. "You have been feeding off me since we were kids?"

His nod was short and abrupt. I could tell he was not pleased to be divulging this. But he knew it was time he spoke of it to me.

" I never knew, " I muttered unhappily. "How?"

His jaw tightened momentarily but then he spoke. " I was too young to know what I was doing when I first started feeding off you. It had felt natural to me. I loved you back then too. You were all I thought off day in day out. I wanted to be with you at all times and for the most part of it I was with you. Even if all we did was sit in your room or mine reading or playing with a deck of cards, chess or even with one of your dolls. I guess it just happened. I accidentally enthralled you."

He paused to read my expression but my face was as blank as my thoughts. I was still in shock.

"I first happened that day when it was raining and I was too agitated to stay indoors. You agreed to gi out and kick ball with me. It wasn't pouring hard r anything just a light drizzle. We spent most of that day outdoors playing ball. My vampire speeds were uncontrollable back then and I would errupt into short bursts but I was always too quick for you to notice." He moved away from me to stare out the window.

"I bumped into you by accident. You fell and scrapped your knee. Your blood drew me. I was on my knees licking your knees before I was even aware of what I was doing. I shocked you that day. My saliva as you know heals. The scrape on your knee was gone just as I was done. I looked up to see you staring at me in horror. So I blanked your mind."

He turned to face me then closing the distance back to me. Cupping my face in his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have done it. Mum had warned me about things like that but I hadn't been thinking when it happened. Then after that first time I saw no reason why it could not happen again then again. I didn't know at that I was becoming addicted. But as I grew older I understood better but by then it was too late. I couldn't give you up."

I stared up at him in complete horror unable to get past the level of his betrayal. All those years of our friendship, it had always been me who had been a true friend. Never him. He had been using me all along.

"Mum caught on when I was eleven. I went to her you see because sipping from a sore finger or other injuries was no longer enough. I was also beginning to feel a stirring of another kind with you. She freaked out, " he said with small smile recalling his mother's reaction.

"She brought father into the picture. I got my first lashing from him then but it had the opposite effect. It made me want you more. But still I managed to keep from actually drinking straight from your veins or doing the other things that I wanted to do.... But it always only got harder. Then one day dad just packed us up and moved us away," he said bleakly.

"It was pure hell for me then. I lashed out like a caged beast. I went over the deep end never to recover. Seeing you only on those annual gatherings served only to open up the cravings. What I felt for you was so raw so overwhelming, that I found myself going to the extreme in trying to forget you. But we both know how that turned out, " he said softly staring down at me intently. I could see he was worried.

Very worried over how I would react. I would be too if I was in his place. But I wasn't.

I was the one betrayed.