I gulped down the orange juice. Flashes of my memories spinning images of my past through my muddled mind. I saw myself like I have never before. I had been gaunt. A walking talking pile of skin and bones. Clearly without any substance. I wondered just how I had managed to live as long as I had in that condition. But it didn't take a genius to figure that out. I was as good as dead surviving only because of Lucian. He kept me alive in every way. With his blood and most importantly with his love.

He had been there for me. Always. I had been too blind to see it at first. Wallowing in my own love for him. A love I had believed was unrequited. But it hadn't been. Not then and not now.

It was time I returned the favour. It was time I did something to help Lucian live instead. But what?

Aimlessly, I looked around the kitchen as if the solutions to my problems sat there somewhere. Then my eyes settled in dawning excitement over the most obvious and sadly overlooked solution of all. Garlic!

Unlike in the movies, vampires were not shy of garlic but the strong scent if applied at the right spot namely about the base of my neck would act as a reminder. A prompt to deter Lucian's need for my blood. It would work especially as his father's hypnosis cured him of his need for my blood only. He had been surviving on the blood of others for five years now. I didn't think that would change. It shouldn't change.

But I couldn't be sure unless I spoke to him about it. Pulling out a jar of crushed garlic, I dipped in to pull out a spoon full. Grimacing at the strong wafing scent, I smeared the lost about my throat. Satisfied with this practical solution I hurried out of the house to where the vamps of the house were gathered.

Milking cows.

"What the..?"

As one three heads whipped around to my approach. The wrinkled expression on their face was a dead give away. It appeared my garlic worked better than I thought it would.

"Hey...," I said lamely before trailing off at their look of clear disgust.

" What did you do? Bathe in broth?" Came Nicky's smart alec response. Brian nodded his agreement of Nicky's choice of questioning. I glared at the two before turning my attention to Lucian who had stood up from where he was strategically perched within easy reach the udders of the cow he was milking.

" I take it your new choice of scent is for my benefit, " said Lucian without expression. I could tell instantly that he was not happy. Not because of the bad scent I was torting but because it was needed at all.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I thought it best to be safe then sorry."

His wince at that struck my own nerves. But I held strong. It was not nice what I was doing but it had to be done. Lucian could not be trusted not to give in to his baser urges about me. It wouldn't be the first time he succumbed to blood lust but I would certainly do my best to make this morning his last.

His last with me anyhow.

I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. Without a word he turned us both to walk out of the barn. I guess he wanted privacy too but it seemed we were too soon in making our mistake.

The roll of tires on gravel caused a by now familiar lurch in the pit of my stomach. The familiar site of the car rolling up my parent's drive didn't let it up. Instead the feeling intensified at Lucian's tense posture and then even mire so when Nicky and Brian flew out of the barn to join us.

The car rolled to a halt. Mr Coleman emerged with a blond bombshell by his side. A blond who was none other than Lucian's vampire original wife.