Raphael stretched and sighed in contentment as he woke in his cabin. He'd been living with the wolf pack for about five years and despite the odd pang when the witch crossed his mind his life was actually the most peaceful it had ever been. He rolled off his bed and stretched again before grabbing his towel. A quick scrub in the bathhouse back at the village then he'd head over to the farms to see if he could help out or perhaps see if Duncan wanted to go hunting.

The hidden Isle was as close to paradise as Raphael had ever been, they lived so peacefully hunting deer, wild boar and rabbits, tending the land or handcrafting things to use or trade. His own wood carvings had not only made his cabin home more personal but had been swapped for curtains, bedding and utensils. His life really was almost perfect with the wolves in this comfortable laid-back, welcoming place. Raphael could happily spend his immortal life right here. Many of the clan did. Most only left to find their mate and then return to their home, usually all the more grateful for the idyllic peace of the place.

Leaving his cabin he opened Areion's stable

"Good Morning old man, no breaking my fence and eating my carrots today." He gave the horse an affectionate pat. The vampire had put in a small vegetable garden, as soon as anything grew the huge horse would be into it. He built a fence but persistent Areion was such a strong animal he always got through somehow. The irony was the vegetables were for the horse but when they were grown not still just green leaves. Coming out of the stable he headed off towards the village, leaving the horse to graze in their clearing.

It was a long walk to the village but the vampire enjoyed it, he was never in a hurry and that was his favourite part of his current existence. As he left the tree line just outside the village he spied Duncan walking barefoot and topless, towel draped over his shoulder, towards the bathhouse.

"Duncan." The wolf looked around and grinned at his friend. "Off for a scrub?"

"Aye, seems like the best place to be heading with my towel." Raphael rolled his eyes and caught up to his friend.

The bath house was a large wooden hut with a huge copper tank in the corner with a fire below. From the tank, a pipe led out above a large sunken pool. When he'd first arrived Raphael had marvelled at the ingenuity of it, yes his home had many bathrooms with running water but in a village of wooden cabins and cottages, he'd assumed it would be dips in the river. There were two bathhouses in the village one for men and one for ladies and everyone took it in turns to man them and keep the water tanks full and the fire fed. In winter everyone wanted the job as the bathhouse was always warm and steamy even in six feet of snow. It was things like the bathhouses that made him love this wolf pack so much. They had a simple approach to life that was often actually genius in its simplicity. Like the bathhouse. Heating the water over a fire was so simple yet so effective.

But what Raphael would never get over was how welcoming the wolf pack had been to a vampire. He'd expected a pack that had hidden themselves away from everyone on a hidden island to be unwelcoming. But nothing could have been further from the truth. When they'd told him he was welcome to build himself a home and stay as long as he wished after only a short time knowing him he'd been more overwhelmed than they would ever know. He'd found an acceptance he didn't think he ever would, especially from Duncan's mother the Luna of the pack. She treated him like one of her own pups.

Slipping off his trousers and sliding into the tub on the opposite side to the wolf he sighed.

"Do you have much planned for today?" Duncan shrugged.

"Nah, might go hunting, Ma commented that we've got barely any meat in the pantry. You?"

"I'll join you on a hunt if you're going. My larder is a little sparse." The two men bathed in relative silence. Raphael laid back in the steaming water and sighed. He could hear a group of wolves outside walking past. He recognised one of the voices as Bryn. He knew she still liked him, she never really tried to hide it, the complete opposite in fact, but she had backed off over the years. If only he'd have met her before he laid eyes on the witch. He could so easily have spent a long and happy life in this heavenly place with the sexy tawny-haired she-wolf in happy ignorance of his fated bride. Now he couldn't even show the she-wolf a good time, let alone be a mate for her, his body was inert, completely useless. His demon would not let it respond now it had set eyes on their fated bride. It wanted only her with an irrational need that left them impotent.

Duncan had heard Bryn too and sensed Raphael's mood.

"It's a shame lad, she'd have been a fine mate for ya even if you were nay fated."

"We'd have risked having huge puppies that look like you." Despite the joke deep down the vampire would have loved to pair with the bonny wolf. Why couldn't she have been his fated bride? a woman who actually wanted him and tried to entice him often. Duncan's mother often said the fates had a plan for us all, right now Raphael was one hundred per cent sure their plan for him was to suffer in misery for all time.

A distant scent on the air caught his attention, he sat bolt upright and tried to catch it again.

"You okay?"

"I... I thought I picked something up on the air." Duncan scented the air and shrugged.

"I can nay smell anything but your fettered stench. Plus there is no air in here, it's all steam."

Raphael got out of the water and began to towel himself. For a moment he'd have sworn he picked up the smell of strawberries and cream. He'd woken in such a good mood, of course, his mind would have to torment him a little. Can't have paradise and peace of mind, it was too much to ask for.

***

Rouge May's horse thundered at full speed along the cliff edge. Why had she come this far out? Why did they have to loose an arrow straight at her hand and shatter the mirror into a thousand pieces? It was her only escape that's why. Now she had an arrowhead embedded in her arm and they'd get her, she was all but helpless. She urged the exhausted horse on. She'd gained ground over them as they were on foot. But as soon as the horse grew too tired which would be soon, it was already beginning to slow she'd be on foot too and the fae were faster than her.

An arrow struck into the ground a little way behind them. The horse was getting skittish and tired, but that was the point. If they'd wanted to kill her they would have. They wanted the horse to buck her off so they could catch her easily. Dead she'd be of little use to Mab. Feeling for the sword at her side, Gabriel had gifted it to her when she was preparing to leave, she gripped its hilt. It was smaller and lighter than the swords the Vampires fought with, she suspected it was meant for a child to learn with once they progressed from the wooden ones. She wouldn't hold them off for long but at least she would have a small chance thanks to Winston's lessons.

Raphael stretched as he stepped out into the cool evening air. In the distance, he could hear one of the mothers reading to a group of children. It was the story of how the wolves helped the Druids hide from the Romans. Some lost their lives to protect the peaceful Druids, in thanks for their sacrifice Merlin had Hidden their Island home from everyone's view. He secretly enjoyed hearing the story, it reminded him of his Mothers stories about when she was young and living in the woods in Greece. He stood listening to the story and sighed inwardly, it was just his imagination, they would go hunting and everything would be fine. He was getting hungry and some fresh boar blood would improve his mood no end. Duncan followed him out and cocked his head towards the small crowd gathering on the beach.

"What are they watching?" Raphael had been listening to the storyteller and hadn't noticed the small crowd forming. He watched for a moment before following his friend to the shoreline to see what they were all looking at.

A rider was racing along the coast of the mainland, a short way behind them was a small group of creatures.

"Looks like someone's in trouble, wonder what they are doing out this far. Anyone know if it's someone we know?" A few of the gathered wolves murmured in the negative and continued to watch the drama unfold. Raphael had a cold prickly feeling on the back of his neck. Bryn moved to stand next to him.

"Think they'll catch her?" His eyes fixed on the rider, a long cloak fanned out behind her as fiery red hair danced in all directions, she urged her horse on. The cold prickly feeling began to travel down his spine. The wind shifted and he got the scent full force, he hadn't imagined it, it was the witch, HIS witch. Even from this distance, he could see her horse was tiring and her pursuers were gaining.

"Raph...?" Bryn's voice trailed off as he barreled through the crowd and launched himself into the sea. His demon was desperate, clawing and screaming in his mind to get to her, to protect her, to claim her. He dove under and started swimming with every ounce of his vampire strength tearing through the water like it wasn't there all the while his demon screamed "MINE!" over and over in his head. Covering the distance in less than a minute and climbing across the rocks and crags up onto the mainland. Dripping wet he narrowly missed being run down by Rouge May's terrified horse. It bucked and screamed tossing the hapless witch to the ground with a thud. Before Raphael could check on her, her pursuers were on top of her. A huge troll grabbed her by her hood and began to drag her off the ground, his demon took them over completely. His fingernails grew into claws, his eyes turned back and his fangs elongated. Snarling he leapt at the troll and ripped its throat out with one swift motion. It swayed for a moment before dropping the witch and falling lifeless to the ground next to her. Blood dripping from his claws Raphael turned and launched himself on the hesitant fae as they slowed their approach.

Duncan in his wolf form dragged himself up onto the coastline and ran to help his friend. The man and wolf tore apart the pursuing fae. One tried to save himself and run but with his demon enraged Raphael caught it in seconds and tore its throat out. Panting and dripping with water mixed blood he looked back to where Rouge was fighting a fae with a sword. Her Cape had been thrown to the ground and she was fighting like her life depended on it with a much more skilled sword fighter. Her left arm was hanging uselessly at her side like it was broken and blood poured from it and her forehead. Panting he ran back to her and launched himself on the Fae and wrenching its head back with a sickening crunch, left its body to fall lifeless to the ground.

Raphael's hands started to shake, he'd almost forgotten the physical effect she had on him, added to the scent of her blood he was losing it. His demon was screaming in his head 'MINE! HURT! DEAD! KILL!' He was struggling to bring it back under control. Its simplistic primal mind couldn't understand. All he could do is stare at the witch who'd haunted his dreams for all these years as he tried to regain control of himself.

"Are you two OK?"

"I don't know." Rouge's voice was quiet as she panted and stared at the Vampire. Her legs suddenly buckled and she dropped to her knees. Raphael caught her before she could hit the ground completely and scooped her up in his arms. She squeaked in pain as he caught her arm.

"Bring her back to the Isle, we'll help her." He turned and bellowed across the water

"SEND A BOAT."

Rouge looked up at Raphael with tears pricking at her eyes, she was in pain, he let them hurt his witch. But she wasn't his witch, she didn't want him. Why was she here at the Hidden Isle? It didn't make sense.

She wanted to reach up and touch his face but her left arm was useless and she still held her sword in her right. As he held her in his strong arms she felt tingles throughout her body. She'd found him, after all these years she was being held by him.

"I can't believe I found you."

"You were looking for me?" His fangs started to recede and the blue was slowly returning to his eyes.

"Yes."

"Why?" She looked confused and squirmed in his arms, a gasp escaped her lips as her eyes rolled back in her head as she passed out.

***

Raphael gently laid the witch on his bed and arranged her bandaged arm carefully so as not to put pressure on it. Agnes had pulled the arrowhead out of it and cleaned the wound before dressing it. She'd offered the witch a bed at the castle but his demon couldn't let go of her. It whined and raged in his head as soon as she'd offered. For once in his life, he was in agreement with his eternal tormentor and wanted to bring her back to his home. Pulling the blanket up over her he paused to study her peaceful beautiful face. If it wasn't for the gash and growing bruise on her forehead she would have been pure perfection. Aphrodite herself should be jealous of his witch's beauty. He brushed her hair back from her face and noticed a mark behind her left ear. Turning her head gently he could see what looked like a delicate tattoo of a bird in flight with a crescent moon interlaced with it. Smoothing her hair back he reached down the bed and pulled the blanket up over her. He found himself placing a gentle kiss on her forehead like it was the most natural thing in the world.

***

Rouge stirred and wished she hadn't, her head hurt so much. Opening her eyes she tried to work out where she was and what was going on. The ceiling above her was timber clad and not somewhere she remembered seeing before. She sat up, she was in the beautiful little wooden cabin. It had a cosy and warm feeling, a small stone-built fireplace adorned the wall opposite her and by it were two carved wood rocking chairs with comfortable-looking brown cushions both sitting on a brown woven rug. The wall to her right had a small table and two chairs in front of it and a window which was unshuttered but had the cream curtains drawn giving the cottage a warm muted light. The other wall had a bookcase against it and a door in it. That seemed to be the whole cabin. She groaned as she tried to move her arm and found it bound and splinted. Slowly she began to remember racing along the coast, her horse dodging rocks and crags but it was growing tired. Raphael had appeared from nowhere with a wolf and saved her. She had been in Raphael's arms, he'd been holding her, but she couldn't remember what happened after that. She groaned and reached for her head, everything hurt like she'd been hit by a runaway carriage.

***

Raphael knelt on the ground as he weeded his vegetable garden and tried to enjoy the evening air knowing how close his witch was. Areion was eyeing him over the fence, near him the new white horse grazing quietly, chuckling to himself and pulling a carrot free from the ground to offer to his waiting horse. Making a happy grunting sound the horse took the carrot and began chomping on it as Raphael stood and started to stroke his huge head.

Over the horse's shoulder, he saw her standing in the doorway of his cabin, the evening sun catching her hair making it look like a halo of fire about her.

"Are you ok?" He climbed over the fence and jogged over to her, her usually pale skin was ashen. She looked up at him as her good arm clutched at the door frame.

"I feel like I broke everything." He helped her to sit on the bench he'd built by his front door so he could sit and enjoy the sunshine as he carved his wooden creatures.

"Your arm has a fair-sized hole in it and you've possibly got some bruised ribs, you also have a deep cut on your forehead. Nothing is broken though. You've been unconscious for most of the day." She reached up and touched the cut on her forehead and winced then let her arm drop.

"Where am I?"

"This is my home. Why were you so close to the Hidden Isle?" His voice sounded croaky and strange. She glanced down and blushed.

"I was searching for you." Raphael's heart began to thunder so hard he was sure it would leave his chest. Looking for him? Was she telling him the truth? Why would she be looking for him?

"Why?" His voice came out in a croaked whisper. She looked up at him, a strange mix of conflicting emotions playing across her face.

"We're fated." He couldn't make eye contact with her.

"You're a witch." His mouth was suddenly dry and his voice raspy.

"So?"

"I'm a vampire."

"So?" Raphael struggled with the conflicting urges to both take her in his arms and run from her as fast as he could.

"Why are you here?" His arms itched to pull her into them, he wanted so badly for her to want him. Rouge started to get angry.

"Because I had this stupid idea that us being fated meant something. That when the fates chose you for me it was because you'd want me and love me like a fated one is meant to, but clearly, I was wrong."

"You're a witch, I'm a vampire." He sounded like a lost child, he couldn't process what she was doing here. He started to pull back and close off like he'd learnt to do as a child when his father was beating him.

Rouge was hurting both physically and mentally. For five years she's searched for him, she'd built up a picture of him from Winston and his brother's stories of a passionate and caring man. But in front of her was an ignorant man who was hung up on her species.

"So my being a witch means I'm not good enough for you?"

"You're not funny." Why was she being so cruel, what was her game?

"I wasn't trying to be." Raphael rubbed his face and took a step back from her.

Rouge took a deep breath and winced as it burned her ribs.

"I'm only half-witch. My mother is human." He looked at her, his face a mask of shock.

"What?"

"My mother is human. I'm not a pure witch. I'm a half-blood."

"But... your one of the most powerful witches alive. Everyone knows your name."

"Propaganda spread by my brother to save him embarrassment. He didn't take after our Mother, he's full blood and as powerful as he claims I am." Raphael couldn't process what she was telling him.

"Why would I come here of all places if it wasn't to find you?" She could see his expression and body language changing. Was she getting through to him?

"How would you know I was here to look for me?"

"Winston, Gabriel and Cassiel have been using all their contacts to help me track you down." Raphael stared at her.

"You spoke to Winston? My family?"

"I lived with your family for years while we tried to locate you. Gabriel knew you'd met the wolf but never considered you'd come here on such a brief acquaintance."

"My family???" His bright blue eyes bulged as he stared at her in disbelief.

"Yes." None of this was making sense to him.

"My family? Gabriel?"

"Yes and Azrael and Cassiel." He looked horrified. "They protected me and helped me."

"Protected you from what?"

"The creatures that are after me, like the one's today."

"Why are they after you? Who are they?"

"Queen Mabs minions." He couldn't fully understand what she was saying.

"Why does she want you?

"To get to my father." He shook his head trying to process all the information.

"I don't understand." He sounded like a lost child as he stepped closer to her again and stood there dumbfounded.

"What don't you understand?"

"Any of it. But mostly why you're here."

"To find you."

"But why?" He sounded beaten and it broke something inside her. She patted the bench next to her.

"Come sit with me" he looked unsure, "please."

She was frustrated but she knew from everything Winston had told her that Raphael didn't feel good enough for anyone and wouldn't understand her wanting him, fated or not. She watched as he carefully moved to sit as far from her as the bench would allow.

"My life has been incredibly lonely. I've spent most of it in hiding because I'm not as strong as my brother. I have never been able to trust anyone, well not until I met your family. They made me feel like one of them. Other than those years with them, I've never felt like I mattered. My father is insane and my mother is devoted to him to the point of insanity. My brother never had time for me and is disgusted that I'm half-blooded. I spent my life waiting to meet my fated one only for you to leave without giving me a chance."

"Give you a chance? I thought you'd be disgusted at having a vampire. You didn't seem too pleased. I left to protect us both."

"As I said, you didn't give me a chance. You protected yourself and left me unprotected." As she said it the truth of it hit her hard. Hecate had promised her mother she'd have a strong fated one who could protect her and the first thing he did was leave her to protect himself. She folded her good arm about her.

"I didn't mean to. Your reputation..."

"You judged me before giving me a chance to get used to the idea of finding my fated one." He stared at her in disbelief, she looked hurt. Had he really hurt her? Had she really been looking for him for the last 5 years? Had she really been living with his family?

"Can you get me a mirror?" Her voice had become so small.

"Your leaving?" Raphael's demon began to howl.

"Yes"

"No!" His demon howled in his mind as he half-shouted the word.

"You want me to stay?" Raphael watched her, he wanted to take her in his arms and beg her to stay. He knew it was what she wanted, why was it so hard for him. Why couldn't he believe she wanted to accept him. Silence ticked between them. Taking a deep breath Rouge determined to try one last time then she'd leave him here. Gabriel had said she was welcome back with them, she'd take him up on that. They had made her feel safe and accepted and treated her like the sister August never had. Maybe that's what Hecate had meant, maybe that was the acceptance and protection she'd been promised.

"I'm not your parents Raphael, or Gabriel. I know you felt rejected by them but I actually understand that. My parents barely bothered with me, my brother hates me. Yours actually doesn't, he just doesn't know how to show affection and has a desperate need to try and make up for the evils your father committed." Raphael looked up at her, his eyes glittering with unshed tears that he fought back.

"You've been talking to Winston." She smiled

"I spent many evenings in Winston's kitchen with him. I have my own chair by the arger now." She laughed as she said the last words.

"He loves you." Raphael looked away.

"He loved my mother like his own."

"I know, but he loves you like a son. He'd never say it out loud, It's not Winston's way. But you're his favourite and he loves you dearly and is so proud of the man you've become." Finally, he looked directly at her.

"I didn't mean to leave you unprotected. I thought..." he trailed off and looked away to focus his gaze on Areion. She reached over and placed her hand on his, he looked down at it then back up to her.

"What's done is done. I did run away from you first or rather climbed away into a mirror. I was just... shocked and wounded." Suddenly he leant in and kissed her gently at first just a brush of his lips against hers. Then the kiss grew deeper as she kissed him back, it was although he was pouring a lifetime of pain and misery and desperate loneliness into that one kiss.

Rouge felt tears prick at her eyes as she received the most passionate kiss she could ever have imagined. She wrapped her good arm around his neck as he gently pulled her into his lap. His arm wrapped gently around her as his tongue sought entry into her mouth to dance with her own.

She wasn't sure if they had been kissing for hours or minutes when he started to gently ease the pressure. Slowly his tongue retreated from her mouth and his lips left hers. He pressed his forehead carefully to hers and let out a long drawn out-breath

"I'm sorry."

"For what." He kissed her forehead carefully to avoid her wound

"Pretty much everything."

"For kissing me?" He gave a half-laugh.

"That's probably the only thing I'm not sorry for." He stroked a stray lock of hair from her face.

"What happens now?"

"Now? I'm going to go get you some food. Then you're going to get some more sleep. You're hurt. You need to rest and heal." She bit her lip as he slid her from his lap.

"What?" She looked about the small clearing where he'd built his home, a huge black horse and the white one she'd purchased were grazing near a fenced-off garden, what looked like a stone-built well was nearby. Butterflies fluttered across and bees buzzed from daisy to buttercup in the grass. It was like something you read about in a human romance novel, of which she'd read many in her lonely years in Paris.

"Something to eat would be nice, but I don't want to go back to sleep. I want to sit here looking at this beautiful place and for us to talk."