The following week was wonderful. Being with him again every night has brought me happiness. I know his love for me is genuine, and for that reason I pray our love will last forever.

During our Vampire Sociology class on Wednesday, a presentation was given. As the lights were turned off, the entire class was enveloped in darkness while we learned about the vampire's formative years. As I lean back in my chair, I feel his warm breath on my neck.

"Raven, what are you doing?" I hear his accent in a whisper. My head falls back, and he kisses my ear. He whispers once more, "Come with me." I don't hesitate, quietly grab my things, and leave. We run across campus to his car, and I jump in. We head to Riker's Point. The silence is beautiful. I can feel the cool breeze against my face as we speed down the empty roads. It's almost as if time has slowed down, and I am living in the moment. My thoughts drift away, and I am left with nothing but the sound of the engine and the wind. It's a rare moment of peace and tranquillity in the chaos of college life. As we approach Riker's Point, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.

"Do you think Sloane or anyone saw us?" I ask him as he cuts the engine.

"No, I made sure the coast was clear before I snuck you out." He smiles at me, and I melt.

I lean toward him, and his lips caress my cheek. "I love you, Raven."

"I love you too." His mouth presses against mine, and his tongue parts our mouths. I move to his lap as his hands hold me tight. Just being in his arms is enough. I want us to be able to be a normal couple, but that won't happen unless Sloane backs off or dies.

⁂

Hours pass as we sit there and talk. The sun begins to set as Clay finally drives me home, his hand intertwined with mine the whole way back to my apartment.

"I'll see you at midnight." He smiles. I nod, my heart racing with anticipation. As I watch him drive away, I can't help but wonder what the future holds for us. Will we ever be able to openly express our love for each other without fear of Sloane's wrath? Only time will tell. But for now, I know that I have to keep our relationship a secret. I don't want to risk losing him, even though it means constantly looking over my shoulder and sneaking around. It's not the ideal situation, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with him. As I walk back to my apartment, my mind races with thoughts of our future together. Will we be able to make it work? Or will Sloane find out and tear us apart?

⁂

Midnight comes, and my balcony door swings open. Clay stands there with a smile on his face. "Come here," I whisper, pulling him inside.

Brie is staying with Logan, so we have the apartment to ourselves. Clay is on top of me as I recline back onto my pillow. As he descends to my stomach, he leaves a path of moist kisses behind him. As he touches me, goosebumps appear on my body. He enters me gently and glances at me. I take a breath, then I let it out. I don't want him to stop, so my mouth is on his. I have the deepest love for this man.

As we make love to one another, my hand caresses his chest muscles. I draw him closer to me as I hear the rhythm of his heartbeat. When that moment arrives, we both come undone, and I feel intoxicated by what he does to me. He pulls me close and kisses my head. He whispers goodnight as we drift into a peaceful sleep.

⁂

Thursday morning, I wake up to my alarm and look to see where Clay was sleeping. He left before I could say goodbye. I hear Brie and Logan in the kitchen. Brie must have forgotten something. I pull the covers over my head and contemplate going to class. I decide to stay home. I grab my phone once I know Brie has left with Logan; I send Clay a text.

What are you doing?

I sit there patiently as I wait for him to respond, with my luck, he is probably on campus already.

I just pulled up to the campus, where are you?

I'm at home, so I decided to take a sick day :) I was going to ask you to join me, but you're already at the school.

I wait for him to message me back as I make myself a cup of coffee. I pick up my phone, and there are still no messages from Clay. I assume he is talking with people and hasn't had the chance to check his phone. Oh well, I guess today it will just be a quiet day. I walk back into my room and sit on my bed, grabbing a book to read. My phone goes off, and I check it.

I'm on my way.

No, it's okay I don't want to pull you out of class. A knock at my balcony door stops me from sending the last text. I walk over and open it to see Clay standing there with a smile on his face.

"Any time I can get with you, I will take it." He grabs my waist and kisses me gently. My heart races as I feel his lips on mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. It feels like we've been waiting for this moment for forever. We pull away, breathless, and he looks into my eyes with a tenderness that takes my breath away. "I love you," he whispers, and I know that I'll never get enough of him. I smile, feeling the warmth of his love spreading through my body. We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other, before he takes my hand and leads me to the couch. We sit down, still holding hands, and he leans in to kiss me again. This time it's slower, more intense, as if he's trying to convey all his emotions through this one kiss. I feel my heart swelling with love for him, and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with him. We break apart, and he looks at me with a mischievous smile, knowing that he has won my heart completely. I can't help but laugh and playfully push him away, telling him that he's too good at this. He just grins and pulls me closer, whispering in my ear that he'll never stop trying to win me over.

⁂

We spend the whole day talking and watching movies. I don't want this to change, I love just being around him. Brie and Logan come home, and Logan starts laughing in the hall.

"You know, you can't hide in Raven's room forever, Clay." Clay bursts into laughter as we exit my room. "How long have you known?" I question Logan.

"For a while, I can smell Clay as soon as I enter the building." Logan laughs. Clay continues to laugh, and I smile. We all eat and head off to bed. The night is blissful, and I don't want it to end.

⁂

It's Friday, Valentine's Day, and there's another massive party at the old Cladwell property. Something in me is saying something horrible is going to happen. So I need to stay away.

No, you won't, Raven. Come on, it's time to let this part of you out. The voice echoes in my head.

I sit through classes with the voice in my head pounding, trying to crawl it's way out. Once the professor dismisses us, I'm relieved. I walk out of my last class, missing Clay standing there. I walk across the courtyard and see him with Logan, Brie, and a bunch of girls from campus. My heart sinks, but I know that this is what needs to be done. As soon as he is single, the girls don't waste time trying to grasp his attention. I take my time walking home. At one point, Logan called me and asked if I wanted a ride, but I declined. I need the cold air to numb how I feel about this whole situation. I get home from school and find Clay in my room waiting for me. "How?"

"I have my ways," He laughs.

"Are you crazy?" I ask, incredulous. "You can't just do whatever you want." He shrugs and replies, "Sometimes taking risks is necessary to get what you want." He walks toward me and pulls me close, saying, "Plus, I'm tired of sneaking around. Come to the Valentine's party tonight with me." He wraps his arms around my waist.

"Clay, we can't. We agreed to keep our relationship a secret." I remind him.

He lets go and runs his hands through his hair. "Don't you trust me to keep you safe?"

"I do, but this is complicated."

"How?" He shouts. "I just want to show you off to the world. Let everyone know how lucky I am to have you." He takes a step closer to me. "Please, just this once. Let me take a risk for us." I can see the sincerity in his eyes and feel his desperation.

"We can't," I say, pulling away from him. "With all these nightmares, I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. It's been more intense since we started seeing each other again. If we go public, who knows what can happen?"

He laughs. "So you don't trust me." He throws a bag onto my bed. "You don't need to tell me again. I understand. You and I will never work. Happy Valentine's Day." He storms out of my room.

"Clay, wait, please." I run after him, but he slams the front door. I run my hands through my hair as I take a deep breath. I didn't want to hurt him, but in the end, I did.

⁂

I return to my bedroom and sit on my bed. I cry as I sit there with my hands over my face. Even though I want to be with him, I can't. I shouldn't need him in this way. I feel as though I'm disintegrating as my emotions set in. Knowing Clay, he would not agree to what must take place in order for all of my powers to manifest, even if we kept what we now have under wraps. I'm in a lose-lose situation either way.

I'm furious with myself. I pick up my phone and try calling him. No answer. What the hell do I do now? I try calling again, but still no response. I throw my phone onto my bed. I lay back and contemplate going anywhere tonight. My plan isn't in full motion yet, so I don't want something to mess it up.

Knock knock

I turn my head to face Brie, standing at my door. "I heard what happened. Are you okay?

"No." I put my face into my pillow.

"He told Logan. You're right. You need to do what you need to do without him stopping you, it's the only way to defeat Sloane."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't be heartbroken over it." I say with a shaky voice.

She sits beside me and hugs me. "You should come tonight, just to have some fun."

"No, I don't feel like it." My phone rings, and I smile, hoping it's Clay. I look at the screen, and I'm saddened once again.

"Hey, Zack."

"Hey Ray, are you coming tonight?"

"No, I'm not," I reply.

"Yes, she is," Brie shouts.

"Wow, both of you?" I roll my eyes. "Fine, I'll come for like a half-hour."

"Cool, I'll see you in a few."

"Yeah, see ya." I hang up and look at Brie. Rolling my eyes, I get up and head to the shower. Once out, I do my hair and make-up and finally get dressed. Walking out of my closet, I spot the gift bag Clay threw on my bed. I grab the notecard and read it.

Raven,

I saw this and thought of you since you love mine so much.

I thought maybe you would like one too.

Don't worry; you can continue to steal mine.

Love C.

Pulling out the wrapping tissues, I pull out a leather coat. It looks precisely like Clay's but is my size. I change my outfit, grabbing a white pair of jeans and a red shirt, slipping on black boots. I throw the jacket on and look in the mirror.

Perfect fit

⁂

The party is crowded, so Brie and I move towards the temporary bar with Logan following closely behind. I search the crowd to see if I can find Zack when I finally notice that jacket and Sloane sitting right next to Clay. He gives me a cold glance but continues to ignore Sloane. The snow is being whipped around by the wind. But because there are so many people here, we don't feel the night's cold on this February night.

"Let's dance," Brie says. I nod, downing my drink, and follow her.

I become engrossed in the music until my phone goes off, which brings me back to reality. "I'll be right back." I show her my phone, and she nods.

"Zack?" I say into the receiver.

"Raven, Help....."

"Zack, where are you?" I yell, but I can't hear anything over the music.

"I... I don't know. I'm underground, I think! Ahhh!" He screams, but I can hear the echo of the music playing in the distance on his end.

The old Cladwell cellar?

"You have five minutes, or we kill him!" A voice says before hanging up. A shiver runs down my spine.

⁂

The snow crackles beneath my feet as I make my way through the old property's trees. The forest had transformed into a labyrinth of snow and ice. My eyes are covered in flakes, which I push away with my icy fingertips. I look up and see the ravens flying high in the moonlight. I see the light in the distance. The path to the cellar is illuminated by torches. Everything is quiet as I descend the stairs. Zack is here, I see. He's bleeding and chained up.

"I'm here." I place my hand on his shoulder.

"Erumpere."

The chains unlock, leaving Zack to fall to the ground. I get down by his side. "It's okay. Let's get you out of here."

He looks up. "Raven!" He shouts. I jump up to see Serenity and some other vamps I've never seen before; they're older, much older.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's get this party started." One of the vamps laughs. I step back to guard Zack, who is still on the ground in agony. I'm panicking, but I don't let it show.

"Okay guys, let's just all be smart here." I calmly say, "You want me, not Zack, so let him go. He has nothing to do with this"

"Oh, sweetheart, this isn't a negotiation. Just look at Zack's face. He was bait to get you here, we have no need for him, but he is a loose end, so he has to die," Serenity says, her eyes glowing red.

I knew there was something amiss with this bitch!

"Are you trying to intimidate me? You're just as stupid as Sloane." I take a deep breath. "Look, this is a do-or-die situation. I'm not going to back down, if your queen wants me dead, so be it but lay a hand on Zack, and I kill all of yo.," I look at them, the fear inside of me disappearing. "We can have peace and not a war, just let us go, and we can all go our separate ways."

Before I can move, one vamp has Zack by the neck. "Make one wrong move, witch, and I'll debilitate him!" He says, laughing like a maniac.

I'm frozen, I need to help Zack, but if I make a move or move in the slightest, they will kill him for sure. I stand there thinking, this isn't how this was supposed to be, not like this, my friends were supposed to be safe, but as I look at Zack, I know that right now is the only way for all of this to stop.

"Tick-tock, the clock is ticking, witch!" The vamp beside Serenity spews.

"Kill me." I whisper, knowing that sacrificing myself is the only way to end this nightmare. The vamp's eyes widen in surprise.

"What?" The shock in her voice.

"I won't fight you. Just let him go and kill me." They didn't expect me to give up so easily.

Zack is hurled into the cellar wall by the vampire possessing him. I'm frightened by the cry, yet he's still breathing. I give in to the same vampire's control instead of resisting. Everyone is safer this way. I apologise to Zack as I turn to face him. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Raveeeeeeennnnnnnn!!!!!"

Snap!

Game time, The voice in my head echoes.

And just like that, the darkness consumes me, suffocating me until I can't breathe. My nightmares finally end.