"The Dark Stranger" © VeGirl 2014

"What do you mean; our lives are in danger?"

"Yes, they're trackers and our trackers can't find them." He snarl. "As if you guys don't have enough trouble...?" The end of that sentence is a tired sigh. He sounds resigned.

"So; we have hungry mythical creatures on our back?" I probe for confirmation. "That's a new one..." Sarcasm is flowing in that statement. Damian is looking at me with a troubled look on his face while Vincent is snickering.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

"We've been hunted for so long; what's another decade?"

Damian's face still doubt our sanity. "You are nuts."

"Yeah I guess you're right about us, but what are we gonna do about you?" I fall into Vincent's snickering.

"How to protect the vicious predator...?" Damian's tone holds a healthy dose of sarcasm. "I think we should focus on protecting you guys instead. How are you doing by the way?" His eyes flicker towards Vincent.

"It's getting better..."

"Good. I had no idea if it would work on someone like you." He glances at his friend. "I've never needed to save an... angel..." He still sounds as if it is too hard to grasp and that is ironic considering that he himself is...a mythical figure. 

"How far is it?" The GPS says fourth five minutes, something I note the second I cast a glance at it. "Are they still on our tracks?"

"They're not close enough for me to see them, but I'm sure they haven't given up. I wouldn't have."

"But if we drive to my house, won't we lead them straight there? What if we put Layla in danger? ...and Eddie..." I add as I suddenly remember her. "What if something happens to them?"

Vincent squeezes my hand and I can feel the strength is returning to him. "We won't put them in danger."

"See, I should have listened to that premonition about the dark stranger. Hey, that could as well have been about you!" I turn my frustration towards Damian. "You're dark and...strange..."

He snickers. "Yeah life is strange...and it doesn't get any better after death either..."

"Amen!"

I turn to look at Vincent after his enigmatic comment. It hits me that he's referring to his return after death. We haven't really discussed it except that he was some kind of monk who got killed for taking care of me. I had him killed. Dread fills me as I stare wide eyed at him, but he simply smiles. "I'm sorry..." I mumble.

"Would you lovebirds get of the smooch-trip so we can come up with a plan?"

I shake my head ever so slightly to snap out of it. "Yeah, what are our options?"

"Run...?"

"Oh, we have a little better offer than that..." Vincent says and both Damian and I turn to watch him with a bemused expression. "You know what Esme is." He says to me.

"A witch..." a smirk widens on Damian's face.

"How much have you told him?"

I can't recall telling him that, but he's a clever boy. "He helped me to rescue you." My tone is a little on the defensive side. "You were here when I said something about her being forced to rewind the clock."

"I figured it out myself. Give me some credit!" Damian gives us an incredulous face. "You haven't been that secretive and we have to come up with a plan that protects Layla."

"What do you care; you just want to sink your teeth in her." I mutter.

"I won't disagree..." he chuckles, making both Vincent and me cringe. "So this must be a quite powerful witch to be able to change the turn of time..." Damian is fishing for information and neither Vincent nor I am absolutely sure of how much we should say. "I wouldn't screw you over."

This is another reason for us to feel bad; this guy had saved Vincent and now we have the opportunity to return the gesture. "Yeah, I think Esme can work up some magic." I conclude. "As soon as we get to her..."

"I'm on it." Damian accelerates further and I am astonished that he can see at all in the dark. Not even stars and the moon lights our way; dark clouds hinder my sensitive eyes to notice much at all of what we're driving through.

"I'll call Esme." Vincent says in a collected tone of voice and I hand him my phone before he have to ask for it.

The scenery we rushed past the night before, is rushing the same way in the other direction now. I only listen halfway on the guarded conversation Vincent has with Esme. With Vincent's arm around my shoulders I finally relax and after the short conversation, Damian starts the stereo again; Muse wafts dark but soft through the speakers. The purr of the engine and the relief of having Vincent back finally lull me to sleep. 

I wake up with a jerk and realise that we have stopped outside Vincent's house.

"Wake up sleepy head." Vincent smiles towards me.

"Hrrm..." I moan and try to flex my neck. Vincent has already stepped out and is now offering his hand. I take it and clumsily step out of the car. "Where's Damian?" I yawn.

"He's already inside with Layla."

"He didn't waste any time," I mutter.

"Samira sweet love... look up at the sky," he implores and I reluctantly oblige. "Dawn is coming, he had to get inside."

I feel chastised, rightfully so and dwell in shame while looking at the brick paving.

"So let's get inside." Vincent softly urges me on and slides his arm around my waist. "Let's go make sure he doesn't eat your cousin."

A bolt of electricity flash through me and I am urgent to join them.

As we step inside Layla comes rushing towards me and hugs me hard. "Are you okay?"

"Sure I am."

"It took so long that I got worried. It's not that far to Tucson."

"Yeah but we had to stay inside during daylight for Damian's sake."

She looks at me as if she doesn't understand what I'm saying. "What do you mean?"

I glare at her, tired of this game. Just as I am about to snarl something about vampires Esme appears in the door to the kitchen. She shakes her head and I blink in surprise.

'She was totally freaking as you two left and I had to take her memory away.'

"What?"

'Only about the vampire thing, and stop answering my thoughts; you sound like an idiot.'

I can hear Vincent snicker through our secret communication channel and notice how Layla is watching me intense. "What do you mean what?" Layla sounds annoyed.

"I think she needs to lie down, she's been under a lot of strain during these past few days." Vincent has an arm around me and leads me into the livingroom.

"When did you have those retro photos taken, they're adorable." Layla platter on about the interior, seemingly unaffected by Vincent's roughed up appearance. "But the dark ominous style here is a little dated."

My head is pounding and I don't think I can take anything more. "Where did Damian go?"

"He said he had been driving for two nights and had to sleep for a few hours." Layla says, finally distracted.

"I have a guestroom downstairs that he use now and again." Vincent makes it sound casual, but I understand that he's checked into a room without a view.

"Good, he was beat." I sigh gratefully.

"Maybe I should sneak down there..." Layla is snickering seductively.

"No don't! He's been driving for two nights and rescuing Vincent in between."

"Yeah, what happened?" Layla inquires.

"Don't you think they need sleep as well?" Esme's voice is clear from the doorway.

"Yeah, you look beaten up." Layla says with a frown at Vincent.

"I've been through that and some." Vincent smiles.

'The cloaking spell is set, so you'll be fine' sifts through our secret communication channel and I exhale relieved by Esme's comment.

"I think I could use something to eat; how about you?"

"I ordered pizza." Esme says and Layla looks surprised at her. I instantly deduce that this is something that has magically appeared in the kitchen without a delivery fee. Instant pizza; how convenient.

"Great! I'm famished." Vincent says.

We all go to the kitchen and dig into the pizza as Vincent makes up some story of thugs that has abducted him for the fun of it. "It was no meek initiation for some fraternity, I tell you."

"But why you, what had you done?"

"I'm not sure, it might be a misunderstanding, but it sure as hell cost me enough to get away."

"Ransom?"

The three of us stop and stare at Layla. It is a challenge to try and come up with a plan to get away from both angel squads and rogue vampires on the prowl but at the same time not scare the living daylight out of my poor cousin.

"None of us have gotten any demands." Vincent says. "I meant it cost me in pain." His statement makes Layla flinch and it is obvious that she is uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Lucky you got away."

As earlier her sentence is followed by silence while we try to come up with a proper answer. "Yes Layla, I'm glad that Damian came and got me."

I want to ask Vincent all these questions about his time there, and most certainly about the burnmarks, but Layla's presence is making it impossible. 'Why can't she know?' I send to Esme.

'She nearly passed out from stress after you left from knowing about vampires. I had to take those memories out for her to function.'

"I'm beat," I say as the silence in the room is palpable.

"No, I'm beat." Vincent gives me a weak smile, basically apologizing for the bad joke.

I reach for his hand and suddenly remember the way his fingers were broken and I shudder. They are now straight and he can move them.

"I think we need to hit the sack," Vincent says tired. "If you girls will excuse us..."

"Yeah I think we all could use some rest. We've been up worrying about you guys," Layla says while Esme is trying to figure out how much immediate danger we are under.

"Yes can we please go to bed?" My eyes are stinging and my head hurts. I get on my feet as if I weighed a ton and the others follow suit.

"Maybe we should get over to your house...?" Layla suggests.

"No." Esme's response is sharp which indicates the danger we're under. "I've made up the guest room for you." She smiles weakly towards Layla.

"Yeah, I'm staying with you," I state determinately with my eyes fixed on Vincent while I slide my arm under his. "I hope you're okay with that."

Vincent snickers. "Yeah, I'm okay with that." He pulls me closer and kisses my hair. "I'll take you to bed if you're careful." He smiles at me before he excuse us and we walk to his bedroom. I'm not sure what Esme and Layla does, and frankly I don't care.

Vincent's and my lips are connected the minute we are alone and he press me hard against his body, desperately to make me his again in the most corporeal way and I am eager to comply.

I tear at his clothes and he wince as I happen to touch a certain sore spot. Instantly I back off. "Are you okay?"

He smiles at me. "Now I am."

The confident smile that I have longed for is crashing against the emotional strain I have been under for so long now. "How could you just leave me up there?" I whisper, feeling incredibly emotional.

He caresses the side of my cheek. "Is that what you think; that I left voluntarily?"

I sigh. "No, I don't." My tone is apologetic.

"Because you are about to see the burnmarks that the chains left." He is unbuttoning his shirt and just the thought of burnmarks makes me queasy. "I want a shower." He groans as he slide the shirt off his shoulders.

As the fabric slips off him, I am the one wincing. Along his back there is an intricate pattern of viciously red marks with blacked out edges. "Oh my God!" I breathe out. "They did this to you upstairs?"

"Yeah, the good guys did that; wrapped me in chains and threw me off the edge." He sighs while he walks into the bathroom on the side. I can't take my eyes off of him as he turns in front of the mirror to examine the wounds. "It looks much better than it did before we left the motel," he mutters, turn the shower on while he undress and steps into it.

I slump down on the bed. All passion that was threatening to flame up like kerosene has simply evaporated into thin air. In all fairness, we have been thrown to the pit of hell and back over the last few weeks. No wonder that we are beat.

I lean forward and rest my head in my hands nausea seems to be constant churning in me. With a sigh, I do my best to go through what we're up against and find a plausible solution. It is looking flat out impossible.

"Sam..."

I flinch from the hand on my shoulder and look up at Vincent who is looking concerned at me. "I think you should lie down."

I furrow my brows and stare confused at his body wrapped in a thick towel. Was he done already? I inhale and a masculine scent of body wash and aftershave hit me. With a long exhale I simply accept that I must have fallen asleep sitting up. "Yeah I better get to bed." I pull my t-shirt over my body and stand up to slide those jeans down.

A dark moan behind me makes me flinch and as I look over, Vincent is standing there with desire written all over his face. "You are so beautiful," he says slowly and the evaporated passion that I thought was long gone makes its presence known instantly. "Just look at that..." His voice is husky and the bulge underneath the towel he's wearing calls for my attention. He slowly walks to my side of the bed and slides light fingertips along my bared skin making my skin prickle with goosebumps.

The second I put my hands around his back, he flinch and winces and I drop my hands to the sides again. "Sorry... I have longed to feel you," I murmur.

"Soon my love, soon." He rakes a hand through my hair and kiss me rough with a hard grip on the base of my neck.

I feel like a prey, caught by a predator but I don't care. Without my clear conscience of what is going on, my bra falls from my shoulders and I am amazed that I didn't realise him unclasping it. I feel a finger along the waistband of my panties and moan against his lips.

'Take me' I urge him in my mind and I gasp from a lash first on one hip and then on the other before my panties lay in a heap on the floor; ripped off of me.

'I'll buy you new one's' he send silently while continuously battering my lips; possessing me. With a new grip in the nape of my neck he lowers me on the bed with him hovering above.

I am about to once again slide my hands on his body when a hard grip on my wrists pin them down over my head. 'Be still' I am amazed that the arousal can be so clear in the voice in my mind.

Moments later he is between my legs which I willingly move to give him access and he enters me roughly. I have probably internally begged him to do so. With my back arching from the bed in delight and my head tilted backwards the animalistic side in both of us awakens.

Obediently I retain my hands over my head with only his words as shackles.

After a while, he withdraws from me and with a strong grip on my legs he flips me over. Before I have a chance to react his grip on my hips raises my butt in the air and he enters me again. I cry out in bliss as he picks up the tempo before we both reach the release amazingly fast. 

In a moist heap we slump tight together and fall asleep still joined as one.

.