The coldness of the winter night's air and the sound of Radu's feet stepping through piles of frozen snow stirred me back to life a while later. I opened my eyes shortly as I felt his cool fingers pulling the hood of the coat over my head, their coldness against my burning forehead making me shiver.

"Thank you, Radu." I muttered.

"We are here. Look." He whispered back, stopping and turning around so I could see a group of men seated on impatiently stumping horses, looking like shadows under a small copse of leafless trees growing nearby, where they were hiding. They were nearly invisible to my human eyes, I would never have noticed them if he did not point them out to me.

"Samara! Thank God!" One of them called, rushing over to us across the snow covered plane. "Is she all right?"

"Vlad," I muttered, trying to free myself from Radu's arms and stand up.

"Wait," Radu said, not letting go of me until Vlad reached us, then passed me over to him before his brother could dismount his horse.

I saw Radu shaking his head as Vlad made me sit on the saddle in front of him, then wrapped one of his arms firmly around my waist.

"She isn't well. You must hurry, take her home quickly and do what needs to be done. We will manage here without you, you have no time to waste. Go, now, and don't hesitate, or you'll lose her!" I heard Radu say urgently as I sank into Vlad's body, feeling awfully weak but euphoric at the same time.

Vlad... I was at home now, finally...

Heart soaring, I noticed Vlad's lips brushing against my temple, then his cheek coming to rest against mine after he exchanged a few more lines I did not catch with Radu. Then I felt the horse's body move under us as he made it turn and walk away, always faster, until it seemed to be flying through the countryside shrouded in night and snow.

"I love you, Samara. God knows I did not want this to happen... not this way but... Soon you'll feel better, I promise."

I wasn't sure that this was a promise he could keep, but I was so elated to be with him, resting in his embrace at last, that I didn't ask for more. All that mattered was that he was here, with me.

"I love... you.. too." I struggled to say. "Lucas, my friend..."

"He is with us, you mustn't worry, Samara, you need all your strength for yourself now..." his voice reached me through a thickening darkness. I was losing consciousness again but it didn't matter, I was happy. We were together and Lucas was safe.

Vlad took me somewhere warm the first night, to a place from which I only caught glimpses of fire, its heat, a bed I did not recognize. And then we were moving... in a carriage most likely. How exactly we got to Bran or how long did it take us, I could not say, because I had not resurfaced from the fever-caused foggy darkness and strange visions properly for what felt like... a very long time.

Those visions... So awful and seemingly real... I was sure that someone drank from me again, and then... often... I would imagine... a man's strong arms holding me close to his chest, his hand pressing my head, my lips, against the cool, soft skin of his neck where I could feel... a pulsing vein, his soft voice urging me to drink... I saw myself, how I could not oblige at first but then, after a few tries... somehow... I bit into his soft skin, drawing blood, feeling... disgusted... but hungry for more, delighted by his blood's scent and flavour at the same time. I imagined wrapping my arms around his body, drawing him as close as I could, making him... laugh happily as if he was relieved when he felt me... drinking his blood, then pushed me softly away, running his fingers through my hair soothingly a while later, telling me it was enough... Vlad... he was there, with me, for me... in my dreams, all the time.

And then, when I woke up properly the first time after what felt like ages, my lips pressed against his wrist, my gums tickling and burning strangely even as my mind offered me a similar, half-forgotten image of Mihail and Sorina immediately, Vlad was there with me even in reality.

"Samara! It took you so long, I thought I had lost you, I thought you'd never wake up again..." He said, drawing me in his arms the moment he saw my eyes focus on him, my hands pushing his wrist away from my lips.

And it felt so good, the way his muscles wrapped and moulded around me, his fingers caressing my back sending pleasant shivers through my whole body and his scent, the perfume of his skin, his clothes, which I've never perceived this strongly, enveloping and distracting me.

It was the same man, my beloved Vlad, but he felt all different, all... so much more.

"I love you..." I whispered. "Are you all right?" I pulled away from him a little, letting one hand roam over the well-defined muscles of his arm holding me tightly to him, while I brought the other to his silky black hair, surprised by their smoothness. I gasped with surprise as my eyes met his irises, that intricate, mesmerizing mosaic of all possible and impossible shades of green. He brought his fingers under my chin making me close my mouth, smiling widely.

"You are beautiful, Samara," he whispered, tearing his eyes off my face, making me shake my head. It was him who was beautiful.

"Drink. You need it, at least one more time. Then you can start with animal blood if you wish," he said, pulling me onto his lap and leaning his head to the side, exposing his neck.

What is he talking about? I mused, even as my subconscious hissed, Don't you really remember?

I brought my hand to my lips observing the bluish vein pulsing temptingly on the side of his neck, appalled as I... felt the strange tickling, and then a burning pain in my gums at the sight. Goodness gracious me, how I wished to sink my teeth in his skin and taste his blood. Again.

My eyes flooded with tears as I shook my head, recalling what I did to him before, in those dreams that were not dreams after all.

"Samara, please, one last time..." he begged, cupping my face in his hands suddenly, making me look in his eyes again.

"I don't want to hurt you, not again..." I whispered, running my fingers lightly over the thin scar I've just noticed, caused by me.

"I hurt you too... I was so scared I'd... kill you then..." he murmured, bringing his hand to my neck. "But you needed more venom in your body to prepare you for the transition. That... beast... Andrei, he weakened you so much... I'll kill him, Samara, I swear!"

He closed his eyes shortly, most likely recalling the night when they found me, making me shiver at the memory of what I went through in Andrei's hands.

"Did you change me?" I asked quite unnecessarily, just to avoid thinking about it. I felt... too different. Of course he had changed me.

He nodded silently, searching my eyes for hidden thoughts, feelings and regrets I might try to hide from him. But there were none. I was finally the same as he, not just the fragile human he had had to conceal and protect from everyone in this world in the past.

"Thank you. I love you." I said, closing my eyes and tilting my face up, making him understand that I was expecting a kiss.

He laughed softly, then our lips met, gently, carefully at first, then with increasing passion and urgency as I was not able to hold back... I let my hands stroll over his body even as I was distracted by his fingertips, traveling lightly over my skin, leaving a trail of gooseflesh in their wake. His every single touch felt suddenly so much more... intense...

I groaned with frustration when he deposited me back on the bed, pushing me back down among the pillows.

"No," he said, struggling to look serious. "You are still too weak, you need to recover your strength completely before... " he trailed off, one eyebrow arching meaningfully, an all-knowing smile lifting the corners of his lips. "It will take so much longer if you choose to start with animal blood straight away."

"Whatever." I said smugly, looking away from him in pretend offence, then exclaimed, "I said no, silly man!" the moment I looked back at him, noticing one of his wrists poised above a golden cup, a long thin knife in his other hand, ready to offer me his blood served in a cup.

That image, coupled by the memory of the taste and texture of his blood made me close my eyes and swallow hard, realising that my throat was parched. But despite how tempting the idea was, how I craved... his blood... I was not going to drink it.

I snatched the knife from his hand and threw it across the room.

"Please... don't torture me. I need something to drink, but I'm never drinking from you again, do you understand?!"

"You are so stubborn, Samara." He muttered, shaking his head.

"And you know that well. Please, I need a drink." I begged, my throat suddenly so painful that I could hardly speak.

He reached to my bedside table quickly and passed me another golden cup, this one already filled to the rim with the red liquid I craved so much.

I looked at him suspiciously as I brought it to my lips. It smelled differently, but I wanted to be certain before I would drink it.

"Deer. What most of us here usually drink. But my blood would have been so much bet..."

"Hush." I said, closing my eyes, enjoying the taste of the blood exploding in my mouth. It was warm... and cold... and satisfying, quenching my hunger and thirst at the same time. It was perfect.

"Thank you." I told him once the cup was empty. I snuggled among the pillows feeling incredibly tired, moving to the side to make space for him to lie down next to me on the wide bed. "Please, stay..."

There was no need to beg. He put the empty cup on the table next to the other one, then removed his clothes, remaining in his undershirt like me. I watched him let the burgundy curtains drop on three sides of the bed. He laid down next to me then, and drew me in an embrace so I could rest my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Is... everyone all right?" I asked, yawning, letting my hand slip under the linen of his shirt, over his heart, marvelling in the softness of his skin and the warmth of his body. He felt all different than I remembered him.

"They are." Vlad said, pushing a few wayward strands of my hair away from my face, a hint of a smile making his voice sound even gentler than before. "Welcome back, my love." I heard him whisper a little later, but I could not reply, I was more asleep than awake by then.

He is with me. I'll never leave him again, I'll take him home, to Aurora... I promised myself before the sleep took me completely.