Matthias POV
My head was thumping but I lay in soft bed that smelt of delicate flowers and earth. My eyes opened and a fuzzy outline of someone lay in front of me.
"Dalton?" I asked wearily.
"I wish." A disgruntled voice replied. Rayne was lying next to me topless. My mouth fell open in horror.
"What the hell!" I yelled jumping out of bed so fast I got tangled in the sheets and fell face flat on the floor. A pair of woman's shoes and dress lay over a chair opposite the bed. Rayne got out of bed and picked up the dress, "I picked this this out for you to wear." He said sarcastically.
"Where am I?" I demanded.
"This is my apartment. It has one bedroom so Skyler slept on the couch last night giving the guest of honour a nice comfy bed." Rayne said almost bitterly.
"She did that after what I said last night?" I said in disbelief.
"My feelings exactly."
"Where is she now?"
"On the couch probably grieving the loss of her- I mean your Grandmother."
I never met my grandmother, I didn't even know I had one. Skyler must have been raised by her.
"What happened to her?" I asked.
Rayne took a deep breathe and said grimly, "She was murdered. Skyler is distraught she thinks it's all her fault."
I didn't reply, I couldn't even imagine the pain she was going through. Rayne looked pained and worried for Skyler turning to me he said, "She needs you Matthias, you are her only family now."
I wanted to believe him but Rayne was a demon. He had seduced my sister and led her astray.
"I will protect her from now on." I replied.
"We will protect her." Rayne interjected.
"Skyler does need your kind."
"My kind? I'm sorry did you forget you almost turned her in to a vampire yesterday?"
"That was an accident."
"That was the result of your own stupidity. You are too proud to acknowledge what you really are so you starve yourself of blood then end up loosing control. I'm not the dangerous one. I know who I am."
The words cut me. I didn't know what to say. It was true I hated being a vampire and the act of drinking blood was so degrading I starved myself regularly.
Rayne walked to the other side of the room, "I will get you some blood and you must drink it, if not for your sake then for Skyler's. The sun is not up yet so I would go back to sleep." He said.
Grudgingly I nodded and returned to my bed.
Stephanie POV
Kai dropped me off at my house and I climbed the guttering and sneaked back into my bedroom. The next morning I was awoken by pebbles being thrown against my window. Sleepily I stumbled over to the window and looked out. Aidan was stood by a motorcycle with a bunch of wild flowers. How corny. Opening the window I leaned out, "Hey Aidan." I said.
"Hi. I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with me?" Aidan asked grinning like a puppy dog. A voice whispered behind me, "You're not feeling well today."
I turned and saw Loki standing behind me smiling suavely in jeans and a tight white t-shirt. He looked like a movie star and I couldn't help but smile back. He was so beautiful. Tearing my gaze away I looked down at Aidan who was anxiously waiting for my answer.
"Um, I'm not feeling to great today. Could we do something tomorrow?" I asked.
Aidan face turned into a worried expression, "If you are ill then you must see a doctor."
"I think it's just a 24 hour bug or something. I'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Okay. Stay in bed and get some rest. I'll call again tomorrow." Aidan said mounting his bike.
Smiling I waved, "Bye."
Loki peered out the window as he drove away muttering, "Loser."
"Why did you come here?" I asked.
Loki folded his arms across his chest and leaned into the wall, "Skyler originally but she is a lost cause."
"Rayne and her are pretty solid." I replied walking back over to my bed. I could feel Loki's eyes following me.
"I'm not going to labour over a lost cause." he said.
"Well, apparently I'm destined to be with Aidan so you're wasting your time here."
"I don't think so. Something tells me you want to have a little fun before committing yourself entirely to that mutt." Loki sauntered forward running his fingers through his glossy hair. My heart was beating faster. He was so much more prettier than Rudolph.
"Do feel the pull between us?" I asked stroking my hair. Mesmerized I nodded. There was something dangerous and sexy about Loki that made me breathless. Loki pressed his body against mine and kissed me. Melting into his arms a small voice in the back of my head whispered- slut. Shocked by my behaviour I pushed Loki away.
I had already slept with one guy and now I was thinking about sleeping with another. Loki looked stunned and confused. Shit- how was I suppose to explain to him that I didn't want to sleep with him because I had already had a one night stand with another man several hours ago.
"Am I going to fast?" Loki asked politely.
I shook my head, "No, it's not what you think. There is part of me that wants you so bad. But there is another part that doesn't want to be the town slut."
Loki shrugged, "Well what do you want to do?"
I honestly didn't know. Sleeping with two guys didn't make me a slut but perhaps sleeping with them in quick succession did? Should I act like a lady or have fun. What about Aidan. He was cute but I didn't feel any strong attachment or great attraction between us- at least not like Loki. Chewing the my lip I juggle the idea in my head.
"If you take me out to dinner I will not feel such a push over." I said.
Loki shrugged, "Where would you like to go?"
"I love pizza but I guess it is too early in the morning."
"Not in Rome." Loki said taking my hand.
My bedroom melted away into an alley way. The sun was shining and I could see a plaza beyond the alley with thousands of chairs and tables. I was no longer dressed in my pyjamas, I was in white sundress.
"Are we in Rome?" I asked.
Loki nodded and led me out into the sunshine, "We are going to have dinner with an old friend- an immortal like yourself."
"How old is this guy?" I asked.
"Six hundred give or take a few years. He lives in Venice, but we will lunch here and join him in the evening."
"Sounds amazing." I replied.
Skyler POV
Grandma once told me as one cycle ends another one starts. The police contacted me just after we arrived back home. Grandma had been mauled to death by an animal. She was to be burried in Wales and Rayne was going to use his unique powers to take me to her funeral later in the week. This was my own doing, I had dropped the wolf strap and that woman had picked it up and used it against me. Rayne and I swore that we would find the strap and destroy it. I couldn't let any more innocent people die because of me. Rayne insisted it was not my fault but I couldn't help but feel responsible. Lying on the couch I stared up at the ceiling tears rolling down my face. There was a gentle knock on the lounge door and Rayne peered through.
"Are you still crying?" He asked.
I shook my head, but my red eyes gave the truth away. I loved my Grandma so much and I didn't even get to say goodbye properly.
"I miss her so much." I said.
Rayne sat down on the floor next to me and rested his forehead against mine, "Tell me what to do to make you happy again? I don't know how to help you and it is killing me." He said.
I kissed his forehead and replied, "There is nothing you can do for me. I need to grieve."
"Then I'll stay right here by your side." He said.