Adian slowly stalked down the darkened hallway. It had been two weeks since she'd returned home. Since Snowhawk had not yet left for Juv, and would not be leaving for another few weeks, he was again tasked with keeping her vampirism to a minimum. "How many more times must I go through this?" he quietly asked himself. The jealousy had gotten worse again. If he wasn't needed, he would just leave. He stopped at the door to Snowhawk's room, finding it slightly ajar. Strange for her, as it was usually locked. Perhaps his brother had left it open. He cautiously opened the door, peering inside.

Snowhawk was laying across the bed, an unusual position for her. She was on her back, with her arms above her head. Her breathing sounded strange. "Snowhawk?" Adian called. The mare attempted to rise, but she seemed to be forced back down. Then he smelled her blood.

Adian finally put everything together. They were not alone in the room. He looked to the shadows, first seeing his brother's body propped in the corner. His head hung unnaturally. Then he saw the glimmer of golden eyes.

He growled lowly as he moved to the corner. "What did you do to them?"

Kione simply chuckled, then seemed to vanish into the shadows.

Adian looked at Janus. He was beyond help now. His neck was broken. He clenched his fists in rage, then turned to Snowhawk. Kione had bitten the artery in her neck open, and left her to bleed out. Her blood ran down the side of the bed, pooling on the floor beneath her.

It was now or never.

Adian quickly placed his hand over the would on her throat, trying to stop the bleeding. The wound wouldn't heal. He had no choice now. He leaned down to her neck, opposite the wound left by Kione, and bit into her soft flesh, then quickly injected his venom.

Time seemed to fly by, and soon she was healed, but miserable at the loss of her love. She was also unsure of her new-found status.

More time flew past, and she had recovered. And she was now his. But something still wasn't right. Then the room around them turned into an explosion of glass, wood, and other shrapnel.

Adian awoke with a start, and immediately looked to his clock. Three am. Only a week and a couple days after Snowhawk had returned.

It had been another dream.

"I can't deal with these much longer," he sighed, holding his head in his hands.

He shook his head, trying to get the images out of his mind. He'd seen her near death before, another memory, real or not, wasn't needed. Kione would turn her before he killed her, so what was that all about? With another sigh, he sat up and stood from his bed. He pulled on a pair of pants, then a shirt, and left his room. Dream or no dream, he did have to check on Snowhawk and, if necessary, do his part to keep her vampirism beaten back. The mare was something of a night owl anyway, and he'd often found her out and about much later than this.

He wanted to do more to help, but she still insisted on traveling to Juv. She was just waiting on Hunter.

Adian stopped to look through the gardens before he went to check the estate's camera system. He unexpectedly found Snowhawk there, lying on her back and watching the sky.

"You aren't asleep are you?" he asked.

She turned her head and smiled softly at him. "No, not this time." She stretched and sat up with a yawn. "Janus fell asleep early, so I came out to stargaze."

Adian sat down next to her. He was still a bit shaken from his dream, but tried to make small talk. "Its been good weather for that lately."

She gave a slight smirk. "Small talk isn't your thing, I know. What's up? You seem troubled."

"Just a bad dream that won't leave my mind. Nothing more."

"Dreams can be a window to the unconscious. They tell us what's bothering us, or scares us." She turned on the bench to face him, pulling one leg under her. "The least I can do is listen, if you think it will help."

The wolf nodded, then relayed the details of the dream to her. "And I know," he added, "that Kione wouldn't leave you for dead because of Emerald, but it was still unnerving, to say the least."

Snowhawk nodded. "Understandably so." She looked down, and seemed to frown for a second. "But we both know he wouldn't hesitate to kill Janus."

"That also bothers me. I know how much he means to you, and how hard it was on you when we thought we'd lost him."

"Let's just pray that this was only a manifestation of your fears, and not a premonition. I know Lupino aren't inclined to have those, not like unicorns tend to, but its not unheard of. I would think the only difference would be that you wouldn't have a chance to turn me."

"For everyone's sake, I hope so too," he sighed.

*********

Janus sighed as he looked at his brother and his love. He knew that the two had grown quite close over the past years, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. They talked for a fair time before he decided to let his presence be known. "There you are..." he began, giving his love a small smile and striding toward them. "I was worried when I woke up and couldn't find you."

"Just came out to stargaze," she replied, turning toward him. "Adian joined me a short time ago."

The younger brother nodded at this. "I couldn't sleep so I came to find her and see if she needed my assistance."

"You should probably hire some help. You can't always watch the estate alone," Janus commented.

Adian smirked at this. His brother was right, but he'd never mentioned raising the security before. "You're more worried than usual, Janus."

"Damn right. I think with a pissed off vampire about we all should be."

"If it'll make you sleep easier, I'll track down some help."

"Thank you. Now, my love," he began, turning back to Snowhawk and offering her his hand, "would you please come back to bed?"

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "I was just thinking of heading that way." Snowhawk looked to Adian, still smiling gently, "Good night, my protector."

Janus stiffened slightly at that. He knew Adian had proclaimed himself her protector, but she seemed too fond of him as she looked at him. His vampire brother would outlive him several times over, and even if Snowhawk managed to avoid becoming a vampire, as her fate seemed to be, she'd still probably outlive the both of them.

As they neared their room, he slowed and eventually stopped in the hallway, lost in thought. "Janus?" she said, gently nosing her muzzle under his.

"I won't be your last love, will I?"

Snowhawk took a step back. She had wondered when this would come up. "No," she replied with a sigh. "But you will forever be my greatest. I gave up so much to be with you, and I don't regret a moment of it."

"You missed out on Valerian's childhood. Because of me. And I won't even be around for us to grow old together. I mean," he said, growing somewhat frantic, "I'll be old, but you won't be."

"Janus, I would give up being what I am in a heart beat, if I could. But there's no way to take that away. We may now be able to cure vampirism, but every fucking time this happens, I age a little slower. If I knew what to do, I would."

Janus had an idea, a way to rid ones self of excess life, but he dared not speak it.

Snowhawk looked down. "I should have been born a Lupino. Then we could have been a proper couple." She closed her eyes. "I know what you're thinking. I could kill myself after you die. But I have more to live for, like my sons."

"I wasn't going to say that--"

"But you were thinking it. I know, because I thought it. Then I realized how devastated Valerian would be."

"I just don't want to go to my grave with the thought of you--"

"What?" she snapped, cutting him off. "Burying you, then going to sleep with Adian?"

"Yes!"

"What's gotten into you, Janus? I thought you understood my relationship with Adian. Yet you act like I'm just waiting for you to bite it. Like I wouldn't mourn your loss. Like I wouldn't be crushed at losing you. Again."

Janus took a step back at that. He'd pushed the memory of Anya taking him so far back that he'd also lost sight of how devastated Snowhawk must have been. "Snowhawk..."

"Do you really think so little of me?"

"No, love it's n--"

Snowhawk glared at him. "Don't call me that unless you fucking mean it."

"But I do! Snowhawk..."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you. Just like it doesn't suit your brother, but I bet you have no idea what he goes through."

"What?"

"You really never noticed? Why do you think he tries so hard to protect me? Regardless of how often I fuck it up."

"So after I'm gone, it would be him."

"You're not dying anytime soon. And I will do everything I can to keep you safe. I don't want to think of losing you again. But you act like I'm burying you tomorrow!"

Janus was silent for a moment. "There's nothing between you two?"

"Nothing. There never has been, even when we thought you were dead. Long after you're gone, maybe. But for now, when it's important, no. We live long, we mourn long."

Janus moved cautiously towards her, then wrapped his arms around her, burying his muzzle in her mane. "I just love you so much. I just..." he softly cried.

Snowhawk wrapped her arms around him in return, gently nuzzling him. "I know, love... And I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Let's go back to bed now."

*********

Nytehawk awoke with a start. Sharp nails were suddenly digging into her flesh and her vision was mostly consumed by a white-furred hand over her eyes.   "Unhand me, dammit!" she screamed as she felt a pair of pinpricks on her neck.

She felt nothing after that.

*********

Hunter wandered his home, looking for his mate. She had gotten up in the middle of the night, and it was now near dawn. She never came back to bed, and that wasn't like her. He searched the entierty of the grounds, asking all of the staff if she had been seen, but soon found himself back in their bedroom, and still on square one.

"Where did you go, love?" he asked the rising sun.

*********

Deep in the forests south of Juv, Nytehawk groggily awoke. She was naked, in a strange bed, and an even stranger cabin. Blood stained the fur on her chest. She felt dizzy just from sitting up. Across from her, a strange Delphin sat. He had red and white fur, a ruby horn spiraled in silver, and long silver hair. His eyes seemed to glow gold. "Good. You're awake."

"Who are you?" she asked, inching backwards. She heard the rattle of a chain as she moved, then looked down to see a steel cuff fastened to her left leg, a chain running from it. "What did you do to me?"

"I gave you a gift. And you're going to use that gift to help me kill a wolf."

"Says who?"

"I do," Kione commanded, grinning as her eyes half closed and she relaxed slightly. "You're as pliable as your cousin. Perhaps more so," he grinned.

The commanded Nytehawk made no response.

"And now, my ticket into Juv, wake up."

Nytehawk moaned softly and lightly shook her head as she was released from the vampire's command. "Who are you?" she repeated.

"My name is Kione. I'm sure Snowhawk mentioned me."

"No..."

"Yes, my new friend. And you're just like her now, though you won't have another vampire to pull you from the edge," he grinned.

"There's a cure--"

"Not for long. We are going to make sure of that."

"I won't."

"Yes, my pale Delphin, you will," he said as he stood and advanced toward her.

*********

Snowhawk canted her head to the side as Hunter relayed his tale to her. "She woke up one night and then never came back to bed. It's not like her."

"No. That's more of what I'd do," Snowhawk replied, glancing to her protector and his brother, seeing both give a nod of resigned approval.

"Please, help me find her."

"Of course."

About that time, Hunter's phone rang and he scrambled to answer it. "Hello?"

"Uncle?" came Valerian's voice over the other end.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I just got a letter I think you should see. And my mom too."

"Of course, we'll be right there." Hunter replaced his phone in his pocket, the looked to Snowhawk. "Care to join me?"

"Not at all."

Valerian didn't know his mother was there. She was stopping by for credentials from Hunter before she made her trip to Juv. Hunter was relieved to see her, as it had already been a day his mate was missing.

The two Delphin and two Lupino made their way to the front of the estate, where Valerian would be, if he had recieved a letter.

"Mom!" the young Delphin cried out as he saw Snowhawk, running to her.

"Hello, son," she smiled. "What's this about a letter?"

Valerian handed the letter to her as Hunter looked over her shoulder. Her face darkened and she frowned as she read. "Son of a bitch," she cursed.

"What is it?" Janus asked.

"Kione," she simply stated, handing the letter to Hunter. "He captured her. And he half turned her."

"What?!" Adian said, shocked.

"Why?" Hunter replied.

"I don't know, but it has something to do with Juv."

"We have to get down there," Adian said, still shocked.

Snowhawk looked down, then back up at the group after a moment. "Meet me there. I'll run ahead."

"You'll never make it as a mortal!" Janus reminded.

"Right now, it doesn't matter. She does. One of you find out where Onyx has gotten off t--"

"I know!" Valerian interrupted, then turned on his heels and ran off.

"Damn boy," Snowhawk frowned.

"Just like his mother," Janus grinned.

"Right. Well, once he gets back with the Guard, head to Juv. I'll track Kione down in the mean time."

"But, Snowhawk," Adian frowned, "your condition--"

"I have to, Adi. Besides, what better place to go?"

"Just... Don't exhaust yourself like last time."

"Tell Valerian I said goodbye," she said, then turned and began to run from the estate.