The patient in the room tried to reach for someone asking for help and let the people know what she had seen in the woods. But she felt too weak, and her words were barely audible. She had lost blood in the accident when the truck had hit her body on the road, leaving her in a state where she couldn't stay awake for a long time.

  When the doctor arrived in the room, the girl lost consciousness and her eyes closed.

  The doctor checked her pulse and the monitor before asking the nurse, "How long was she awake?"

  "When I came here, she was already awake and she was trying to speak," replied the nurse, and the doctor nodded his head.

  "Inform the girl's family that she's finally gained her consciousness," ordered the doctor, and the nurse replied with a 'yes doctor.' When the doctor was about to step out of the room, two men came forward, and one of them asked,

  "We are looking for the girl named Molly Parker. Are you her doctor?" The man showed his badge that he was a detective.

  The doctor nodded his head, "Yes, that's me. The patient is currently sleeping and needs rest."

  "Do you know what happened to her?" asked one of the detectives.

  "She was hit by a truck on the highway. She was brought here by two men, who were driving the truck. I thought they had already given out their statement," said the doctor, and the detective gave a slight nod.

  "Yes, we did, but we wanted to reconfirm some of the things," replied the detective who questioned the doctor. When they were speaking to the doctor, the girl's parents appeared. "Are you Molly Parker's parents?"

  Mr. Parker nodded, "Yes, how is she? Will she be alright?"

  "Yes," answered the doctor before continuing, "We'll be running some scans and make sure there's no bleeding."

  "Mr. Parker, I am Detective Elliot. We would like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind?"

  "Go head," replied Mr. Parker in a reluctant tone.

  "Do you know what your daughter was doing there on the highway? Especially that hour of the night?" questioned Detective Elliot.

  The parents appeared to be tight-lipped, and Mrs. Parker replied, "Molly said she had to work on some assignments and was going to sleepover at her friend's place. We don't know how she ended up there. Maybe the truck drivers know something?"

  "We have already interrogated them, and they say they found her suddenly running to the truck. Did she have any sort of troubles that you may know of?" asked the detective.

  "Not that we know of. Molly has always been a happy girl and she does well in her studies and has friends. She would never," Mrs. Parker shook her head, "To kill herself that doesn't make sense."

  "You see, Mrs. Parker, your daughter was found on the road in the middle of the night. The question was what was she doing in there, but we already have an answer to it," said the other man, who had come with detective Elliot. "She was with one of her classmates, Bruce Boston. And funnily he went missing the same day when your daughter met up with the accident yesterday."

  "We have never heard his name before," denied Mr. Parker while huffing, "Why would she even go there with him? That doesn't make sense."

  "The complaint had been lodged this afternoon and the boy was last seen with her. We'll be coming back here once your daughter regains consciousness to ask her some questions about it," informed the detective before taking leave, walking away from there. When they walked a few distance, and in another corridor, they stopped walking. "What do you think it is?"

  "It is too early to conclude that it's a creature of the night," replied the detective. "But there have been too many disappearances, and not to mention, the blood we found was inside the forest, wasn't it?"

  "Indeed. The girl was found on the road and there's not other damage than the collision with the truck," said detective Elliot. "If it isn't her blood, then it is another person's blood, but we didn't find the body. I guess it is time to search around, and let our fellow brothers know that danger lurks in those woods."

  The detectives held a grim-looking expression on their face, and the other man asked, "When was the meeting of the committee again?"

  "It's tomorrow evening," replied Detective Elliot. "It's late. I will catch up with you tomorrow morning."

  Back in the Winter's residence, Julie had gotten inside the covers of the bed, pulling the blanket close to her. Roman stepped out of the shower with his hair dripping wet, which he ruffled with the towel. As he had said, he did step out with just his boxers, and Julie's eyes followed him like the footsteps of his on the room's floor.

  Roman walked to the door and closed it with a click sound, "Your aunt won't be shameless enough to step into the room now, will she?"

  "I don't think so…" Julie's voice trailed as if that little action of closing the door meant something was going to happen. "She's usually a heavy sleeper."

  "That's good news," answered Roman, making his way towards the bed where Julie was lying under the blanket. He turned off the main lights while leaving the lamp at the bedside, before joining her. "Have you ever tried to sleep without clothes before, Winters?"

  Julie shook her head, "I have never tried it."

  "You can now," Roman nudged her, taking the time to tease her, and under the little light of the lamp, he noticed how Julie blushed.

  "But what if I catch a cold?" asked Julie, staring into his eyes while he had laid down on his side, watching her.

  "I will warm you up then," replied Roman, and Julie took a second before she shyly nodded her head.

  Julie had never been bold enough to even sleep just in her shirt and undergarments in the past, and she wondered if she was going to be a daredevil under the roof of her uncle's house. Clearing her throat, her hands went inside the blanket. She first pulled down the pyjamas that she wore while having her eyes still on Roman, where they hadn't broken eye contact with each other.

  Discarding the pant that fell on the floor softly, her hands then reached for her shirt.

  "Allow me to do that," stated Roman, and he moved closer to her. It wasn't the first time for him to undress her, and it wasn't that last, which Julie was already aware of. She didn't protest because she knew that in her heart, that was what she wanted.

  To bring her closer, Roman hooked his arm around her waist before pulling her closer to him. His hands then reached for the buttons of her shirt. Fiddling with the top of the buttons before opening them with just one hand of his.

  "What are your plans for tomorrow apart from talking to your uncle?" asked Roman, keeping her mind and body busy.

  "I was thinking of taking you to places around here. Sightsee I guess, where my mother and I spent time when we were here. Or maybe, go visit the previous house," replied Julie, feeling the first four buttons unbuttoned, and she felt him part the shirt. To get rid of the shirt, she would need to sit upright or at least lift herself from the bed.

  "So I will be playing tourist. I see," hummed Roman. His fingers grazed against her stomach, and he heard her gasp. As if his touch has breathed life into her body.

  "Is there something else you want to do?" asked Julie, lifting herself and discarding her shirt to join the pants that were next to the bed. Now with just her undergarments, she slipped back inside the blanket.

  "I don't think I have anything particular in my mind," replied Roman, bringing Julie back to his side, where she faced him, and his hand rested on her waist. "I will be fine with anything that you choose to do. Even if you just want to sit with the company of your relatives."

  Julie smiled, her eyes lowering to his chest that was firm and his muscles taut. She had the urge to run her fingers on his chest, but she resisted it before caving in. Her fingertips lightly brushed the surface of his muscles.

  "How does it feel?" questioned Roman, and Julie's eyes snapped up to meet his eyes.

  "Being here?" asked Julie, her innocent eyes peering up at him and Roman's heart squeezed in his chest, wanting to protect her with everything he had, which included his very life.

  "That included," replied Roman.

  What was the other feeling? Asked Julie in her mind.

  "I have stayed over a couple of times here. This is Joel's room, my cousin. You would have enjoyed and liked his company. He's a good kid," stated Julie, and Roman hummed in response.

  "I can tell by your fondness for him," replied Roman, and his hands mindlessly massaged her waist……

  "Your hand is ticklish," whispered Julie, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin.

  "How about now?" asked Roman, putting a little more pressure on her skin as if he was kneading it, and Julie felt a shock erupt down her body before it came to pool between her legs.

  "A little," said Julie, her eyes slightly unfocused, and she wondered how Roman had come to affect her like this. Having him near her was soothing, and it calmed her nerves, but at the same time, Roman had the ability to stir her so deeply that she often lost her usual self, and a deep ache clawed in her chest. "We can… go watch movies if you want."

  "Do you have any movies on your mind?" asked Roman as he continued to knead her waist.

  "I didn't get to see which one's they were showcasing. If not, we could go out for lunch or dinner," suggested Julie, and Roman looked at her as if he was fascinated by the very sight of her.

  "Are you asking me out on a date, Winters?" his lips curled up.

  Julie bit her bottom lip before she released it, "I think so…"

  "Let's go on a date then. You and me, as we don't know if we'll get the opportunity to do it later," remarked Roman and Julie nodded her head, breathing a whisper of yes.

  "Do you regret it sometimes? That you fell for a vampire?"

  Julie shook her head, "That's like me asking you if you regret falling for a witch like me."

  "I see. Sometimes I wonder if you would be better off not knowing about the dark side of this world, it would have avoided the angst that I see in your eyes," Roman's hand now felt the curve of her wait that dipped and rose. "You would have had a normal life. Normal things to worry about. I even had to consider it many times, trying to keep you at a distance."

  "That would be a whole different life," said Julie, craning her neck towards him, and Roman closed the gap between them by leaning towards her lips and kissing her.

  "I couldn't resist you," said Roman, letting go of her waist and bringing his hand to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. "With you in the picture, I got too possessive and didn't like the thought of someone else being near you. I once heard Dennis speak too fondly about you."

  "You did?" Julie asked in a curious tone.

  "I overheard him speak about your exclusive lunch time together," Roman caressed her now as if she was delicate and would crumble if he put a little more pressure.

  His thumb stroked her jaw, and he noticed the way Julie closed her eyes as if letting the feeling of his fingertips sink into her bones. "You were the least expected person, I expected to build anything to do with."

  And here he was now, wanting to protect and be with her, to be the only person she thought about and the first person to whom she would go. Roman had fallen too deep, and he didn't care how much deeper he would fall for Julie.

  "You didn't tell me the perfume that you use," murmured Julie and Roman's lips quirked to a smile.

  "How strange," murmured Roman, and she opened her eyes to meet his eyes again, wondering what was strange.

  His hand slid away from her face, and it moved to her neck as he felt the width of it. He heard the pulse of her heart skip a beat, and Roman's hand moved towards her shoulders.

  "It feels like we find more time outside of Veteris, than in there," Roman whispered it against her lips, while somewhere in the back of her mind, Julie prayed her aunt or uncle would not come to interrupt them. "I should buy a house," he decided before adding, "Maybe somewhere far away from Veteris and people we know of. I will hide you there, in my arms."

  Julie couldn't help but smile at Roman's words, "I would like that."

  Roman gently nudged Julie's shoulder so that she could lie down flat on her back.

  If there was something that Julie appreciated about Roman, even though he had sent her mind in a frenzy that he liked it rough, he had been gentle and patient with her. Putting her needs before his and every time he did it, he stole her heart a little more than before, and she now doubted she had her heart with her anymore. Her whole heart belonged to him.

  "We should do this often, getting away from people and making time just for us," said Roman, his hand gliding down from her shoulder to the valley of her chest. His hand pushed the bra upwards, such that it freed her breasts, and soon one of them was palmed by his hand.

  A sigh escaped from Julie's lips, feeling him squeeze and knead her breast. Soon Roman pushed the blanket in a way where he hovered above her with her beneath him on the bed.

  Her hair was sprawled on the pillow. Roman, who had only come out of the shower a few minutes ago, his hair was still damp. When he lowered his head towards her chest, Julie's hand quickly moved to his head, weaving her fingers through his hair, while he took one tip of her breasts into his mouth.

  And as gentle as his movements were earlier, his teeth were harsh as he bit into it that had Julie arch her back from the bed.

  She felt him suck on it while one hand held the breast he was paying attention to, the other hand went to run across the length of her back that had arched now. A couple of sighs escaped from her lips, and she lightly pulled the ends of his hair, which only urged Roman to continue the ministrations of his mouth on her.

  His mouth was warm, but as he moved lower, his damp hair left a trail down her skin, leaving a mixture of hot and cold sensation in her. His hand let go of her breast, moving to the side to grip on her waist as his lips peppered kisses on her stomach. His fingers hooked on either side of the undergarment before pushing it down her milky thighs and then her knees before it passed her delicate ankles.

  Roman's lips trailed across the bone of her waist before she felt him move back up to kiss her lips. His tongue snaked into her mouth, kissed her until she lost the battle of the tongue, slowly melting in more than one way because of him.

  Kissing him had its own thrill, and it was slow, playful that made Julie smile against his lips, and he watched the spark in her eyes. Compared to her, Roman had a look in his eyes as if he was hypnotized by her. Unable to look away or keep his hands off her skin right now.

  "Shall I take this one off?" asked Roman, his hand running on the strap of her bra.

  Julie nodded her head, her hand reaching for her back, but Roman's hand was quick to snap open the last of her undergarment, and he threw it somewhere in the room that she didn't bother to register. He pulled her into his arms, her chest pressing against his bare and tone muscles.

  "Winters," Roman murmured into the crook of her neck.

  A shudder escaped Julie's lips when his hand ran down the length of her back, and it then came to settle on her bottom as he pressed her closer to him.

  "Mm?" came the squeak like a mouse from Julie, not knowing what happened.

  "You know I want to build a family with you, don't you?" his words were clear, letting his already known intention pass to Julie. Her cheeks turned warm at the mention of having a family together. "You are the one person who matters to me the most. And I want to spend the rest of my time with you and no one else."

  "Me too," replied Julie. Pulling away from him, his embrace a little, she met his eyes. "I don't want to spend my time with anyone else, but you."

  Roman already knew her answer, but there was something that had been worrying him since they had visited Willow Creek. He raked his hands through her hair, combing them, and he said, "I mean to have children with you."

  She nodded her head, wondering what he was getting at, but Roman didn't finish his words. He pulled her back to him, one arm cradling her head and the other stroking her back. "Did something happen, Rome?" asked Julie, feeling his silence turn a little heavy.

  "No," replied Roman, keeping her close to him.

  At first, it was Julie's lifespan that had worried him. Not knowing how long a witch stayed alive, but now, there was another issue that troubled him. It was obvious that it wasn't any disease, but him, who had killed, weakened his mother's health, which had eventually led to her death. He didn't want Julie going through the same fate, and if there was even the slightest possibility for history to repeat, he would rather not have a child with her.

  "I can sense it," whispered Julie, and she placed her hand on his chest.

  "It beats for you louder."

  Roman's head that was buried in her neck, he slowly started to nibble on her skin, taking little bites by nipping on her skin.

  Sighs and moans escaped from Julie's lips, and she felt Roman squeeze her bottom. His hand moved between her legs, fondling her there before his finger thrust into her wet folds. Julie gasped at the action, and she hid her face in his chest.

  Roman's finger teased her by pulling it out from her before he pushed it back in. Every time his finger moved in and out, it hit her body with different emotions. Her hand gripped on his arm, and when he thrusted his finger further in, she dug her nails into his arm that he didn't mind.

  Julie's body slowly climbed the path of arousal that was hitting one of its highest peaks. The movement of his hand soon turned faster, and the more friction his finger left against her wet folds, the more her head started to feel faint, leaving her eyes unfocussed.

  "Rome…" Julie whispered his name, and Roman's eyes darkened with the way she called his name out. Her lips were parted, and he noticed the way her lips and body trembled as if preparing for the oncoming release of her body which was near.

  He lowered his head once again, his lips descending on her lips, and Julie moaned into the kiss, and with one more thrust of his finger into her wet core, she came undone in his hand. Her chest heaved, trying to catch breath, while her forehead pressed against his chest after he pulled away from the kiss.

  Roman brought his hand up to his lips, putting the finger that he had used to pleasure her in his mouth, sucking it, and Julie combusted into little sparks of flames just by the sight of it.

  While Julie was catching her breath, her eyes momentarily closed that only flew open when she felt Roman knead her thigh. His hand slipped back between her wet folds, igniting the fire back, and she was sure she was going to burn this time.

  When Roman pulled his hand away from her, a small whine escaped from Julie's lips, and he kissed the side of her temple.

  "I am right here," Roman assured her before he left the bed.

  Julie saw him rummage through the bag before he pulled out something and returned to her side. Realizing what it was, her cheeks turned pink, and she saw Roman tear the pack that had the condom before he wore it on him.

  Roman kissed her lips, and Julie kissed him back, her fingers getting lost in his thick hair. He came to hover above her as he continued to suck and lick her lips, taking time with the girl who was precious to him. He said,

  "Tell me if you want to stop. Or if you aren't ready."

  Julie placed her hand on his jaw, caressing it at the tenderness he showed her, "You already know…" she whispered to him. She stared back into his eyes, his words holding a promise that he would do it upon one word of hers. "I am ready," and that was all the confirmation Roman needed from her.

  He came to sit between her legs, and raised one of her legs, hooking his arm under it while positioning himself. He didn't push it right away and let her get comfortable with the feeling. He rubbed the length across her wet folds and said,

  "Breath for me, love," while keeping his eyes fixed on her and Julie's hands that was on the surface of the bed, gripped and crumpled the sheets when Roman pushed his throbbing member into her sex.

  "Ah……!" Julie cried out at the feeling of being stretched and filled by him…… She threw her head back, her eyes rolled, and her back arched.