Fireflies.

"And if I refuse the stone?" My eyes remained locked on his face, his eyes still cast out to the busy city.

"You won't." He said simply.

No he was right I wouldn't, only out of the fear of being a un-dead Vampire.

"I don’t want you fucking protection I can handle myself." I said, my own voice chilling slightly.

"Your weak, and you will continue to grow weaker until you accept the stone. We don't have a lot of time as it is." His words turned something into ice within me.

"How long?" My words not as steady as before.

"Its not important."

"The hell it is!" I grabbed his arm and spun him towards me. He could have resisted me but he complied.

"It isn’t, you will be in the court by tonight where you will be given the stone. " His eyes where so cold and distant I almost gasped as they pinned me.

"What’s wrong with you?" I asked, my eyes searching his.

"I have to go, Zak and Patch will be here soon. I would stay until they arrived but your mothers causing drama as usual." He said avoiding my question. My mother? God that sounded so strange, I had a mother. She would never be a mum though, no my mum was dead. The whole situation made me feel slightly light headed.

He turned to leave and I grabbed his arm again. He turned towards me and before I could think about it, I reached up, sliding my hand around the back of his neck as I pressed my lips to his.

He froze for a moment, and I kept my lips hard against his. Demanding. After a moment he responded, his hands enclosing around my waist as he pulled me to him. His lips just as demanding against mine.

"Estelle, enough-h." His voice was slightly husky and a tiny bit warmer.

I cut in. "No, you don’t get to go all cold and cryptic. " My lips taking his bottom lip in between my teeth now. He gave a low groan as his hands slid under my tank top again.

He went to say something else but my lips brushed against his neck, and his hands tightened, his shoulders tensing under my hands.

I pulled back slightly and whispered against his neck. "Now, tell me what’s going on?"

"Estelle no I-"

I cut in again. "Wrong answer buddy."

I nipped at his neck, my body pressed curve for curve against his, my lips nudging at his pulse.

A sharp intake of breath crossed his lips before his hand snaked up to become tangled in my hair. Tilting my head back, his lips brushed along my collar bone.

"Tell me." I breathed.

He sighed and released me. His eyes conflicted. I reached up to press my lips against his again.

"You don't play fair my dear." He breathed against my lips.

"I never said I did." My lips curling up into a smirk.

He tried to get out of telling me again.

"No, this is my world now so spit it out." My voice firm.

He paused and gave a small nod. "Your right, this is your world. "

I waited for him to continue.

"Your mother is now in a compromising position so to speak, with you being triggered."

"What kind of position?"

"Her position as Queen in this area is being revoked." His eyes watched my face. The storm of his eyes barely contained.

I paused. Wait, if he was King of whatever then she was his.. "Oh god."

"No Estelle, listen its not like that." He explained his thoughts following my own train of thought.

"She's your Queen! Oh god you had sex with my mum didn't you." I ran a hand through my hair scared I was going to be sick.

"What? God no. No offence but your mothers rather eccentric, not my type."

"What and I'm suppose to believe that?" I gasped.

"Yes. There is absolutely nothing between me and her. Its bordering on a war actually. " He paused as if choosing his words. " It’s a business arrangement. She represents South America and I North America. We joined our holds a few hundred years ago. She usually stays in South America, leaving me alone but she's been up here since you were born."

I paused, my eyes searching his face. I know I shouldn't believe him. But it was almost like I could feel him telling the truth. "So you never kissed her?" My voice straining to keep natural as jealousy and rage simmered just below the surface.

"No." He gave a soft chuckle. "She's not my type."

"And what is your type?" Unable to stop myself from asking.

"I like strong women, they have to have a fire within them." His lips brushed against mine. "Hunters, Warriors."

I gave a small smile against his lips.

"Wait so her position is under question why?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

He didn't say anything.

"Eric." I groaned.

"Its complicated."

"As is fucking everything else." I glared.

He chuckled again.

"What?" I glared.

"Your expressions are adorable." He chuckled again.

"No." I sighed, "comments and flattery will get you no where, now tell me."

"Oh really because I could say-"

"Eric!" I interrupted.

He sighed before finally continuing. "Although she is the first in her line, which in normal situations would mean she would remain a representative to whatever area she was in joint rule with. But this isn't a normal situation."

"Why not? "

"Because a Bond trumps any other engagements."

"A what?"

"A Bond."

"What’s a Bond?" I asked confused.

He sighed and let his eyes flick back to the window. And it was a long moment before he continued.

"The Nephilim were giants, impossibly tall. Which could be why we tend to be a little taller than mortals. Anyway, when they where wiped from existence there was a legend or a story if you will that because of their height when they fell the stones cracked on impact. Into two pieces. "

He paused again.

"The stones cracked in two, so a single stone could create two immortals. Problem was those two halves made a whole. And the bonds where formed. Some are friendship, others are bonds of love. The bond mates are also exclusively more powerful, as they have found their other half, the essence is whole once more. "

Suddenly bits and pieces fell into place and I felt lightheaded all over again. Because I knew with a certainty that I was bonded to Eric, and it wasn't just friendship.

His hands held my waist as he looked back at me. My voice a soft whisper. "We're bonded aren't we." Not really a question more a statement.

"Yes." His forehead came to rest against mine.

"How?" I breathed again.

"I'm not sure, it just happens with some Immortals. Its very rare though I only know of a few cases, and they have almost always been friendship.''

Oh god, "but wait. Your saying the stones are one part of a whole, but I don't even have a stone yet?"

"Your right, you don't and I wasn't bonded to your father." A small smile playing along his lips.

"Then the stories bullshit."

"Not exactly."

"Explain."

"The stone eventually became too much for your father, his power weakened until the stone barely held his immortality. The stone rejected him or he rejected the stone and the immortality it gave him. He became obsessed with mortality."

"That happens! What if it rejects me?"

"We thought of this, but our bond says otherwise. The stones don't just accept you because you’re a descendent from the last stone holder. You can be rejected by a stone even if your of the same bloodline."

This was all so fucking complicated.

"So, the Bloodstone could reject me even though it was my fathers stone?"

"Yes. But it won’t happen with you."

"How can you be so sure!"

"Just trust me." He said with another smirk. I glared again.

After a moment I spoke again.

"Wait, am I Melrose's only child?" I asked softly. Not sure if I wanted to know this.

"No, you had a brother Angus when your father was still alive. He was triggered and your mother killed your father -who was already starting to lose his hold of his stone- So Angus could have the stone. But he was rejected and was lost to the Damned.

Oh god.

"Your mother was pregnant with you when he killed him." He said, his eyes attained to my face. "Melrose has spent your lifetime trying to palm your fathers stone off to every Immortal who's been triggered, trying to get rid of it so you couldn't have it."

"Why does she hate me so much?" Like shit, she really didn't like me.

"There was a prophecy."

"A prophecy?"

"Yes. One that said her eldest daughter would be the one to take her crown. She is power obsessed."

"I gathered that much." I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly needing to sit down. "Oh god. Because I will won't I?"

"Yes." I was so over his one word answers.

"I don't want it. I can't Eric." My voice was laced with hysterics.

He cupped my face. "You won't do it alone, I'll be there by your side every step of the way."

I closed my eyes and leant against him. Saying nothing for a long moment. The whole Immortality, Immortal thing and now this. Ah hell I so didn't want any of this. I wanted to hunt, not be some ruler of the underworld. I felt like I was going to pass out.

"She's going to try and kill me isn't she?"

"Probably."

"Okay, I'll be more reasonable with the protection then. " I wasn't stupid, she twisted my bike into a pretzel.

He chuckled again as he kissed my forehead.

"Now my darling I have to go and take care of your eccentric mother. Spend the day here, and I'll come get you later and we'll head to the Court. "

I groaned. "Spend all day here?" I didn't do sitting at home well.

"Yes, just one day." He gave me a soft kiss, his lips brushing against mine. "I'll see you later my dear."

He tried to leave it at that. But I grabbed his shirt and gave him a much deeper kiss. One he answered before he left and told me Zak and Patch would be here soon.

An hour later, I was beginning to feel worse. The symptoms returned with a vengeance and as a knock sounded on the door, I grimaced as I got up to answer it. My head pounding.

Not bothering to check who it was, figuring it was Eric's guards I unlatched the door and the many bolts and opened the door.

Well it wasn't Zak and Patch at the door.

Alex stood there, flanked by a half a dozen hunters. All dressed in the official hunters uniform. These where the guys they used for massive vampire assassinations. Or massive raids, or bring down rouge hunters. These guys where told to only subdue if it was safe, they usually killed.

And their weapons, with lazar sights and silencers were pointed on me. I didn't doubt they where loaded, or that they would use them. Not all the points would be at my heart, they would aim at various points of my body. Their method of subdue was a little extreme.

I recognised a few faces and it pained me to see them. These where my guys, I was on the assassination squad. I was one of the girls they called in for massive raids, and other more selective kills. Alex could have used another sectors, but no he used mine. To rub it in just that bit more. I was an outsider. A hunter gone dark side in their eyes. A few of them looked just as pained as they regarded me. But they were bound, all of them where, I was one of the few who weren't. And those who hadn't been marked weren't here tonight.

No, they were bound and they would kill me if I resisted. Regardless of any history.

To say I was beyond screwed was an understatement.

"Well Fuck."

Was all I said. And I think it pretty much summed the whole situation up.