Wyheree... just the name had our girl Rosie smiling. What a good friend this woman had become to her. Wyheree was kind and introduced Rosie to all sorts of people. She had also introduced Rosie to Elven wine.

The Elven wine was delicious, she'd never tasted the likes of it. She limited herself to one glass, as she knew not what that beverage would do. She should have limited it to a shot.

She climbed out of bed around 3 am or so. She wasn't aware of being out of bed, or coming down into the bar. She had never been a sleep walker before, and she wouldn't remember a bit of what was to happen.

She made her way around the common room. She had patted Icer, her dragon friend, on the head not once, but twice. First calling her kitty, then doggy. She had found a couple having an intimate conversation. She walked up and nearly embraced the man, looking right through him. "Uncle Pauly!" she exclaimed as she moved away.

Her dear friend Brian Ravenlock found her in the middle of the common room, between tables. Whatever dream was going on in Rosie's head had turned nasty and she was sobbing on the floor. He gently lifted her into hsi arms and carried her to the couch. Theron, being the sweet and peaceful being that he is, offers her a blanket of soothing. Brian sits at the foot of the couch, waiting for his housekeeper to waken.

And she did. Disoriented, confused and more than just a little wigged out. She had no recollection of how she had gotten there and why Brian was sitting guard over her.

She spoke with Brian for quite some time and he cheered her up with a raucous story about Countess no undergarments. She had laughed at the story and was thoroughly amused.

Being that the sun was about to come up, she decides that it's time to start baking the cinnamon rolls that she had set to proof in the chill chest the night before. Brian had went home to get some rest, so it was her and just a couple of others in the inn.

She had lay her head on the bar for just a second, close her eyes for just a tiny bit of rest. The night's activities had tuckered out our little red headed friend.

Enter Natalia. She had surprised the couple with her appearance from no where. The smooth talking, sophisticated woman looked at Rosie and smiled. Yes, young, hot fresh blood... just what the vampiress needed to get her day started.

When the feasting actually started, Rosie awoke with a suddeness that was startling. The vampiric kiss was often accompanied by feeling of overwhelming lust and orgasm. And as the feasting continuted, Rosie writhed against Natalia, fighting as best she could. The feelings were overwhelming to somebody who'd never experienced the like in her life and she was soon a helpless shivering mess leaning against the older woman. The feasting ended just as suddenly as it had started and Rosie wept.

She could barely stand, and soft sweet whispers in her ear. Was she being comforted? All she knew is that she needed a shoulder to cry on just then and Natalia provided that. Then the hypnotic voice and overwhelming feelings died down and Rosie was able to break free of the spell. A threat of immense pain was uttered by the Huntress, if she should tell anybody of what had happened.

Later that afternoon, she was in the kitchen, finally putting those rolls into the oven. Her face paler than usual, as she worried about how she was supposed to keep something like this a secret. And suddenly, there was Dakota. He saw her distress and immediately took her in his arms, wanting to know what was wrong.

She told how Natalia had bitten her. Then he absolutely stunned her.

"with or without your permission?"

A simple question, yes. But it broke her heart that he would ask that. Why on God's green earth would she let anybody violate her in such a way? She backed away from him then and answered with a simple, "No."

He must have read the hurt in her face and he quickly had her pinned into place, holding her, kissing her tears away. He comforted her and quieted her down.

Icer had heard the commotion and had come to the kitchen. She had heard what transpired and she and Dakota swore that Natalia would pay for what she'd done. Wyheree had shown up moments after Icer had come into the kitchen, and the icey winds blew as she avowed vengeance for her friend.

Dakota escorted her up to her room at the inn, ordering her to stay put. He had errands to run and would return as quickly as he possibly could. and then, he was gone.

She couldn't stand to be cooped up. So, disobeying a direct order, she wanders back down to the bar. It was deserted and she didn't feel any danger. And then as if out of the blue, people were flooding into the inn. Dakota and Brian at the same time. Dakota held Rosie against his chest with his right arm... odd.. and told Brian of how Natalia had feasted on Rosie for breakfast. Needless to say, Brian was angry. She'd never seen him lose his cool so abruptly.

Then Dakota said something that shocked her, for the second time that day. "Maybe we shouldn't kill her, she is a woman and all... "

Brian went into a deeper fit of rage. His face contorted with the yelling. He demanded to know who had put such a stupid idea into Dakota's head.

"It was me..."

All heads swivelled towards the door and there was Charlotte. Always radiant, always beautiful and now just a little more than pregnant.

The fight that ensued was horrific for Rosie. Here was the numero uno super couple supremo to her and they were screaming at each other. At one point Dakota pulls her against him and swivels them both away from the scene, he had put his left hand on the bar and what Rosie saw was even more horrific. "Dakota! What've you done?"

He'd try to humor his way out of a good explanation and simply said that he had a fight with a wall. Charlotte's explanation was much more concise. He had punched a wall to ease his anger.

She could stitch up a wound, apply a damn fine field dressing, and apply her limited nursing skills to just about anything. But the hand... there was nothing she could do. It was mangled, bruised and had scabs on what was left of his knuckles.

The room behind them had become quiet, and Charlotte summoned Dakota away from her side, to speak with him on the porch. That left the still very angry Brian and Rosie to bump heads. He could not and would not understand Charlotte's reasonings for leaving Natalia alone. Rosie understood as only a woman can. She tried to explain it to Brian, but she felt it fell onto deaf ears. Brian liked his anger. As he had said the night before, he and Dakota were works in progress and that sometimes violence is all they know.

Well about that time Charlotte and Dakota came back in and he sets at the bar, Rosie before him. Charlotte had offered to set his hand for him. With the first snap crackle and pop, Rosie found herself running for the bathroom. She couldn't take watching him in such excrutiating pain. When the profanities stopped, she reemerged from the bathroom to find him on his knees and crying.

And there was nothing she could do.

Lesson learned, dear reader.

1. Do not drink and entire glass of Elven wine if you aren't used to it.
2. Do not fall asleep at the bar of the Red Dragon Inn.