She'd stayed, hidden against the side of that building until almost morning, waiting until she was sure Lucien was gone. She didn't know exactly who he was but she had a feeling that she had known him.

So she stayed to the tunnels, only leaving them to enter the Westend to feed. And feed she did, any opportunity that presented itself she took. She didn't care that she was messy, that she left bodies behind in alleys, for all that she couldn't remember who she was or anything about her life, her instincts had kicked in and she seemed to be avoiding getting caught.....so far.

For a few days she thought about Lucien and why she was all but hiding from him, wondering about her feelings and considering what he said. He didn't show up though so she decided to go out.

She didn't realize the network he'd built up over the years, he had his foreman looking for her near the shipyard, Gwyr was watching the lighthouse , and Chris was keeping an eye out for her at the Castle. Lucien himself decided to go looking for her after he got a report from a contact that she'd been seen exiting the tunnels in the WestEnd.

She was fairly easy to follow if one knew what to look for, follow the trail of bodies, some hidden, some not.

She had just left a party, her arms draped around a young man, giggling in his ear and whispering, directing him to a nearby alley. She couldn't stop the smile that lifted the corners of her mouth, it was so easy here, most were so easily lead, even with known dangers they still would trust a gril who smiled and flirted with them. Moreso when she appeared so down on her luck.

Lucien was making his way down street afterstreet, hands in the pockets of his jacket. He spotted her when he turned the corner and he paused, watching her, then followed her into the alley.

Her arms were around the man and she was leaning him into the wall, seemingly kissing him. The only difference was the slight girgling sound coming from his throat as she drank.

He remained at the mouth of the alley as she fed. He didn't say a word, didn't move to try and stop her or save her unfortunate prey.

When she finished she stepped back, her head tilted back. The body slid down the wall and crumpled to the ground. With a smile she turned away from him and moved to the mouth of the alley, one hand lifting to wipe at the corner of her mouth.

He watched her as she approached, seeing the drained corpse disgarded in the alley. "Satiated, Kate?"

She'd missed his smell in the buzz of fresh blood. So when he spoke she jumped, blinking as she turned to face him.

"I've missed you, Kate," he offered when she jumped and turned to him. "Still hungry?"

Her eyes narrowed at his first statement. Then she waved a hand at his question. "I had a snack. you offering to be dinner?" She smiled at him, glancing at his neck.

He stole a glance to the unfortunate shell of a man in the alley, before returning his attention back to her. He gave a light shrug. "You couldn't do it last time. What makes you think you'll be able to today?"

She matched his shrug with one of her own, "New day, I think you're more trouble alive than dead?"

He nodded. "I won't argue that. I told you, I wasn't going to give up on you, that I would keep coming for you."

She looked at him, "You are crazy." She shook her head and moved to get past him. "I know this city better than you."

He didn't block her way, but he moved to move with her, his hands remaining in his pockets. "I maybe and you might, but that doesn't change a thing. I'm going to keep coming for you. So you have a choice. You can kill me and just get me out of your hair. Or, you come home with me."

"Are you one of those freaks who collects women in your basement?" She looked over at him as she walked, shaking her head. "I don't plan on walking into that, thanks."

A grin ghosted beneath the beard. "No. It isn't anything like that," he offered in reply, that grin crooking. "It's quite simple, Princess. You're my wife. I miss you and I want you home."

"I'll kill you in your sleep." She shook her head and kept walking, her eyes roaming over the people they passed.

He continued walking with her. "You can," he replied simply.

She finally stopped and looked at him. "You are a very annoying man. I know I"m not married to you because I'd never marry a stalker who is annoying."

"We are married. And we are in love. And we share a life. You just don't remember right now and that's fine. I'll keep at this until you remember," he offered in reply, stopping when she did.

She shook her head. "You must have been hit on the head or something." She set her hand on her hip, watching him. "What if I never remember this so called life?"

"Then I guess I'll be waiting for you to remember for the rest of my life."

She decided to humor him. "What do you want from me Crazy Man?"

"I want you to come back home," he replied.

"no, I have a home. I have no need to go to yours." She shook her head and started walking again.

He started walking with her when she started walking. "We have several homes. We have a few islands and a ship. You even have a castle."

"Delphines." That came out of nowhere and she stopped walking again.

A brow quirked at that remark, slowing down to a stop as she did. "Excuse me?"

She frowned and looked at him. "It's called Delphines and it's pink."

He nodded understanding what she was referring to, "Yes. Very pink."

There were things she just knew,like her way around the city. She never questioned where she was going she just always seemed to end up where she intended to be. This information about the castle that seemed to come out of nowhere was treated in the same way. "I don't like pink"

"You didn't mean for it to become that pink." He watched her as he stood there in front of her. "Come back home, Kate."

"If I go to your home will you leave me alone? Stop following me?" She took a step closer to him.

He drew a deep breath, staying put when she stepped closer. "That depends."

She set her hand on his chest and smiled up at him. "On what?"

"On whether you not you stay with me," he replied watching her.

She rolled up on the balls of her feet again, her mouth moving to his ear. "How long?" her voice was low, hushed.

"Till death do us part," he replied in a hush, feeling her mouth against his ear.

"I'm already dead so we're done." She tilted her head back and smiled at him.

He shook his head, looking at her. "You can't be rid of me that easily."

With a laugh she stepped back and hopped away from him. "If we're married, why aren't we together and why don't I remember you?"

He pressed his lips together and drew a deep breath. "Because you had died."

"So?." She smiled again, moving closer. "Death did part us and you have no hold over me at all."

"But you are back. You are standing there. You are back." His hands remained in his pockets. "Your sister failed."

"You have the wrong person, I might look like your wife but I'm not her." She set her hands on his shoulders and leaned up again. "Want me to prove it?"

"Prove it?" his brow quirked once more. "How?"

She smiled. "Kiss me." She tilted her chin up her lips almost touching his.

"Kiss you?" he whispered againt her lips.

"Yes. Kiss me." She chuckled.

He wasn't going to argue that. So he tipped his head down and kissed her.

She lightly pressed her lips to his, this was nothing and she didn't know him, she'd prove it, he'd kiss her and she wouldn't show anything because there wasn't anything to show. That's what she was telling herself anyway.

He was losing himself in her, in that kiss. He lost her once, but she was here now, standing in front of him and he was kissing her. His heart beat in his chest, the familiar taste of her on his lips.

her guard slipped, she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back. It wasn't until she felt his heart thundering in his chest that she came back to herself and pulled away, her arms jerking back a few seconds before her body jumped back.

He reached an arm around her when she jerked back instinctively. He watched her breathlessly, his eyes searching hers.

She was confused and it showed in her eyes, she kept pulling back, not hard enough to hurt him but she did struggle against him.

He let his arm slip from around her as she struggled against him. He didn't turn his gaze from hers, seeing her confusion in her eyes.

"Who are you?" She took some steps back. "I am not married."

He glanced to her left hand, then looked back up at her. "I'm Lucien. I'm your Bear. Your husband."

She followed his eyes, looking at the ring on her hand. "It's just a ring."

"It's your wedding ring. I gave that to you when I asked you to marry me."

"You're human." she said it like an accusation. "Why would you marry me?"

"Because you are my best friend. Because I love you. Because I want to spend the rest of my days with you," he replied quietly.

"I'm kindred." She all but growled it at him.

He nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't matter to me. And it didn't matter to you."

She shook her head, frowning. "If I go with you?.." She stopped as if she wasn't meaning to even say that much.

"Come home with me, where you belong, Kate."

She actually nodded a little and stepped to the side. "Ok."

He held out his left hand to her, the hand that had been holding her as they kissed, the hand that still wore the ring she gave him.

She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "Walk."

He nodded, dropping his hand to his side and started walking down the road. The path would eventually lead them to the castle. He walked at a slow and easy pace, glancing her way occassionally.

She followed him, frowning when they left the WestEnd, slowing as they started to leave the city, stopping a few minutes after that. "I don't trust you. You're taking me out of the city."

He stopped when she did and turned to look at her. "We're going to the castle. Your castle."

She looked back at the city, frowning. "It's not safe out."

"Alright. You have a townhouse in West End. We'll go there."

She looked at him then nodded a little. "In the city"

He nodded and started walking back toward West End, toward her townhouse. After they had walked a bit he spoke again. "This is just one part of the city. Rhydin is much larger."

"It's safer here, harder to be found." She couldn't fully explain, not even to herself why it was important to not be found.

"Alright," he offered as he turned down the street leading to her townhouse.

She followed him, her arms still wrapped around her. "Why do I have to go home with you? You know how to find me."

"Because I want to be with you," he offered in reply as he walked slowly.

"I don't want to be with you, I don't know you." the first part was an out and out lie, the fact that she'd stalked him and not killed him proved that.

"I need you," his tone remaining quiet as they walked. "I thought my world was coming to an end when I thought I lost you."

"You're wrong." She shook her head. "and people die all the time."

"What am I wrong about?" he queried, turning to look at her.

"About me, us, whatever." She waved her hand as she spoke but her voice was softer, less harsh than it had been.

"I'm not wrong about you. Or us." His tone remained quiet, hushed as he turned the last corner heading down her street. "You just don't remember, and that's alright. You're here. That's all that matters for now."

"I'm not your wife, you cant make me stay or make me remember things." She was still following.

"You are my wife, but you are right. I can't make you stay or make you remember. And I won't make you stay." He glanced over at her before heading up the steps of her townhouse. "But I can try and help you remember. And if you leave, I'll come looking for you."

"I can hide." She kept arguing that, trying to prove it to him. She looked up at the townhouse, frowning before she slowly started up the stairs. "Do I have to?"

"You can hide," he agreed. "But I'll keep searching for you. I won't stop looking for you." He pulled out the key and glanced over at her. "No. You don't."

She looked at him, then at the townhouse again. "You'll make me. You'll keep coming and you'll make me."

"I won't make you. But I'll keep coming. I'll keep coming and I'll keep asking you."

She finally finished going up the steps. "Fine. I'll go in, I'll stay." She didn't use the word home because she couldn't

He unlocked the door and opened it, reaching in to turn on the lights. Then waited for her to go in first, before following, with a glance over his shoulder.

She looked at him then stepped in, tensing as she moved. She was waiting to be jumped, hit, attacked, whatever.

He closed the door behind them, securing it, then he moved past her to the living room and sat down on the couch. He looked weary and worn. He sat there, sitting forward, resting his arms on his knees and just waited for her. Waited for her to get reoriented, get settled, at her timing.

She jumped when he closed the door. her eyes followed him as he moved to the couch. Once he was settled she slowly turned around looking at the entry way, then she followed him into the living room, frowning. "We lived here?"

He nodded, pressing his hands together. "Yes. This is one of our homes. We have a lot of homes throughout the city and beyond."

"Why?" She slowly walked the edge of the room, looking at the walls, the furniture, the floor, and then finally him when she got back to where she'd started.

A tempered grin ghosted at the corner of his mouth. "Because we like to collect homes. It makes it easy to get away to different places. A few places are secret places where we can be safe. Those are places that only you and I know about."


Kate Kelsey: "People here are sheep, easily killed. " She moved closer to him. "There's no skill involved in catching someone."

He watched her as she moved closer. "It's a hard place we live in. And you are correct. People are sheep."

"you let me into your home, you are not smart. I could take what I wanted." She took another step closer to him.

He stayed sitting with his hands pressing in front of him as she moved closer to him, watching her. "Our home. I let you into our home. And I did that because I trust you and I love you. All that I have was, and still is yours for the taking."

"it's nice, y ou have a nice place." She looked around again, lifting a hand to scratch at the back of her neck. Girlfriend needed a bath, which was very unKate like. "You'll be sorry when I kill you."


"If you kill me, then you kill me." He sat up, then leaned back on the couch. "Won't change anything. Won't change that I still trust you, that I love you and that you are my wife."