Micah was supposed to give me a sense of closure on my old human life. I thought seeing him would make it easier for me. I sat on the cold floor hugging my knees feeling like a helpless child. Micah was the monster. I felt so empty and void inside, my vampire life seemed so superficial and unreal, it could never replace the family and friends I had lost from my human life.  Outside I could hear footsteps passing the door. I wasn’t in the hotel. I woke up in this place which reminded me of a holding cell. The bed was crude, the mattress was uncomfortable and the décor was less then welcoming homeliness. I didn’t attempt to try and open the door or call for help. My whole body and spirit felt exhausted. Half asleep I listened to the sound of the buildings, through the walls I could hear two men exchanging heated words.

“She can’t hear us.” One man snapped.

“She’s a fucking vamp! Of course she can hear us.” Another replied.

Irratated by their bickering I said loudly.

“I can hear you and it is pissing me off.”

There was a brief silence then the sound of a pencil scratching against paper. An uneasy cough followed then electric static. I looked up to the source of the noise and saw several speakers in around my cell.

“Lorna.” My name blasted from multiple speakers. Something was wrong about this set up. The speakers crackled and a man’s voice spoke, “Tell me why you broke into a government archive, Lorna.”

“Where am I?” I asked nervously.

“This is a holding facility.” The speaker replied.

“Where are my family?” Where was Michael? I thought more importantly.

“Answer the questions Lorna. Why did you break in government archives?”

“I’m not telling a faceless voice shit. Bring Barry or Michael here and I’ll tell them exactly what happened.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Then that’s too bad for you.” I said.

“How do you know Micah?”

I didn’t reply. I slunk down on to the floor. Closing my eyes I saw Micah and those monsters on the bridge. My heart began to crack and I felt sick. Micah was the monster. All this time I had thought Michael was the monster and I had been gathering evidence against Michael. Rubbing my temples I listen to the voice over the speakers becoming more and more irate.

“Answer the question!” The voice demanded angrily.

I should have felt intimidated but instead I felt irritated. A faint smile fell across my face as a little voice whispered inside my head whispered, ‘or what, human?’

Suddenly froze shocked by my own thoughts. This was the first time I had ever thought as myself as not human. It was the first time I had ever laughed at human frailty. This was the first time I had ever felt vampire. The threats they made drifted through me, I was vampire they were humans, they were my prey. When was a shark ever intimidated by a little guppy? I had never been arrogant before. I guess Micah was the only thread keeping me attached to my old human self and now it had been severed.

“Lorna?” A new voice echoed over the speaker, I recognised it instantly.

“Michael?” I called out my heart danced.

“Lorna, answer their questions.” Michael said flatly.

“Who are they Michael?”

The speaker went dead and then the interrogator’s voice echoed over the speaker.

“Answer the question Lorna.”

I ignored the inttergator and called out to Michael instead,

“Michael, what’s happening I’m scared?” I said.

The speakers went dead and I could hear Michael say,

“Let me in there.”

“No.” A hushed voice whispered.

“I wasn’t asking.” Michael replied.

There was scuffling noise and the thick cell door swung open filling the room with bright light. Michael filled the doorway, behind him an armed guard peered curiously over his shoulder at me. Michael stepped into the room and the door slammed shut. Michael stood coldly by the door at the far side of the room watching me like stranger. My heart cracked slightly and tears began to burn my eyes. I had gone behind Michael’s back and conspired and ultimately betrayed him. The only thing holding us together was the blood bond.

“Everything spiralled out of control Michael. I’m sorry. I thought you killed all those people in Cumbria I didn’t think for one moment that Micah-”

Michael raised his hand the moment Micah’s name tumbled out my mouth and turned away from me. Tears began to splash down my face.

“I was frightened and stupid.” I murmured hopelessly.

The static of the speaker cut through the tension as the interrogator snapped,

“Michael, get out of there, now!”

“Np, wait.” I said getting up to my feet. Michael watched me carefully with great distrust. Shamefully I looked down at the floor and said,

“I know you must think very bad things of me and I don’t think very of much of me either right now, but please believe me when I say, I love you.”

The sincerity in my voice shattered his guarded front, Michael walked those few steps that separated us and closed his arms around me.

“Michael, I really don’t want to be here.” I murmured against his ear in a desperate plea.

I felt Michael’s body tense and hardened; he didn’t want me to be here either. The tannoy crackled again and the voice ordered Michael to release me and return back to the main room. I clung tighter to Michael, I wanted to beg him not to go but I knew it would be unfair of me to ask him to stay. Michael pressed a kiss against the top of my forehead and reluctantly let me go. Tearfully I stepped back. The door of the cell unlocked and a security guard pulled it open. There was a pause from Michael, maybe it was a hesitation, but he did not immediately step through the door. He looked back at me with a pained expression which made my throat dry and my heart pound achingly in my chest.  Vampire mates should not be separated for long periods of time, putting me in a cell like this and stopping me from being with Michael was a mistake. I stared but at him and tried to smile but Michael saw past it, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath in and forced himself to turn away. Michael dragged himself through that door. The door slammed and I was left in the darkness. I tried to focus my energy on Michael’s footsteps, it sounded just hearing him moving about was a great comfort. The tannoy went dead and I listened patiently. Michael walked back into the main room where all the men who were interrogating me sat.

“I want her returned to slayer custody now.” Michael demanded harshly.

“We understand that you have succumbed to a blood bond which is clouding your better judgement-”

“Lorna is innocent. Let her ago. She already explained this was an accident.”

“I can’t go releasing prisoners Michael, I don’t have that sort of power. Her case will be sent to a review by the-”

The sentence stopped there; or rather the man’s breath was cut out. I strained to listen but I could hear the noise of what sounded like the scuffing of shoes against the floor as someone struggled to breathe. An awful mental image of Michael single-handedly holding the interrogator by the throat choking him to death.

“Michael! Don’t!” I screamed.

There was a strange cracking noise that followed that was almost cross between a snap and a crunch. A man muffled a sob and another said a prayer. A voice I had not expected to hear filled the room.

“Release my niece gentlemen.” The cold calm voice of my Uncle Duncan rang through the air. My Uncle the feared head of my coven had come to save me. A sudden heavy thud against the cell door caused me to scream. The door opened and Keira swanned in, her gold designer stilettos clinked across the floor and she held the hem of her black cocktail dress off the ground.

“For future reference if you ever get detained by the police or government do not say a word without one of our solicitors present.” Keira said frankly holding the door open.

I stepped out and was greeted by twenty of my Uncle’s security guards. I squinted at them through the blinding fluorescent lighting and saw Michael pushing his way through the crowd.

“Are you crazy?” he snapped at Keira.

“Lorna has rights, this interrogation was completely illegal.”

“The government will not tolerate this sort of-”

“Oh do be quiet Michael. Look, take Lorna home and let Daddy and legal team deal with this.” She said pushing me towards Michael, Michael took my arm, “Close your eyes,” he instructed shielding my eyes with his hand, “The lights are bright.” He said softly.

My eyes were starting to sting, I shut them closed and allowed Michael to guide me out of the building into a waiting limo. Michael ordered to the driver to take us home. Opening my eyes I was glad to be back in the lap of luxury that my vampire family had to offer. Michael sat next to me his arm around me.

“Do you forgive me?” I asked.

Michael stared down a faint smile of relief and hope cracking across his face, “Yeah, I should have told you things, I didn’t mean for stuff to get this out control.”

“What happens if the government comes after me?”

“We’ll go to Europe and stay in one of your Uncle’s network of covens.”

“But what about the slayers, you work for the government Michael, we can’t just run away.”

“There is nothing more important to me in the world then you. When the government seized your sleeping body from the hands of you mother moments after you passed out, they became my enemy. Threatening you was the worst mistake they ever made.” Michael said.

I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled his face down to mine and kissed him. All the tension and fear melted away and I felt relief, Michael kissed me slowly back running his hands underneath my shirt over my hips. He pulled away and whispered,

“You’re hungry, those bastards didn’t feed you.”

Michael tilted his head, offering his neck. His pulse was singing to me, begging me to bite. Gently I moved my lips over the pulse and scraped the skin teasingly with my teeth. I felt my fangs lower and I bit down. Blood poured into my mouth and Michael groaned his hands grabbing a fistful of my hair holding me against his neck. I love the sensation that was drinking him up, taking him into my body like no other creature could, the ecstasy was equal to none. When I finished I lifted my head up and brushed my lips roughly against his. Michael stared back at me,

“If you don’t stop we’re not going to last the car journey.” He said huskily.

“How long were we separated for?” I said running my finger caressingly against his neck.

“You were out a couple of days and I was only allowed to see you when I was at the point of collapsing. It was agony.”

“My body feels like it’s in withdrawal.”

“The feeling is mutual. After the shit with Micah all I want to do it to be with you. ” Michael replied lightly kissing my shoulder.

“I don’t want to think about Micah, I don’t want to ever hear his name again.” I replied breathlessly.

“He’s a walking dead man.”

“I don’t ever want to hear about Cumbria or those fucking v-monsters.”

“No problem.” Michael said kissing me roughly tugging at the hem of my t-shirt.  I raised my arms up and was about to let Michael pull off my t-shirt when a short sharp cough interrupted the moment. Michael pushed me against the leather seat, shielding me with his body and pulled a gun from his jacket. Locking eyes with the intruder he relaxed.

“Shit. Raphael.” Michael sighed getting off of me.

Raphael was an archangel I had never seen before. He was tall with brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He gave off a conflicting vibe of calmness combined with extreme danger- the psychotic kind. Blushing I tried to straighten myself up.

“Have you been sat here this entire time?” I asked wondering how much of the show he saw.

Raphael shook his head, “I got into the car at the last red light ten seconds ago.”

“Why have you come here?” I asked.

“The government want me to take you back into custody, with or without Michael’s consent.” Raphael said.

Michael let out a humourless laugh, “You know that’s not happening brother.”

Raphael shook his head with disappointment, “She’s been treated as a terrorist Michael.”