"Why are you forsaking me?" Kylo whispered as he brushed his lips against Vincent's shoulder. "You are all I want. I am certain."

"You don't know what it's like, Angel...to be this monster."

"Don't you want me?"

"More than breath."

"I am offering myself to you, my lord. No one will hear us up here. No one will ever know."

"Everyone will know sooner or later when your skin grows ashen and you lust after blood."

When Vincent pulled away, Kylo reached for him. "Can this not be my decision to make?"

Turning sharply to look at him, Vincent snapped, "No! I will not allow you to desire such a thing. It is not good to be a vampire. You see the others acting the way they do but it is to cover the torment. This unlife is pain atop of pain." Balling his hands into fists, Vincent's nails dug into his skin and drew blood."I did not have the choice," he uttered dully. "Had I, I would have said no."

Kylo slid off the piano. He moved to Vincent and wrapped his arms around the lord's waist. Anguish greeted Kylo like a long-lost friend.

"When my father bit upon my neck and drained me, it was agony. There is no euphoria. Nothing of pleasure. It is like being boiled alive. The kiss was like teeth everywhere. I tried to push him away. I begged. I tried to free myself but nothing worked. A vampire's strength is shocking. My father was near frenzy. He hungered and I happened to be there. When he realized what he had done, he slit his wrist and fed me his blood. One does not simply turn into the undead, Angel. It takes time. It is days of writhing on the floor vomiting your insides out. You sweat blood - your blood - until there is nearly nothing left. Then you fall asleep and dream every nightmare you ever have before. When you stop dreaming you finally wake. You open your eyes and the first thing you want is blood. You don't care whose or what. You simply want to feed. Within the first week, you start to feel yourself...your new self, and it is madness." Vincent cupped Kylo's face. "Do you know what nearly drove me crazy?"

Kylo shook his head.

"I could not feel my heartbeat." Vincent's voice cracked. "I was walking, feeding, needing, yet there was no heart to thunder the fact that I was someone."

Kylo cried softly, "I will endure it for you."

"My Angel, I was married to Esme when I became the animal I am. Not knowing what to do, I fled. She had been in Scotland visiting her family when it happened so I was able to scribble a note and tell her my work called and I had to leave for India."

"Did you find your peace there?"

Vincent scoffed. "I found Corbin there. While on the ship I nearly did something terrible. My hunger was about to get out of control. Corbin found me. He took me to his cabin and fed me the rats he captured. If I had fed off another passenger or the crew there would have been hell to pay."

"He was good to you."

Vincent nodded. "More than I deserved. When we arrived in France..." Vincent paused then spoke softly, "I was never on my way to India. I had actually hopped on the first ship leaving at night which happened to be heading to France. When we arrived, Corbin took me to his home. I stayed with him for six months. He became more like a brother than if I had ever had a brother. He may be a little eccentric, but I would have been lost were it not for him. He taught me everything I needed to know to survive and thrive. Upon returning home, Esme found out what I had become. A religious woman she believed the Devil had done this. She could not bear my soul not entering Heaven. She could not bear seeing me as I was. When she killed herself, whatever alive bits were left of me died as well." Vincent touched his lips to Kylo's brow. "I could not bear losing you too. It would destroy me."