Was it Anthony? That posture made it hard to tell, but there were only two local vampires on the premise. Only one sounded like an asshole no matter what he did.

Tick jerks into motion again. Feet drag forward against its will. Blade, the heavy weight of folded metal in his hands. Feel the curve. Sharp enough to cut the air.

"I wanted to kick his face in a little! That's all!" Thomas' one-sided yelling match was loud enough to break through my focus. Behind that was the sound of police sirens. "One for the road, alright?"

Tick stands over Dangerous Mate. Too far. Can't stop. Body in the wrong location. Must correct the wolves. Must put them back in their place. Tick utters another protest. Manages to step back. Thick soled shoes weigh at a safer distance.

"Alright Jackass, I'll make this quick," Thomas said. My vision snapped back to the physical. There was no time to put up with him, no, I had to get to Kahina, now.

Julianne's brother didn't see it that way. Stacy and Dopey were somewhere in the background, packing up the truck by collecting beer bottles that didn't quite make it over the wall. At least they were sober enough to clean. I doubted it would extend to putting their manhole frisbees back where they came from.

Thomas swung for my face. Kahina was in danger and what did I do? I stood here arguing with a litter of spoiled puppies. Things blacked out again. Which was a bad sign, every time things went dark something violent that wouldn't make sense was about to happen.

It had happened when Sector Agents stormed Julianne's home. When chasing that wolf down for Malcolm. When Anthony had set me off four months ago. It even happened briefly when I punched the concrete wall downstairs. It was happening now.

Will allow this puppy to understand. Will show his insignificance. Will unfurl a little. Just enough.

My brain existed somewhere between sleepy and raging anger. The thoughts that came to me while I tracked were saying something important, but the context failed to click.

When the darkness clouding my mind receded I had wrapped damaged fingers around Thomas' windpipe. They dug in and bent the confused man backward towards the ground. Maybe he hadn't expected me to fight back. Or to be able to force him into such a submissive pose. Or do what no human should be able to.

It felt like my thoughts were being held under water. Another blackout blink later and things had gotten even worse. Stacy was leaping in my direction with a half furry face. The snapshot of coherent vision would have been enough for any horror movie, with Dopey only a few steps behind her.

"Sit." I command. She obeys without choice. Knows nothing of me. Of what she dare stand against. Threatens me and mine. Feels strange to speak this way again. Too long asleep.

Vision skipped again like the lens of a camera was closing for the briefest moment. When things came back both Stacy and the other male had firmly planted their asses on the ground. She was actually yipping through a half transformed face. The noise was pitiful and distant.

Thomas struggled from the position he was in. Both of his hands had wrapped around my arm in an attempt to get purchase. His body couldn't scoot right and get any sort of stable posture without causing self-harm.

"This is unbecoming." Can't let myself remember. Must focus. Too soon. "If you wish to retain the redemption your kind were given-" Puppy's eyes widen. Voices of his ancestors swirl through the pack bonds. They warn him. He understands. He knows.

Each of my words came from a stranger's mouth. A darker voice that lived in the back of a great cavern. The kind of tone that was powerful enough to pierce through solid objects and sound came from everything at once. It was me and it wasn't.

Maybe I was possessed by something. Yes, that was it exactly. All those mental trips hunting down items over the years had caused me to be possessed. That was why my arm was burning up.

What a silly creature I have become.

The thought flickers by.

I or whatever was in me, threw Thomas across the street into his truck. Another flicker of black and his crumpled form hit the pavement. At least my thoughts remained calm, mostly because my body wasn't responding to anything. It didn't stop my heartbeat from drumming loudly.

The skin on my right arm started to throb, in addition to the burning from muscle strain. A moment later and it hung limply to the side. Then my face fell into slack-jawed confusion. Stacy looked terrified and was scrambling backward. Even Dopey had a grim expression on his face. He was watching me more than trying to get away.

There was a scream, female, loud, and scared. It rumbled through similar to how my own words pierced our surrounding area. I looked at Stacy through those brief moments of clarity and established that it wasn't her. She was scrambling to get to Thomas and didn't even seem to notice the noise.

"Kahina." My mouth shapes her name. Must stay awake. Must get to Dangerous Mate. What is mine being threatened.

Whatever force was deciding how I should move wasn’t done yet. Both feet turned around towards the house and started running. Another moment of darkness and I was leaping over the ten-foot wall, not even bothering to detour through the gate to the south. The landing on the other side wasn't as smooth. Dead weight from a limp arm threw my balance off. Dirt ground into flesh as I crashed.

Another burst of darkness passed by, and before vision returned I was back up and pounding across the ground. At least both my murky thoughts and the thing guiding my footsteps had the same priorities. Get to my woman.

Running with a dysfunctional limb was difficult. Even with the arm hanging there it never stopped burning up. The heat coming off of it could probably boil an egg. It didn't feel painful, in fact, this felt strangely liberating.

Inside the house. Down the secret hallway. Each landmark was another brief light in the darkness. In the snapshots of reality, I passed Shaggy. She had one hand up to her cufflink, shouting into a microphone and was running at full speed. I had caught up to her and was now passing her by. Leaping over the wall must have cut off more time than I thought.

Ahead of me, outside of the final doorway that went to Kahina's room, was another man. His suit was much cleaner and resembled the same style I wore.

The lights in this hall were extremely dim. From what I could tell this other thing in my body was operating more by a sense of touch than anything else. Those extra limbs told me how smooth, rough, or heavy something was and had been giving feedback the entire run. Now they told me things about the man in front of me.

Another Tick. One of its legs strains forward. Trembles in effort against the fabric. Hand braces against the door frame. Fingers grip tightly on metal. He fights against something. Feel his jaw clench, grind in frustration.

I ran at the figure. Ten feet in I could make out who the Tick, vampire, was. Lennon stood outside the doorway fighting to stay put while Anthony had lost that battle and somehow ended up inside with a blade. My momentum sent Lennon flying down the hallway. What had he been struggling against?

I warn him. Do not dare. She is mine until I say otherwise. Given to me. Taken.

A snarl ripped out of my mouth and rattled the hallway. The existence inside of me stared inwards at Anthony's back. His white suit was the only feature of a dimly light room.

Anthony's head slowly turned around. I looked at him, his face flickered between joyous triumph and terror. His eyes traveled down to the arm with the sword. Fear finally won out and both the slimy man's eyes widened. My own gaze followed the arm, trailed along the blade, and saw a terrible sight. His sword had already completed its swing down into Kahina's neck.

Maim. Destroy. Rip. Rend. Will burn him, drown him. Choke out his life...

The voice in my head ranted on, a litany of hate and death threats. Burning that had been isolated in my arm grew along with my anger, overtaking my shoulder and reaching across the back in ripples. Anthony's face slowly parted as he tried to talk.

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"Helpppp." The words were in slow motion.

He wanted my help? If Kahina was dead then help would be the last thing Anthony would receive. I would shatter him bone by bone. Then once they healed I would start over, again and again until he was so fragile that moving his body caused hairline fractures. Each night I would brand a new cross into his flesh to help him keep track of the days. I would ration him on a pack of blood every week, enough to drive him mad, enough to keep the vampire in him alive and demanding. Each sunset when he woke up the necklace would hang on the wall in front of him so that his first feeling would be terror until his mind and body gave out.

Then I would bury him with the holy symbol somewhere far to the north. A place where night would stretch on forever and daylight wouldn't come. There would be no relief from the fear. Anthony would regret the day he ever signed on the dotted line. He should have gone pack or stayed in his normal human life. Afterward, I would find whatever was controlling him and continue with them until they all tasted retribution.

I didn't even feel shocked at how dark my thoughts were over this betrayal. Worse, the fantasy was nearly instant, like it had been a plan implemented countless times before.

The Second, Anthony, was no longer conflicted in his desire. There were no crossroads of staying away from Kahina and trying to kill her. Now it was survival. He could see that I had zero intention of helping him.

I tore across the small room, reaching out for Anthony. The vampire ducked away from my grasping arm. My hand barely brushed across his face, curling, trying to grab on. Skin sizzled as burning fingers clawed a pathway across his face, opposite the branding I gave him months ago.

Then he was out of the door and away from me. Both I and this other thing inside of my head barely paused. We went to look at the blade that had descended onto Kahina. Again a mark crossed her neck, far less cosmetic than a few days ago with the wolves. No, this cut had almost crossed the halfway mark.

One arm reached out and carefully pulled the blade away. Blood welled up and instead of flowing freely it hung around the wound. Her face never changed expression. She was almost decapitated and the pain hadn't even registered. Things blacked out for a brief moment as I moved closer, to sit by Kahina and study the damage. All my anger was shoved aside almost methodically as a useful resource but nothing more.

"Did the blade go all the way through?" A male voice from behind me asked. I turned to look at the source. Lennon's words were quiet but worried. One arm was clutched tightly across his chest. Broken ribs? It was likely. He was holding still aside from the occasional breath of air to speak.

"Is Lady Rhodes alright?" His worry sounded false. Lennon was probably trying to figure out what to do next. Maybe he would attack again. The partial had been fighting something like Anthony had.

This will not stand. Tick will not betray Dangerous Mate.

Things blacked out again. I had a vague sensation of moving across the room to grab the remaining partial vampire. The feel of his shoes pressed against the rubbery edge of the doorway. All his weight shifted to his heels as he tried to back up. Then nothing as his body was lifted off the ground and swung around to the bed. It wasn't a pure blackout, but my mind only registered how things felt, not how they looked. Maybe I was adapting.

I could feel Ann's footsteps finally making it to the room. Small drops of perspiration hit the ground around her. She had made good time for a human, but all the action was over. Not that there had been a lot. What she saw now would probably confuse her as much as it did me.

With one good arm, I lifted Lennon up and shoved him into the wound on Kahina's neck. Lennon didn't seem to be struggling, but his eyes were wide at the sudden movement. Her blood still hung there, pooled about the gash, almost reluctant to spread any further. It might be weak. Or maybe it knew this was a dangerous wound and was trying to heal carefully.

"You will not betray her!" I yell at him.

Little Hunter gasps. I glare over my shoulder at her. Sweat lines her face from the run. My expression warns of danger. She grips the gun in her hand. Calluses rub against the grip.

I turn back to the Tick. His face shoved at the wound. Crimson blood creeps onto the Tick's clothing. The white of his face stands out against the darkness.

"Drink!" I command. I shake his head. "Drink or I'll end you!"

Why was I putting him in a position that was so dangerous to Kahina? I shouldn't be risking her like this. Again I looked at Shaggy, her face was set in a grim mask. She couldn't understand what I was doing but wasn't interfering. I didn't understand either. That other person in my body seemed to have an agenda, though.

"I'm already b..." He tried to say something.

"DRINK!" I yell. Tick does not understand. There is no choice. I make my point by lifting his head and slamming it against the headboard. His eyes cross.

Lennon licked his lips and obeyed. There wasn't a lot of struggle coming from him about it. Instead, he awkwardly tried to get to the red liquid oozing out of her neck. Either my grip was too strong to resist, or he knew that his situation was a dangerous one. I didn't even have a cross out and had chased off Anthony.

Whatever it was inside of me, that other thing that was controlling all my actions refused to let up until Lennon's face was smeared in Kahina's blood. Finally it, I, leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Do you taste it? That thread of..." Focus. Must not remember the words. "That's me, and it will only get stronger." I continue.

"I own you now. Her fate is your fate. Her death," I shake in anger. Want to kill him. Frail under my fingers. Weak. Will be made to serve. "is your death." I say.

The words didn't echo from everywhere this time. They still felt powerful, final, merciless.

Bright lights had dimmed after their burst but still painted a frightening visual. Lennon stood up and went motionless, shoulders and arms hung limply like a marionette with cut strings. His face covered in someone else's blood for the second time tonight. Some of his hair was in patches from where it had crisped from brushing against my burning arm. There was a long motionless draw to his face that spoke of horror passing through his thoughts. Was he thinking about what had just happened? About attacking me?

I shifted my gaze to Kahina. A flicker of other vision showed that her body was spilling out energy again but slower than before. Whatever I had done made her weaker. Let's hope it was worth the trade off.

Lennon only kept his motionless pause for a moment longer. Then something snapped and his eyes drifted up towards mine. Whatever it was he saw must have shocked him. Both eyes widened and he nodded in spastic jerks then fled the room. He bypassed Ann without a glance.

She stared down the hallway where he had gone, then back at me. Her face was pale too, and while she tried to keep her expression bordering on disapproval, her eyes quivered in confusion. Her knuckles were still white from the death grip on the gun.

"Sir?" Ann didn't sound sure where to start. At least she didn't make a joke about me punching a wolf in the brain.

"What's going on? Where's Anthony?" She must have missed him zipping down the hallway. Or he went a different direction than the one Shaggy came in from.

The other me ignored her. That wasn't out of character. Not that there was any acceptable explanation for what had happened. Anthony tried to kill Kahina and had gotten closer than the wolves had. Yet another betrayal from within the household. Then, Lennon, I did something to him that might remove the risk of betrayal. I hope.

A blade in the corner was nearly absent any blood. Kahina's body shimmered slightly as the old flesh burned away, but not as intensely as before. My arm was damaged. This suit looked to be in worse condition then Kahina. The shirt felt brittle in the same places that my skin burned. Even the sleeve was in tatters.

I knelt back on the ground next to Kahina. Her hair was lopsided now from the blade's passage. It would piss her off when she woke up, her hair was a vain point. If she woke up. When. My mind shifted back and forth, fighting the possible reality with reassuring thoughts. That I had saved her now, that I would watch over her until this was done.

Fingers carefully hovered over the shortened hair. I couldn't risk actually touching her with my arm on fire like this. Thoughts rattled around trying to figure out how to make her survive. Whatever happened I would never leave her side again without a damned good reason. No matter what anyone, Shaggy or otherwise, said. She'd almost died twice during my absence.

"I'll protect you, my Regina." I say. My thoughts collide. The word is strange and true. Must sleep soon.

Hand broken earlier. From unrestrained outburst against mortar and dirt. I bleed. Useful. Slowly I drop liquid onto Dangerous Mate's neck wound. Watch as the lighter red swirls against deep crimson. Her wound accepts the offering. Feeds on it. Heals faster.

Binding hurts. Tired. Sleep. Will sleep now.

Things went dark again and my head slipped to the bed. The throbbing discomfort of my arm faded off into the distance.