While the streets of Fairbanks had been dead, Anchorage was choked with traffic when we returned late morning.

I stifled a yawn.

Dante hadn't shut up since we left Fairbanks  - like he was on some kind of adrenaline rush. He'd wanted a detailed play by play of what went down at Ivo's. Finally I'd relented, it was either that or listen to him sing.

Dante said I did good. I had to admit it went a lot smoother when I only had to stab my target once.

"Do you mind dropping me off in front of Video City?" I asked as we neared home.

Dante raised a brow.

"I want to spend a quiet night watching movies."

Dante broke out into his trademark grin. "Good idea. Rent some chick flicks, kick back, and relax. You earned it, Sky."

I began tapping my fingers over my thigh as we approached the video store.

I unclicked my seatbelt when Dante parked.

"Thanks for dropping me off. See you around?"

"No, it's cool," he replied. "I'll wait while you pick out some DVDs, then drive you home. I can help make suggestions if you like. I have excellent taste in movies."

I looked at the dashboard. "I'm kind of meeting someone here."

Dante clucked his tongue. "Is this someone a boy?"

"None of your business."

"We're partners, Sky. You don't ever have to lie to me. Just say the word. I'm cool with it."

I relaxed in my seat. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

"No problemo."

I reached back and scratched Tommy's head. "Bye for now, Tommy. Keep Dante out of trouble."

Dante chuckled. "Stay out of trouble yourself, Sky. Sure I shouldn't stick around and meet this boy, make sure he's up to snuff?"

"I never said it was a boy."

Dante smiled way too much, but at least it wasn't creepy like Melcher. "Of course it's a boy."

"Whatever," I said. "You're such a man child."

Dante reached behind my seat for my backpack, laughing as he did.

"Forever young," he said with a wink, handing over my pack.

Once on solid ground, I said my last goodbye to Dante.

"Be in touch again soon, Sky. Get your rest!"

The Rubicon sped away.

I opened my phone and called Fane to tell him I was at Video City. A minute later he pulled in. Either he drove at lightning speed or was nearby to begin with. I was thinking the latter given he was driving the tank.

The Catalina squealed as he pulled in front of Video City.

"I don't think she likes the cold," I said as he stepped out.

Not even a smile. Crescent shadows rimmed Fane's eyes. Maybe I shouldn't have called him in the middle of the night, hung up, and then ignored his calls for the next couple hours.

"So you took off for Fairbanks with some guy?" he asked.

Then there was that. "Brother-type guy."

"Right," Fane said, sarcastically. "Let's just get the facts straight. You left town with a guy who is not your brother and spent the entire night with him."

Tears swam over my vision - probably because I hadn't slept in twenty-seven hours and had rammed a dagger through two hearts earlier. Regardless of being killer vampires, a heart was a heart. I'd caused two to stop beating in the last twenty-four hours.

"Are you crying? Hey, come here."

I loved that Fane's voice could change in an instant. I loved his arms around me even more.

I burrowed against him, determined never to leave the comfort of his chest. The world could go on without me. Fane brushed my hair back tenderly. His fingers stilled over the bruise at the hairline of my forehead then touched it gently. He stroked the tender flesh as though he could rub the wound away. My scalp tingled.

"Want to tell me how you got this bruise?"

I looked up into his eyes. "I just want to be with you."

Fane frowned. "Why did you leave?"

"Friend emergency. I can't talk about it. I'm sorry."

"I don't care what it was. What kind of friend expects you to rush off to Fairbanks in the middle of the night by car? Seems like they're asking too much of you."

"Tell me about it."

My phone started ringing from inside my coat pocket. Fane raised a brow as I dug it out. It better not be Dante.

Nope, Mom.

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hi, Mom. We made it to town. Be home shortly...I'm fine. Yep. No, he has to get going. Yes, I'm sure...Because I know. Fine." I held my phone down. "Dante, want to stay for lunch? Are you sure? Okay." I put the phone back to my ear. "He's busy, but says thanks. Right, so see you soon. Bye, Mom."

I closed my phone and rolled my eyes.

Fane stared at me. "What kind of name is Dante?"

"What kind of name is Fane?" I countered.

He chose not to answer, instead asking, "Doesn't your mother want to have me over for lunch?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe I ought to meet your mom and assure her my intentions are honorable."

"Oh, are they?" I teased.

Fane grinned. "Well, perhaps not all honorable, but for the most part."

"What about dinner tonight? That'll give me a chance to rest." I was fading fast.

"Just tell me when. I already know where." Fane grinned. "How about I walk you home for now?"

"That's really nice, but I've gotten over my fear of cars."

If I could survive fourteen hours in a moving vehicle with Dante, I could get inside a care with anyone.

"How about for old time's sake?" Fane asked. He grinned. "And my own selfish motivation to keep you by my side a little longer."

My smile reached my ears. "Okay then, for old time's sake."

Fane took my pack and put it over his shoulder.

The walk looked different without the snow shower coming down on us. I stole sideways glances at Fane. I saw him trying not to smile every time I stared at him. I slipped my hand inside his.

"You're not smoking?" I asked.

"I quit."

"Why?"

"I don't want to expose you to secondhand smoke."

"So you just quit like that? Cold turkey?"

"I haven't smoked all weekend."

"Aren't you having cravings?"

"For nicotine?" Fane paused. "No."

"You make it sound so easy."

He stared into the distance before answering. "Some habits are easier to kick than others."

I squeezed his hand. For all Fane's tough talk about being immune, it wasn't worth the risk. I didn't want Fane to get cancer. I didn't want anything bad to ever happen to him.

A chill ran down my spine.

"What is it?" Fane asked.

I don't know how he felt it. My body didn't visibly shudder. I pulled my hand out of his.

"What did you mean that day in gym when you said you'd seen that look on my face before?"

Fane gave me a blank stare. Then something seemed to register in his eyes. He turned quickly away.

"It just reminded me of something. It's nothing."

It wasn't nothing, but I couldn't exactly demand an answer when he'd been so cool about the whole pulling an all nighter in Fairbanks Operation Fake Friend emergency.

As we topped the hill, I grabbed Fane's hand again.

"Thank you for walking me home."

Fane pulled me to a stop. There was a kindness inside his eyes that took me aback.

"Next time your friend has a crisis that can't wait call me," he said. "I'll drive you wherever you need to go."

"In the tank? We'd still be on the road."

Fane chuckled and kissed me on the head, managing to avoid the bruise.

Mom woke me gently at six thirty. I showered in under five minutes, combed my hair, blew it dry, and put on a fresh change of clothes. I waited to wrap the scarf around my neck until I'd finished getting ready. My neck ached where I'd been bitten.

I sat on top of the couch's back in the front parlor, just staring out the window until I saw two headlights beam into our driveway. I jumped to my feet and opened the door before Fane had a chance to knock. He stood outside holding a bouquet of assorted flowers and a bottle of red wine.

"Thank you," I said as he handed me the flowers. "Please come in."

Fane was dressed in his usual head to toe black.

I led him into the kitchen. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Fane."

Mom's mouth hung open. She looked at the dyed hair on his temples rather than his eyes. Then her head twisted abruptly when she saw the flowers in my hand.

Her alarm was quickly covered by a forced smile. "Nice to meet you, Fane."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sky. Thank you for having me over." Fane walked into the kitchen and set the bottle of wine on the counter. "I brought this for you. I hope you drink red."

Actually, mom drank brown - as in soda. She'd never been much for wine. And what was a teenager doing bringing over a bottle of wine? It's not like Fane lived at home and could raid his parents' wine cabinet.

"Thanks," Mom said slowly.

I opened one of the bottom cabinets and rooted around for an empty vase for the flowers. When I found it, I filled it with a bit of water and set them in the center of the dinner table.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Fane asked my mom.

"No, I've got everything under control. ...Thanks."

"Come on," I said, taking his hand. "We can hang out in my room until dinner's ready."

"Actually, Aurora, I need you to make a salad."

When my mom wasn't looking Fane winked at me. His smile made me want to drag him to my room and kiss him senseless.

"Sure, Mom," I said in an upbeat voice.

After fifteen minutes of Mom never leaving me alone with Fane, we sat down to dinner.

Fane dished up salad and passed on pot roast. "Smells wonderful, Mrs. Sky, but I don't eat meat."

Fane was losing big points with my mom. The way she looked at him, you'd think he'd just confessed to being a meth head. Mom helped herself to the roast and ate in silence. It wasn't like her to forgo conversation with a dinner guest. After a few minutes, she asked how Fane and I knew one another.

"Gym class," I said and scrunched up my nose. "I suppose it was our mutual loathing for physical education that drew us together."

Fane smiled. "Gym isn't so tough. I just sit back and watch the game."

I leaned back in my chair and smiled at my mom. "Fane's more of a spectator."

Mom's lips tightened.

I grinned wider when I glanced back at Fane. "But I suspect he's a closet athlete. You should have seen the way he pummeled his opponents the time he participated in badminton."

Fane shrugged. "I've played a game or two of badminton in my day."

He pushed the salad around on his plate. Watching him eat, or rather not eat, was like staring into a mirror of what I was like at the table. I felt so connected to this boy. I was glad he was there. I wished he could stay the night, and I didn't even mean that in a sexual way. I just felt better when he was nearby.

At the end of the meal, Fane helped clear the table and began washing the dishes.

Mom snatched a plate from him. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of those."

I didn't like the way Mom looked at Fane, like he was trying to rifle through her china cabinet.

"Mom, we've got it," I said. "You cooked."

Okay, so usually I let her do both, but seeing Fane up to his elbows in soapy water looked so adorably domestic that I wanted to shoo my mom out and join him at the sink. She hesitated before retreating into the living room. The TV came on, turned at a low 'I can still hear you' volume. I grabbed a green terry kitchen towel and sat on the counter beside Fane.

The warm white frothy water slid down Fane's arm as he handed me plates. I didn't worry that I was grinning like an idiot because Fane was doing the same.

"You're cute," he said.

I grinned. "I was just thinking the same about you."

Fane released the pan he'd been scrubbing and let it slip back into the sink. I dropped the kitchen towel. His arms circled my waist. He pulled me to his lips. I felt the wet grip of his arms soaking through my top. Fane backed me against the counter and bruised my lips with his hungry kiss. I gripped him around his neck and crushed my lips against his.

I wanted to wrap my legs around him. I wanted to grind against him and ease that invisible ache, but Mom had her ears open. Not that I cared at the moment. My needs overruled caution.

A gentle tug on my scarf caught my attention. Fane pulled the first layer around my neck.

I broke off our kiss. "Don't."

I glanced in the direction of the living room.

He nodded. "This isn't the place."

Fane returned to scrubbing dishes. Humor returned to his voice.

"I haven't done dishes in ages. It's rather therapeutic actually."

"Great, you're hired."

Fane nodded toward the living room. "So where's your dad?"

"I scared him off. We don't know when or if he's coming back."

"You scared him?"

I batted my eyelashes and spoke in a girlish voice, "Little ol' me, I can be quite a fright."

Fane laughed. "Whatever you say, Snow White."

After I'd dried and put away the last dish, Mom appeared in the dining room.

"Thanks for doing the dishes," she said evenly.

"No problem," I answered.

"Well, it's getting late," she prodded.

"Mom, it's not even nine."

"You were already up late last night...with Dante." Mom lifted her nose. I swear it was the first snub to ever leave her lips.

My jaw clenched. Before I could say another word, Fane glided from the kitchen to the adjoining dining room.

He smiled. "Thank you for having me over to dinner, Mrs. Sky. It was a pleasure meeting you." He turned. "Aurora, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

I tossed the kitchen towel on the counter. "I'll walk you out."

I didn't bother with my jacket. I had to stop myself from slamming the front door once we were outside.

"Sorry about my mom."

Fane just smiled. "She's looking out for you. I get it. I'll see you tomorrow."

He opened his car door, but I shut it before he could get in. His eyes dropped to my lips as he grinned.

"I don't want to wait till tomorrow," I said.

I moved in for the kiss. Fane managed to steer me to the back door of the car, open it, and toss me in the back seat. He shut us inside the indestructible tank and hovered above me on his hands and knees. I did what I'd been longing to do - wrap my legs around his torso and pull him to me. He groaned. The sound was indescribable - like a soul in torment. I suspected it might kill him if he didn't have me right then.

It would serve my mother right if I had sex with Fane in our driveway after the way she chased him out. She never would have acted that way with Dante. She would have waited on Dante hand and foot and signed our marriage certificate all because he was the golden boy with the charming smile.

If she thought it was safer sending Fane away, she had no idea who I was anymore. I rocked against him. The springs dug into my back from under the old upholstery.

Fane pulled my top up just below my breasts and began trailing kisses down my stomach. I shivered and gasped. He reached for the scarf once more. He seemed more intent on getting it off than my pants.

I rolled my head side to side on the car bench. "No," I moaned. "No."

"Why not?" Fane asked huskily.

Because he couldn't see. He couldn't know. What would he think of me if he knew?

I sat up. "I should go back inside. I'll see you tomorrow."

I thought he'd protest, but Fane grinned and said, "I never thought I'd count down the hours until school started."

I kissed him quickly on the lips and crawled to the opposite door. When I turned around on the porch, Fane waved as he pulled out of the driveway. I waved back then ran inside and up the stairs before Mom could ruin my good mood.