~*~This is a small snip from my book...not quite content with it yet, but I'm leaving it as is. My editor will figure out what's to be done. Comments, of course, are welcome.~*~ The night advanced like a screaming banshee, calling out to the blood that ran through Andrique's veins. He felt it creeping up on him as if it were Death in the cloak of moonlight, beckoning him to the very depths of hell. The anticipation of the yearly Hunt made his skin itch. His pelt was threatening to come to the surface, a sign that he should be out in the twilight as soon as it tinged the clouds with a darker shade of blue. There was a vibration that traveled from his parted jaws all the way to the base of his spine, a sensation of insects crawling within him, whispering that the change was close. His primitive instincts paced in wait of a successful Hunt and a jaunty battle with a male peer. His soul craved fresh blood and the delight of making a kill beneath the sacred Moon. The human within him said that he should have control over the change. The Wolf within him howled with the need to be let free. He gazed at Nuriana as she slept, the lower part of her body covered loosely by his blanket. Her hair was disheveled from her ecstasy earlier in the morning and there was still a slight rosy tint to her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Her eyes were closed so very tight and a peaceful smile tickled the corners of her mouth. If he hadn't known her by body and by blood he wouldn't have seen it there, hiding behind the deception of sleep. Yet he had made love to her; had tasted the life and passion in her kiss. Nuriana couldn't hide that smile of pleasure from him. He could spot it from miles away. It gave him a sense of satisfaction to know that they were both equally primal in their lust. Being with her - sharing a bed with her - made him feel more human. He felt guilty. But she's a Vampire, he reminded himself. She is no Wolf. Andrique stood and dressed slowly in his better clothes, clothes that would get ripped if the change came before he could stop it. These are my nicer threads, he told himself. I can't waste money. He went over to the mirror above his dresser and studied himself. He gave a frown of inspection and licked his hand, afterward running it through his brown locks to slick them back. His shirt wasn't fully buttoned yet, and he figured before he got completely dressed it was proper of him to shave. He went into the bathroom and prepared the steaming hot water and his razor. With a thick lather on his face, he began shaving in slow, steady strokes. Once he reached around his chin area, he felt a small and sharp twinge of pain and gasped slightly as bright red coursed down his neck. A droplet of blood fell into the murky water in the sink, resembling a rising Harvest Moon. Andrique averted his eyes to the mirror in fear of teasing the change. He grabbed a washcloth and held it to his bleeding face, staring with obvious annoyance at his person in the mirror. It was all he could do to keep from striking the glass. He took the rag away, muttered a few foul words, and finished shaving without another bit of lost patience. Sweet Diana, the change is getting to me already, he thought. When he exited the bathroom, buttoning his shirt as he walked, he came into the bedroom to find Nuriana awake and sitting on the end of the bed. She was wearing only her undergarments. Her left bra strap fell carelessly off her shoulder and her hair was tousled. It gave her a sexiness that took Andrique's breath away. She smiled up at him with the eyes of an angel. He couldn't help but smile back. Nuriana stood up slowly, stumbling over to him to give him a kiss. "You look handsome," she said in a shy voice. "You don't look too bad, either," he said, brushing golden strands of hair out of her eyes. A question that he thought of made him pause. "How do you feel?" She let a calm sigh glide from between her supple lips. "I feel okay," she replied. "Just really tired...really, really tired..." There was a momentary cease to Andrique's heart. It's happening, he realized. He led her back over to the bed. "Lie down, baby." "I'm okay," she insisted, waving her hand at him. Despite the protest, she didn't resist his guidance. "My muscles are just sore...you have that effect on me." Even in her condition, she couldn't resist the temptation to flirt. He laughed quietly. "Lie down," he repeated. "I'll stay by the bed. We'll talk." Nuriana put her head on the pillow and smiled in a dreamy sort of way. There was a distant look about her, as if she was in a far-away place. "Last night was wonderful," she told him in a little girl voice. He knelt, taking her hand in his. The room was darkening; it would be nighttime soon. The rising Moon sung to him, and the ringing in his ears was a melody of Wolven tongues. He ignored his instincts and trusted his heart, kissing his beloved's hand. "It was," he agreed. Nuriana stared at him with eyes as clear as the ocean. They sparkled like diamonds and for a moment he thought he saw stars in them. With a sudden need to hold onto her forever, he interlaced his fingers with hers. Nuriana's smile widened. She inhaled deeply, the look in her eyes changing ever so slightly, and the flush in her cheeks increased. She brought Andrique's hand up to her lips and kissed each of his fingertips. They sat in silence for a time, staring into each other's eyes, making unspoken promises. Andrique was begging for forgiveness, and he wondered if she could see the pain and guilt in his spirit. The room was beginning to turn purple with the coming dark, and the change planted a deadly kiss in the very center of his spine. There was an earthquake in his bones, but he ignored it though his fangs had already begun to lengthen. Nuriana pressed his hand against her chest, over her left breast, and her smile softened with tenderness that he couldn't place. "Do you feel my heart beating?" she asked. Andrique rubbed the crest of her bosom with his thumb. "Yeah," he replied. "It's slow." He didn't want to elaborate further in fear that his emotions would overcome him. His beloved nodded slowly, her perfect hand over his. She closed her eyes halfway and bit her bottom lip. After being quiet for many moments, she spoke. "I know what's happening to me, Andy." He lowered his gaze, tears burning. He found himself unable to speak. "I knew what would happen the night I went home with you," she continued. "I didn't care. I didn't care at all. You did it because you love your pack...I did it because I love you. It's okay." "No it isn't," he replied, and it came out as a sob. "I killed you." She motioned for him to get near. "Come here and lay with me, Andy," she said. "Just one more time." Andrique crawled into bed beside her, resting his head on her chest. The faint beat of her heart chilled him, though her touch kept him warm. Her breathing was becoming raspy, but she seemed to pay no attention to it. Suddenly, Nuriana laughed. "A Shakespearean tragedy if ever there was one," she said in an unusually lighthearted sort of way. Andrique smiled in spite of himself at that remark. " 'More light and light - more dark and dark our woes.' " The radiance in Nuriana's smile went throughout the room, and things were not sad anymore. It was calm. "You really wanted to make me your mate," she said softly. "I did," he replied. She sighed lightly, brushing her fingers through his hair. "It's been...it's been so wonderful." He nestled closer against her. "It really, really has." "I feel so heavy..." She turned her face slightly and kissed the top of his head. "Do you ever have those dreams when you can fly, Andy?" "Yeah," he replied. "All the time." The tightness was already settling into his stomach and he could feel himself becoming very tense. His muscles were going through a series of spasms and it was taking all of his physical power not to give in to the change. "My mother used to tell me that those dreams are windows, you know? Like...to see what it would be like to turn into an angel." She paused to take a slow, deep breath. It sent a shockwave of pain and she winced. "I don't care that this is how things are ending," Nuriana continued. "It doesn't matter to me...I love you. Death means nothing. I knew what I was getting myself into the moment we met and it's...it's okay, Andy. Don't feel guilty." "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please don't be," she replied. "It was beautiful." Tears escaped Andrique's eyes. "It was." Nuriana laughed quietly. "Do you remember the first time we kissed?" Andrique smiled. "Yeah...it was underneath that big tree at the park. You looked like an angel, you know. You really did." Nuriana chuckled and then went quiet for a few moments. "Andy?" "Mm?" "I...I wouldn't want to be with anybody else right now...or ever. I'm almost glad this is how it'll end. With...with you, right by me." She added, "Promise me you'll go to the Hunt tonight. Tradition is the most important thing." "For you...for you, I promise." The room got darker. "I love you, Nuriana." She beamed. "I love you, Andrique." They lay in silence together until the room became dark and undistinguishable. Nuriana couldn't move; she could feel herself deteriorating and shutting down. It was becoming difficult to breathe, and she was holding onto her spirit in order to stay for only a little longer. She kept wishing that she could be in his arms forever, even though she knew she had to let him - and herself - go. Finally, Nuriana couldn't keep on anymore. In a shallow voice, she murmured, " 'O, think'st thou we shall ever meet again?' " Choking back a sob, Andrique responded. " 'I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve For sweet discourses in our time to come.' " Nuriana took her last breath. The room went still with the bitterness of death. Her spirit fled the earth, forever entwined in a passion that expanded far beyond mortality. Andrique wept against his deceased mate's bosom as the change rippled through his body.