The boat rocked with the waves and the evening cool temperatures filled the cabin. Opening his eyes, he stared up at the cabin ceiling and listened to the waves. Sitting up, he looked around and found the cabin empty. Frowning, he walked over to the steps and climbed up to the deck. Stepping on the deck, he saw the distant outline of a nearby port and he glanced over his shoulder. The light on the rear was turned off and the engine was lowered. He walked back to the motor and found Belenus in his way. The wolf raised his head silently and fixed black eyes on him. Silently they exchanged looks and the wolf lowered his head to the deck. Stepping over the creature, Aedan looked at the wheel and found her. She was wearing a flannel over a t-shirt and had her hair pulled out of her face. Her hands rested on the controls her eyes were focused on the port. Quietly he stepped up beside her and saw her slow the boat down another notch. "You should be sleeping." He glanced into her focused eyes and said, "I'm not the one on the verge of collapsing." She kept her eyes on the island and steered the boat up along the side of the port. Aedan searched for a port and saw her turn the wheel to starboard. They backed into the port and she turned off the engine. He saw her hop onto the deck and begin tying the boat down for the night. Quietly he took up the other rope and tied it to the stake. A light flashed in his face and he glanced over his shoulder. A group of hidden people were approaching and he looked back at Aine. She disappeared beneath the deck and Belenus stood by the starboard wall. The group stopped at the end of the deck and he slowly stood up. One woman showed herself and silently approached with a hand in a coat pocket. Aedan studied the worn lines on the woman's face and saw movement beside him. Aine climbed off the boat and carried a bag on her shoulder. She had fastened Belenus to a lead and the wolf walked next to her as she approached the woman. The woman held out a hand and they slowly exchanged greetings. The woman smiled and said, "We were beginning to think you weren't going to make it back." Aine kept silent and the woman looked past her at the blonde man. Aedan held the stranger's gaze and felt a slow uneasiness creeping up his spine. The woman looked back at Aine and asked, "He with you?" She nodded once and the woman turned back to the hidden people. They walked past the two women and approached the boat. A few men pushed Aedan aside and climbed onto the boat. He let out a grunt and looked up at the two women. Aine caught his gaze and walked past the woman. Pushing his way through the group of people, he walked past the greeter and followed Aine down the streets. They walked through dark alleys surrounding a village and he saw her stop at an old battered door. She rested her hand on the handle and twisted. The door swung open and she disappeared inside. Silently Aedan entered the place and stopped when a light was turned on. The place was an old fish packing plant and he looked around, finding all windows and doors boarded up. Belenus was released and he disappeared into a back room. Aedan looked back at Aine and she disappeared into the back room. Walking behind the woman, he entered an opened room filled with community bunks and separate living quarters. He watched her slip behind a curtain door and he slowly entered the room. Belenus rested on a few pillows in the corner and she dropped her bag on a table. Letting out a sigh, she walked over to a couch and sat down. Her head hit the back of the couch and she propped her legs on a table. Aedan studied the exhausted look on her face and quietly approached the couch. He sat at the other end and watched her rub the bridge of her nose. "Aine, you need rest." She opened her eyes and said, "Not an option." He frowned and opened his mouth to speak but stopped when the curtain was pushed aside. The woman from the port entered the room and Aine turned her focus to the woman. The woman stared at her and asked, "Did you bring it?" Aine nodded and leaned her head back on the couch again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "In the bag." The woman walked up to the circular table and picked up the ratted bag. She opened it and closed it with a smile. "I'll take care of it. See you in the morning." Aine heard her leave and let out her held breath. She opened her eyes slowly and forced herself onto her feet. Walking across the room, she opened a cabinet and pulled out a pillow and blanket. She threw them at Aedan and he caught them, watching her move to a chair. She stopped next to the chair and turned the table light off in the corner. He stood up and heard, "The couch is for you." Ignoring the order, he walked over to her and pushed her back to the couch. She looked back at him and he saw the weariness growing in her. Slowly she sat down and he took the other end of the couch. He watched her rest her head on the back of the couch and put the pillow by the armrest. Slipping his arm around her tiny waist, he pulled her down to him and held her as he stretched out. Her body was small next to him and he found her skin cold instead of the familiar warmth. She kept her eyes closed and he slid his hand along the nape of her neck. Rubbing the tense muscles, he watched her drift asleep and closed his eyes. __________________________________________________________ A scuffling outside the room carried inside and he opened his eyes. Glancing down at her, he found the woman still asleep and he slid his arm away from her. He lowered her head onto the pillow and raised the blanket up over her shoulders. Watching her trying to recover, he closed his eyes and got to his feet. Crossing the room, he pushed the curtain aside and found a community of people surrounding him. The woman from the previous night saw him appear and she tossed some blankets at him. He held her gaze and she carried Aine's bag on her shoulder. "They come here late at night. It's a shelter that the vampires don't try and invade." His eyes narrowed and she asked, "You against them too?" "Who wouldn't be?" She smirked and said, "The name is Diana." "Aedan." The smirk grew into a smile and she walked past him. She opened the bag and approached a few people. A man sat hunched over another man and she pulled out a bottle of liquid. The man took it and thanked her. She looked back at Aedan and he gave the man a blanket. They walked around the room, distributing blankets and needed supplies out of the bag. When the last person was taken care of, they withdrew into a hallway and Diana looked up at him. "You know Aine long?" He stared out at the people and asked, "What does Aine have to do with this place?" She smirked and said, "She helped me get it set up a few months ago. Stopped a vampire from killing a young girl and we built this place." "The vampires stay away?" "They believe Aine is always here when it's just a few people that she trained." He frowned and she said, "Now answer my question." His blue eyes looked at her and she said, "I'd say you aren't a good conscious person." His jaw tightened and he said, "Grew up in the same village. I killed her father." Diana couldn't keep the shock out of her face and he looked away from her. He looked at the resting people again and left the hallway. Diana caught his arm and handed him a container of food. He took it without a word and disappeared into the side room. Belenus lifted his head when he entered and Aedan found Aine sitting up. She shoved her hands through her hair and he walked over to the couch. Sitting down, he opened the container and saw her look at the food. The distaste flashed through her eyes briefly and he caught her wrist, keeping her next to him. She shot him a warning look and he shoved some food in her lap. "Eat it." Frowning, she tore off a bite of meat and threw it in her mouth. Swallowing the red meat, she felt her stomach twist at the invading substance and he handed her another bite. Eating the second bite, she kept a hard stare on him and saw the intense look in his eyes. Forcing a third bite down, she pushed the food away and jumped away from him. To keep the food down, she needed time to process it and needed to move about. "Aine, you need to eat more." She looked back at him and said, "I can't." He closed the container and got to his feet. She watched him cross the room and felt his hands grasp a firm hold on her shoulders. He stared into her eyes and she felt her stomach twisting in agony. "I'm not going to let you starve yourself to death again." She held his gaze and said, "I won't be pushed around." His eyes flashed back at her and she pushed herself free. He caught her wrist and whipped her back to him. His mouth slid over hers and his hands buried themselves in her hair. She felt the agony in her stomach disappear and the slight jump in her nerves. He pulled back and she stepped back as her senses recovered. Quietly she crossed the room and picked up the blanket and pillow. She put them in the cabinet and he caught her wrist. She looked back at him and he said, "If we go, I'm driving the boat and you're resting." His eyes burned into hers and she held her tongue as he released her wrist. He waited for an answer and she turned her back on him. Leaving the room, Belenus followed and she attached his lead to him. Diana approached her with the bag and she slid it over her shoulder. "I wish you would stay another night and rest more. We could use you around here." She stared at the woman and said, "You have the power without me. You'll be fine." Diana sighed and asked, "Another drop?" She nodded and said, "I'll be back with more supplies and some more manpower." The woman smiled and nodded. She looked past the woman and saw the victims looking at her. They all held smiles and she brushed hair out of her face. Belenus pulled her through the crowded room and they made their way to the exit. Diana opened the door and she stepped into the alley. Aedan moved behind her and Diana said, "Bring her back." He held her gaze and Aine met his. His hand caught her back and he pushed her along the alley. Belenus walked at her side and she let him lead them down to the docks. Stepping into the port, she glanced up at the man beside her and saw the differences in him more clearly than ever. She let Belenus onto the boat and they untied the ropes. He climbed into the boat and helped her in without a word. She watched him walk back to the wheel and she moved the ropes away from the wall. The engine came to life and she walked down beneath the deck. Dropping the bag on her bed, she let out a sigh and her hand caught the ring she still wore. Curling her hand into a fist, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She saw the port disappear through the window and her jaw tightened. The man steering the boat wasn't backing down but she knew what she still had to do. Her eyes slid around the cabin and she felt some resolution slipping into her. She'd rest and let him control the boat until they approached the next drop. The final stop was going to require her at her full strength and a frown crossed her face as the knowledge that it may very well be her final job went through her mind.