"What happens if I don't have blood?" she inquired.
They both turned wary, troubled eyes on her. "If you don't get it within the first day, the transformation won't be complete. You'll die."
"Or turn into a creature stuck between the worlds. Something completely twisted; an utter monstrosity. You would have to be destroyed."
"You could have left it at I'd die," she said dryly.
"We'll figure out something," David said.
"What?" she muttered.
"I don't know, but we're going to have to do it soon. Very soon."
***
The feathery touch on her cheek woke her the next morning. She smiled as she nuzzled into Liam's hand. Then, the events of the night crashed back over her and her eyes flew open. He was kneeling before her, his eyes clouded and his face impassive.
She sat up slowly. Her neck and back were stiff from sleeping on the couch, what little sleep she had managed to get. She had waited for him to come to her all night, but he hadn't, and eventually exhaustion had won out and taken her under. She glanced around the living room, but they were alone.
She returned her attention to him. She had changed her shirt last night, but his gaze had settled upon where the bandage was. "Are you okay?" he asked hoarsely.
"Yes."
"I hurt you."
"No..."
"Yes, I did!"
Sera winced at the anger that radiated from his voice. "Liam..."
He took hold of her arms and pulled them forward. Sera tried to jerk them back, but he was already shoving the sleeve's up. Bruises marred her upper arms, and the delicate bones of her wrist. His breath rushed out of him as he gazed upon the ugly, dark marks. Marks that he had inflicted. He dropped his head as self-loathing gripped him.
"You didn't mean too," she whispered as she brushed back his raven hair. "It wasn't you."
"It was me!" he spat. "Itisme!"
Her lower lip began to tremble as tears filled her eyes. He had thought that he had himself under control enough to see her, to come near her. He'd been wrong. His composure was rapidly unraveling as he thought about what could have happened to her, what Beth could have done to her, what he could have done to her.
He dropped her arms and stood swiftly. "Liam please don't shut me out."
He couldn't shut her out if he tried. He couldn't get her out of his mind, out of his body, out of his soul. She was a part of him, and he needed her even more than the blood that kept him alive. "I have to go somewhere."
"Where?"
"David and I are going to take the snowmobiles out."
"You can't!" she cried. "You can't go out there! Those things are out there! She's out there!"
He knew what was out there better than she did. He knew what they wanted, and that was her. "Liam," he heard her stand, but he didn't turn to face her.
"Sera stay away, just stay away." She sat back on the couch. "I have to go. This is something that I have to do."
"Why?"
He ground his teeth as he moved further away from her. He could smell her blood. The memory of what it tasted like caused his teeth to lengthen, and his mouth to water. "I have to find food," he grated.
"You can just go into the woods!" she cried.
