Disclaimer: Some concepts and characters in this story belong to ABC TV, specifically, the TV series Prey. This work was written without their permission or knowledge. No disrespect is intended to either the writers or actors. The character of Sarah Hillar belongs to me.

This piece has a high NC-17 rating for M/F sexual content. There is no V or L.

Comments to Tere Matthews

NC17-rated

Sarah took a deep breath, then sighed quietly. Things just kept getting worse.

It had been six weeks since Lewis kidnapped her and let her go. Attwood didn't trust her, despite Tom and Sloan's repeated assurances. Neither did Attwood's boss, Ms. Giddings. Everyone at the Agency treated Sarah like she was some kind of pariah now.

She looked down at the resignation letter in her hand. It was short and to the point. There was no reason to go into details. They didn't want her here; she didn't want to be here.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Tom asked softly.

"I really don't see any other option," she said.

He nodded.

Sarah looked at him gratefully. He wouldn't argue. He'd help her no matter what she decided to do. He'd become a good friend over the past six weeks, closer than Sloan even.

That brought another sigh. Sloan was jealous. She thought Sarah wanted Tom to replace Lewis. Sloan just didn't understand how it was between them. Tom understood what Sarah had gone through, both from the perspective of one who'd done it to another person and one who'd had it done to him. Tom had gone through something similar to what Sarah had as part of his training - so he could learn to break a hold on him as Sarah had managed to do on her own.

Sarah understood now why Tom had never consummated his relationship with Sloan. He was hesitant to use the skills he'd been taught for control on someone he cared about. He didn't want to control Sloan and, unlike Lewis, Tom wasn't sure he could use his skill to give pleasure without controlling. Sarah had tried to tell him how it would be, but he still wasn't sure.

Sarah pretty much stayed away from both of them now, although Tom tended to drop by her apartment unannounced at odd hours. He said he just wanted to make sure she was all right and, since he didn't want Sloan upset any more than Sarah did, he simply didn't tell Sloan what he was doing.

"I might as well get this over with," Sarah said.

She stood up and walked into Attwood's office. Sloan and Ed were there, but she didn't care. They'd know soon enough. Tom followed her in and stood by the door as Sarah walked over to Attwood and handed him the letter.

"What's this?" he asked.

"My resignation."

Sloan and Ed gave her startled looks. Attwood narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

Sarah looked at him and shook her head. "You'll never trust me. No one here does. And I really don't want to live like this anymore. It'll just be easier all around if I go find another job."

"I'm not sure that's the best choice, Sarah."

"It's my choice to make Dr. Attwood."

He looked at her without speaking, then nodded. "If that's what you want."

Sarah clamped down on the pang of hurt that came at his easy acceptance. She knew he'd let her go, she just hadn't thought he'd take it so casually. She looked at Ed and he looked away. Sloan looked at her wide-eyed, but didn't say anything.

Sarah shook her head again and turned to leave the office. Tom's eyes met hers as she passed him and she smiled sadly at him. He nodded and she knew he'd be by to check on her later.

She went to her desk and picked up her purse. She'd taken her personal items home over the past week. No one had noticed. She looked around once more, then walked out of the office, out of the building and out of the Agency.

Tom knocked on Sarah's apartment door. It opened under his hand. His nostrils flared and he opened himself empathically. He hadn't sensed her before, but he wasn't really trying. Now, he knew that she wasn't in her apartment.

He opened the door carefully. He didn't sense anyone in the apartment, but after Lisa had tricked him, he knew that one of his own kind, well-trained, could shield themselves from him. He glided into the main room of the apartment and looked around.

Little things stood out. The lamp had been moved a few inches. The pillows on the couch weren't pressed completely down. The curtains were drawn; Sarah preferred them open.

He moved into the bedroom. More little things. A drawer partially open with a bit of clothing hanging out. The closet door was open part way. He could see that the medicine cabinet in the bathroom was open.

He walked back into the living room. Sarah was gone. Someone had taken her. He clenched his jaw against the anger. Lewis. He must not have been able to let her go.

Tom went to the phone and dialed Sloan's number.

"There's something I have to take care of," he told her. "I may be gone for several days."

She questioned him, protested that Attwood wouldn't understand. He listened until she was done. "I'll be back in several days, Sloan."

Then he hung up and went looking for his mentor.

Sarah opened her eyes slowly. Her head felt like it was three times it's normal size and her mouth tasted rancid. She tried to focus, but couldn't quite accomplish it. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.

"She's awake."

Sarah recognized that voice. Attwood.

She opened her eyes and forced herself to focus on the ceiling, then turned her head. "Where am I?"

Attwood leaned close and she could see pity in his eyes. "You're in one of our labs, Sarah."

She blinked, still trying to focus properly. "Why?"

Attwood sighed. "It would have been better if you hadn't resigned. I tried to tell you it wasn't the best choice."

Sarah blinked, this time to keep from crying. "You didn't try very hard."

Attwood straightened up and looked away. "Ms. Giddings was not comfortable allowing you to simply leave. We had to make certain that you didn't take anything to give to Lewis."

Sarah considered that. "You searched my apartment?"

Attwood looked at her, surprised. "Yes. We found nothing there."

"That's because I didn't take anything."

Attwood's eyes narrowed. "Or, perhaps you simply hid it well."

Sarah closed her eyes and tried to sit up. Attwood's hand touched her arm and she yanked it away from him as she swung her legs off the cot and leaned forward. Her head was throbbing.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

"The drug will wear off in a few more minutes," Attwood told her. "Then, Ms. Giddings would like to speak to you."

"Why wait?" she asked bitterly.

"Because I want you to be lucid."

Sarah didn't recognize that voice. It was a woman, though. She looked up and saw Giddings through bleary eyes. Sarah had seen her before, but never heard her speak.

"Why?" Sarah asked.

Giddings moved closer to the cot and a third person in the room, another man, set a chair down for her. Giddings sat.

"I want to know what happened to you when you were gone for those two days. I want to know what Lewis did to you."

Sarah blanched. "I already told you."

"No, you didn't. I don't know whether you're keeping it back because you're working for him or simply because you're embarrassed. Tom told us some of what Lewis is capable of."

A flush started at Sarah's neck and worked it's way up her face. She swallowed hard, but didn't say anything.

Giddings tilted her head and studied Sarah for a moment. "I'm leaning toward embarrassment. If that's the case, we'll let you go and no harm done. Either way, I have to know."

Sarah stared at her. "You're as bad as he is!"

Giddings shrugged. "This is a war, Ms. Hillar. A war for survival. I intend to win." She stood up. "The drugs will be completely out of your system in about five hours. Rest until then. If you want food, it will be brought to you."

"Then what?" Sarah asked.

"Then, Ms. Hillar, we will find out what happened while Lewis held you."

Giddings left. Sarah looked up at Attwood, but he wouldn't meet her eyes as he turned and followed Giddings. Sarah stared at the door as the third man closed it behind him. She couldn't believe this was happening again. She had a feeling she was going to like Giddings technique a lot less than Lewis'.

Sarah drifted in a void. She had no control over her body or her voice. Questions were asked and she answered them. She knew there was a reason she shouldn't, but she had lost the ability to stop herself.

Sometimes, she began to regain a measure of control. She would almost be able to refuse, then she would feel a prick and coldness flooding through her veins and she would answer whatever was asked of her again.

There were periods when there were no questions asked, when she began to feel like herself again. She heard voices, and tried to focus, to understand what they were saying.

"...system can't handle it. She needs to rest. We're in no hurry."

"You're in no hurry. I am."

She recognized that voice, a woman's voice, but she couldn't remember who it was. A man spoke next, a voice she'd once trusted.

"We've waited this long, what's a few more hours?"

She couldn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation. She drifted away into some other plane of existence.

It took Tom only thirty-six hours to locate Lewis. Obviously his mentor wasn't trying to stay hidden. He didn't mind being found.

Tom walked up the steps to the house without hesitation. Lewis would know he was here. There was no way to hide his presence. He opened the front door and walked in. A petite blonde was waiting in the living room. She looked him up and down, then held out her hand and Tom put his gun into it. She gestured to a door and he went through.

Lewis was sitting at a desk, typing on his laptop, just like the last time Tom had gone looking for him.

"Where is she?" Tom asked.

Lewis looked up with an amused expression, then back down at the keyboard. "Have you lost Dr. Parker again, Tom? You really should take better care of your pets."

"Not Sloan. Sarah. Where is she?"

Lewis' fingers stopped moving, but he didn't look up this time.

"Sarah Hillar?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

Lewis looked at him. Tom could read nothing in his eyes, but he knew that expression. Lewis was controlling.

"She's missing?"

Tom nodded. "Where is she?"

Lewis studied him. "How do you know she's missing?"

Tom stared into Lewis' eyes for a moment without answering. Lewis looked at him, waiting.

"I went to her apartment," Tom said. "I could tell that someone had been there, taken her."

A muscle in Lewis' jaw jumped. "And you think it was me?"

Tom nodded.

Lewis shook his head. "I have no use for her. Why would I take her?"

Tom studied Lewis face, seeking the truth. After a moment he spoke again. "She resigned from the Agency."

The muscle moved again. "Then perhaps you should speak to Attwood." Lewis' voice was silky, deadly. Tom knew then that Lewis didn't have her. More than that, Lewis was angry that she had been taken.

Tom looked at Lewis, studied him. "She is yours. Why didn't you keep her?"

Lewis eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Would Attwood had taken her?"

Tom shook his head. "No. But Giddings might have."

Lewis' nostrils flared. "Would they harm her?"

Tom nodded slowly. "It is possible."

Lewis stood and walked over to Tom. Tom's eyes widened as he felt Lewis' shields drop.

"I did not take her." Lewis spoke softly and intently. "But I will find her."

Tom dropped his own shields in reply. "*We* will find her."

Lewis looked at him for a moment, then nodded once. He turned and shut down the laptop, then took his leather jacket from the chair. He indicated that Tom should follow him and walked out into the main room.

"Julia," Lewis said.

The blonde walked over with a curious look at Tom.

"Give Tom back his weapon."

Julia gave Lewis a surprised look but complied immediately. Lewis walked over and picked up a gun from the kitchen table, reaching behind him to place it in his belt at the small of his back.

"Shall we?" he said, gesturing to the door.

Tom nodded and walked out, feeling the prickle on his back as he allowed Lewis to walk behind him. He knew Lewis' feelings, though. Lewis would help him find Sarah. For now, they had a truce. Afterwards, they would be enemies again, but for now, they shared a mutual goal.

Tom knew that Lewis had Marked Sarah. More, she had accepted that claim to some extent. Lewis considered her his property. He might not choose to keep her close, but he would not allow anyone to harm her. Tom had seen that when Lewis lowered his shields.

Lewis would help him find Sarah. Then Tom would have to find a way to prevent Lewis from reclaiming his property. First, though, they had to find her.

Sarah woke feeling even worse than she had the last time. She opened her eyes and tried to focus again.

"She's awake," someone said.

She blinked, trying to come out of the stupor she was in.

"Ms. Hillar. How are you feeling?"

She turned her head. An unknown man was holding her wrist, checking her pulse. It frightened her to realize that she couldn't even feel him touching her.

His head turned and he spoke to someone behind her. "Her pulse is strong. I would say we can proceed."

Another man came and lifted her, placing her on a gurney. She tried to keep her eyes open, but the lights flashing by overhead made her dizzy and nauseous. A tear trickled out of her eye as she remembered where she was. Attwood and Giddings had brought her here. They were interrogating her.

She wished for the first time that she was back with Lewis in that bedroom. His torture was less painful, less degrading. At least he'd let her keep her Self.

The motion finally stopped and the gurney she was on lowered. She looked sideways and saw Attwood and Giddings sitting in chairs. The man who'd checked her pulse blocked her view and she felt a prick in her arm again.

Truth serum she realized. Sodium pentothal.

She closed her eyes as the cold spread up her arm, through her body. The void claimed her again and her body and voice were no longer her own.

Tom wasn't particularly happy about showing Lewis where the Agency's labs were. He would have to convince Attwood to move them once this was over. For now, this was the only way he knew to find Sarah.

If Lewis didn't have her, then Giddings did. Sarah would have been brought to one of the labs, therefore, they had to check each one. It wasn't difficult.

Tom and Lewis approached each building, then circled it, slowly, until they met on the far side. Each man knew Sarah's emotional signature. Each could recognize her if she was present in the building.

Lewis had intended to perform the task himself until Tom said that he knew Sarah's signature as well. Lewis' eyes narrowed at that information. Had Lewis not needed him, Tom knew he would have been flat on his back as Lewis attempted to determine why Tom knew the empathic signature of a female that belonged to Lewis.

He considered explaining, but decided against it. Time enough for that later. Besides, Tom might yet choose to say that he had Marked Sarah, might decide to challenge Lewis' claim if it appeared to be the only way to free her from him. That would be an exceptionally dangerous course of action, however.

Tom had never seen Lewis like this. There had never been anyone that Lewis chose to Mark before. Sarah was the first - at least to Tom's knowledge.

When Lewis released Sarah outside the agency, he had told Tom empathically that she belonged to him. Then he had let her go. That action was, in itself a message to Tom.

Tom never told Sarah about that part of the message, a private message, Predator male to Predator male. Sarah was Lewis'. Whether he chose to claim her or not, Lewis had made sure that Tom knew she was his property. Just as Tom had let Lewis know that Sloan was his property the night he'd gone after her, when Lewis held her.

Yet Lewis had let Sarah go. Tom was astounded at his mentor's control. He'd always known that Lewis far exceeded all others in that area, but he had never seen such a demonstration. Still, even Lewis' control had limits. He might have been willing to let Sarah go, but he wasn't willing to let anyone else have her or harm her.

Tom had known that he was on dangerous ground when he offered to help Sarah overcome Lewis' programming. If Sarah had accepted, Tom would have been in great danger. Still, he would have done all he could to help her. She deserved no less. She'd refused out of respect for Sloan and Tom was ashamed of Sloan's jealous response to the friendship he had developed with Sarah.

When Sarah was free, Lewis would return to the question of how Tom knew her signature. For now, though, Lewis accepted it as useful.

They met around the far side of the third building. Lewis shook his head and Tom shook his in reply. She was not here. They drove to the fourth lab and got out of the car. As they approached the building, Lewis stopped and raised his head. He closed his eyes and his nostrils flared as he scented the air.

"She is here."

Tom opened himself and caught the faint presence that identified Sarah Hillar. He frowned. He could barely discern her. He opened his eyes and looked at Lewis. His mentor had a faint smile on his face.

"Know her, yes. But not well," Lewis said.

Tom realized that one option was now closed to him. Lewis would know that Tom was only bluffing if he said he had claimed Sarah.

Lewis closed his eyes again and frowned. "What have they done to her?"

Tom shook his head. "I can barely sense her presence. I can't tell what is different about her."

"How do we get inside?"

Tom led Lewis around to the back of the building. This lab had an old style security system which they could easily bypass. Attwood never listened when Tom tried to tell him their weaknesses.

They entered the building easily and slipped down the hall. Lewis led the way, following his connection to Sarah. They reached a locked door and Lewis placed his hand on it.

"She is here."

Tom nodded and watched the hall as Lewis picked the lock. The door opened and Tom glanced inside to see Sarah lying on a cot. She was wearing a hospital gown and she looked deathly pale. Lewis walked in and lifted her easily into his arms, then came out and headed down the hall.

As they walked out into the night, Lewis looked at him.

"You choose to side with them?" His voice dripped with scorn for the ease with which they had achieved their objective.

"They have other strengths."

Lewis did not respond.

When they reached the car, Tom opened the back door and Lewis carefully laid Sarah on the seat. He got in beside her and checked her pulse, then peeled back her eyelids to look into her eyes.

"Is she all right?" Tom asked anxiously.

"Drugged," Lewis said in a disgusted tone. "Sodium pentothal most likely. Didn't they get enough information from her before?"

"She never told them," Tom said softly.

Lewis' head whipped around, surprise written on his face. Tom was pleased.

"'Know her, yes. But not well.'" he echoed.

Lewis' eyes narrowed. "I have everything I need to care for her at the house," he said.

Tom considered that. "No."

He shut the door and went to the driver's side, waiting to see how Lewis would respond As he slid into the car, Tom looked in the rearview mirror. Lewis' ice-blue eyes met his, but his mentor made no comment as Tom started the car. Sarah was settled against Lewis' body now in a comfortable position. Lewis' arm was around her. Tom wondered if Lewis was aware of how protective his body language was. Probably. Tom doubted Lewis could ever lose control enough to give something so obvious away. He was making a statement.

Tom pulled the car away from the curb and headed for Sloan's apartment. She would also have most of what they needed to care for Sarah.

When they pulled up in front of Sloan's apartment, Tom heard an amused chuckle from the back seat.

"Dr. Parker? Do you always run back to her?"

Tom ignored him and got out, then opened the back door. Lewis lifted Sarah and carefully handed her out to Tom, then got out of the car and held out his arms. Tom held Sarah for a moment, concerned by the pallor of her skin and her shallow breathing. Lewis' eyes hardened and Tom reluctantly placed her back in his arms.

Sloan was in the apartment. Tom could feel her as he knocked the door, just as Lewis could feel Sarah. He heard Lewis chuckle again and glanced back.

"You still haven't claimed her? Perhaps I should," Lewis said.

Anger shot through Tom and he clamped down on it. As always, he was feeling what Lewis wanted him to feel. A master manipulator, Lewis knew exactly what would make Tom respond.

The door opened and Sloan looked out at Tom with a smile, then her gaze slid past to Sarah and Lewis.

"Tom? What...?"

Tom pushed Sloan gently backwards, making way for Lewis to walk through the door. Tom pointed to the bed in the back of the apartment and Lewis moved quickly and carefully to lay Sarah down on it.

"Tom! What is going on?" Sloan demanded. "What happened to Sarah? And why is *he* here?"

Tom shut the door and grasped Sloan's upper arms, holding her still so he could look into her eyes. "Giddings and Attwood kidnapped Sarah when she resigned from the Agency."

"They did what?" Sloan turned her head to stare at the bed where Lewis was bending over Sarah.

"They drugged her. Lewis thinks it was Sodium Pentothal."

"Truth serum? Why?"

"Tom informs me that Sarah never told you what happened when I held her." Lewis looked at Sloan from where he stood beside the bed, removing his jacket and laying it over a chair. "Obviously, they wanted that information."

Sloan pulled free of Tom's grasp and hesitantly walked up to the bed, standing on the far side from where Lewis was. Tom saw Lewis' expression change to one of amusement. He glanced at Tom with a knowing smile.

"Really, Dr. Parker. You may not trust me, but don't you trust Tom? Would he have brought me here if I had any intention of harming you?"

Sloan's eyes narrowed in anger. "You controlled him once before."

"And you broke that hold. I was impressed. You'll have to tell me how you did that sometime."

"Love," Sloan said.

"Really?" Lewis' voice was still amused. "If you say so, Dr. Parker."

He sat down on the bed and checked Sarah's pulse again, then lifted her eyelids.

"Is she all right?" Sloan asked anxiously.

"She will be," Lewis said. "Once the drugs have left her body. She needs fluids to help cleanse her system."

Sloan looked over at Tom. "I've got that box of medical supplies in my closet from the last time you were injured. I think there are a couple of bags of saline solution and some IVs in there."

"Excellent," Lewis said. "Bring them to me."

Sloan's eyes narrowed again. "I don't take orders."

Lewis gave her a look comprised of some surprise, but mostly amusement. "You haven't trained her very well, have you, Tom?"

Sloan crossed her arms over her chest. "What, do females obey the males in your species?"

"No," Tom said.

Lewis shot Tom an amused glance. "Our females don't take order from us. Human females do."

Sloan opened her mouth to reply, but Tom moved quickly over to her. "Where are the IVs?" he asked.

Sloan looked down at Sarah and concern came back into her face. "I'll get them."

Lewis looked at Tom again. "How long do you think we can stay here?"

"We'll be safe until morning at least," Tom said.

Sloan came back and handed Lewis the bags, a needle and some tubing. "Do you really think they'll look for you here?" she asked Tom.

Tom nodded, watching closely as Lewis expertly raised a vein and carefully inserted the needle into Sarah's arm.

"They'll check everyone," Tom told Sloan. "Since I disappeared for several days, you will be suspect."

"Then they don't know it was you who rescued Sarah?" Sloan asked.

Lewis snorted. "I would be surprised if they even know she's gone yet."

Tom smiled a tiny smile. Lewis was correct. The humans were fairly incompetent. His smile faded as he realized he'd just thought of himself as being one of them again, one of the Predators. He'd begun to think of himself as one of the humans over the past several months.

Lewis looked at him with a little half-smile and Tom realized he was being manipulated again. His eyes narrowed and he nodded to Lewis, acknowledging the hit and letting Lewis knew that he recognized what was happening. Lewis looked back at Sarah and Sloan moved closer to Tom.

"Will she really be all right?" Sloan whispered.

Tom put his arm around her. "Yes. She will be." He knew Lewis wouldn't let it be otherwise.

Sarah slowly fought her way back to consciousness. The void was retreating, but in waves - out, then back to wash over her again, then a little further away before it returned to cover her once more. Slowly, she began to feel her body again. It tingled, painfully, as though every bit of her had fallen asleep. As she came more into herself, other pains began to register - nausea, headache, and the pain on the inside of her abused elbow where the tender skin had been pricked over and over by a needle. Her other arm hurt as well, a newer, fresher pain, and she felt something irritating her there. She moved her arm a little to try to get away from the irritation, but her arm was held in place.

She caught her breath as the void retreated fully and the various pains completely replaced the numbness.

"Sarah."

She knew that voice.

"Sarah, wake up." A gentle hand stroked her hair.

"Hurts." The one word was all she could manage. It escaped with her breath. She knew that voice. He could take away the pain.

"What hurts, Sarah?"

She took a couple of breaths, and felt tears creep out from under her eyelids. "Everything." Her voice was a little stronger this time.

"How does it hurt?" His voice was soothing and tender.

She wanted to see his face, to look into those incredible blue eyes. She forced her eyelids up and saw him, leaning over her. She could see the concern in those eyes, though his face was as inscrutable as always.

How had he gotten here? She remembered that Attwood and Giddings had taken her. Had they captured him too? She struggled to move, but gentle hands held her down.

"Don't try to move yet, Sarah."

"How...?" It was all that she could force out.

"Shh. Tell me about the pain."

She lay back against the bed and closed her eyes, trying to figure out how to explain it. She finally gave up. He would understand.

"Tingles," she said.

The gentle hands moved to her arm, the one where the pain felt old instead of new, and began to massage it. The tingles increased, but it was good pain, waking pain.

"That's better, isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded her head the tiniest bit. A tiny smile pulled at her mouth. "You give good massages," she whispered.

He chuckled and leaned close. "Years of training," he breathed in her ear.

She smiled a little more, loving the way his nose brushed against her cheek, moving her hair aside. She felt his breath against her skin as he nuzzled her, then sighed as she felt his warmth move away. His hands were still on her, though, gentle and firm.

She felt the bed move as someone's weight came down on it. A second set of hands began to gently massage her legs, waking them to that same good pain. She opened her eyes and lifted her head just enough to see Tom kneeling on the bed beside her.

"Tom?" What was Tom doing here? And what were Tom and Lewis doing in the same place?

"Dreaming," she breathed.

"No, Sarah. You're not dreaming." Lewis' voice was amused. "We're both here."

"Both of you? Not killing?"

Lewis chuckled. "No, we haven't killed each other."

Sarah nodded again, a tiny movement. "Good. Don't."

They both worked on her body. It felt so good to have them both touching her, both sets of strong, male hands, both men she loved caring for her.

"Feels good," she breathed.

Lewis chuckled again. "It should. We've had a lot of practice working together, Tom and I."

An image came into her mind of Tom and Lewis working on the same woman in other ways. She knew if she weren't feeling so bad the image would have caused her to flush with desire.

"What does that mean?"

Sarah opened her eyes, frowning in confusion. That was Sloan's voice. She sounded annoyed.

"Sloan?"

Sloan's voice gentled. "I'm right here, Sarah."

Sarah tried to lift her head to look for Sloan. Another weight came down on the bed and Sloan appeared sitting beside Tom. Her hand stroked Sarah's hair.

"I'm right here. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Sarah whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my apartment." Sloan's mouth crept up in a smile.

Sarah looked at her in confusion.

"Tom realized you were missing and he went looking for you. I'm not sure how Lewis got involved." Sloan shot a glance at Tom.

"I thought Lewis took you," Tom said. "So I asked him."

"You asked him?" Sarah felt the laughter, but she wasn't strong enough to let it out. The image of Tom simply walking up and asking Lewis was ridiculous.

"You asked him?" Sloan echoed, disbelief plain in her voice.

"His manners leave something to be desired," Lewis said, "but essentially, yes. He asked me."

"Then what?" Sloan asked.

Lewis looked at Sloan. "We went and found her."

"Why?"

Lewis looked away without answering.

"Why did you help Tom find Sarah?" Sloan demanded.

Lewis met Sloan's eyes again. "She is mine."

Sarah considered her response to that calm statement. From his perspective, she belonged to him. He had let her go, but she was still his possession. She waited for anger, feminist rage to come, but it didn't. There was some truth to it, after all. Lewis perceived her as belonging to him and, to some extent, she had to honestly admit that she did.

"She's yours? What is she, a dog that you can own her?" Sloan's voice was angry.

Lewis didn't answer and Sarah realized suddenly that Sloan was owned as well. She was Tom's. It was simply the way Predator males viewed the world. A tiny smile crept across her face again as she imagined what it would be like when Tom finally made his claim. Sloan might find her world a little different afterwards, just as Sarah's world would never be the same after what Lewis had done to her.

"Well?" Sloan insisted.

Lewis ignored her and looked down at Sarah. "Are you feeling better?"

Sarah nodded again. Better. But now, she was beginning to feel another insistent ache, in her bladder this time. She tried to push herself up.

Lewis hand on her shoulder restrained her. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," she whispered, feeling her face redden.

"You are feeling better if you have the strength to blush," Lewis chuckled. He did something on her arm and she felt a release from the newer pain. "It's the fluids," he said, still amused.

His strong arms went under her, lifting her up off the bed. She found the strength to put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her into the bathroom. When he set her on the toilet, she suddenly realized she was wearing a hospital smock and nothing else. Bracing her hand against the wall, she looked at Lewis who was crouching beside her.

"Go outside," she told him.

He tilted his head, giving her another amused look. "You're being foolish, Sarah."

"Go outside," she said stubbornly.

His eyes hardened, but he nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

She realized he was right as she relieved herself and barely found the strength to handle the necessary actions that went along with that activity.

"Lewis," she called softly when she was done.

The door opened immediately and he came in, lifting her without comment and carrying her back to the bed. Tom and Sloan were standing now, watching as Lewis carefully laid her down.

Sarah took a deep breath. "Tired," she said.

"Then go to sleep," Lewis told her.

"Been asleep," she protested.

"No, you were drugged. Sleep will help your body recover. Go to sleep, Sarah."

She looked over at him and smiled faintly. "Giving me orders, again, Lewis?"

He smiled back and leaned down, nuzzling her cheek again. "Sleep, Sarah." His voice was a gentle whisper in her ear. "I will protect you."

She sighed and closed her eyes, reaching out her hand until it found his. Then she let herself drift away. She was safe again.

Sloan's eyes narrowed as she watched the way Sarah clung to Lewis. It was disgusting. Lewis had kidnapped Sarah, done unspeakable things to her, and yet Sarah acted as though he was the love of her life.

Actually, Sloan didn't know what Lewis had done to Sarah. Sarah had never told her. She'd told Tom, though. Jealousy swept through Sloan again. Tom had run off to rescue Sarah.

Sloan watched in horrified fascination as Lewis nuzzled Sarah's cheek. Lewis had done that to Sloan the night he'd kidnapped her. He'd done it to Sarah twice tonight. Sloan was beginning to suspect that it had some meaning, a meaning that she was not going to like.

Sarah drifted off to sleep, holding tightly to Lewis' hand. Sloan turned her head away in disgust and saw Tom looking at her.

"What?" she demanded.

He just looked at her. His eyes were understanding, which somehow made her more angry.

Lewis gently freed his hand and checked Sarah's pulse again. He looked over at Sloan. "Do you have a blanket to cover her with?"

Sloan nodded and got a blanket from the closet, standing as far away as possible when she handed it to Lewis. His mouth quirked in a smile again as he spread the blanket over Sarah's still form.

"You really don't have to be afraid of me, Dr. Parker. Not at the moment, anyway."

"What makes you think I'm afraid of you?" she asked angrily.

That amused look of his was really starting to irritate her.

"I can feel your fear, Dr. Parker. Of course, that's not all there is when you think of me."

Sloan felt Tom tense beside her and realized that she wasn't actually the target of Lewis' verbal sallies. Tom was.

"What else do I feel?" she asked quietly.

"Jealousy," Lewis said. "I would assume that you are jealous of my attentions to Sarah."

"Maybe I'm jealous of Tom's attentions to Sarah."

Lewis looked at her, still amused, but there was a hint of respect in his glance this time.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps you are jealous of my past with Tom."

Sloan's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly mean what it sounded like he did. She remembered his comment the night he'd kidnapped her. 'I know how special Tom is.' At the time she'd ignored the implications, but tonight...

She looked over at Tom who glared at Lewis, then glanced sideways at Sloan, not quite meeting her eyes and she realized she was right about what Lewis meant. Not quite prepared to face that, she decided to deliberately misunderstand.

"Tom renounced all of that. He's chosen a different path."

The amusement in Lewis' face grew again and Sloan blushed. She wondered how much Lewis and Tom could read with their empathy.

"Why did you say you 'owned' Sarah?" she asked, changing the subject.

Lewis shrugged. "I do."

"You can't own another person."

Lewis glanced at Tom this time. "Shall I explain it to her?" His voice was silky, seductive. It made a shiver run down Sloan's spine.

"No," Tom answered shortly.

Lewis held his eyes for a moment and something seemed to pass between the two men. Lewis looked away and shrugged again.

"As you wish." His tone implied that it was a mere courtesy on his part to do as Tom asked.

Sloan felt Tom stiffen again. She looked back and forth between the two of them, suddenly understanding how much history they had. Tom may have chosen to side with the human race, but Lewis still had some hold on him that Sloan could not understand. Apparently Lewis had the same hold on Sarah.

She decided she needed to break the mood that was developing, not to mention give herself some time to collect her thoughts. "How about some coffee?" she asked suddenly.

Tom and Lewis looked at her in surprise, then Tom nodded slowly. "Thank you," he said.

Sloan retreated to the kitchen area and went through the motions of starting the percolator. She considered her options and realized she didn't actually like any of them. She didn't want to keep her mouth shut, but she also wasn't sure she wanted the answers to the questions running through her mind.

"Sloan."

She looked up, startled to discover that Tom was standing right next to her. She was always surprised at how quietly he moved.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "I just don't understand everything that's going on."

Only Tom's eyes moved as he looked down, then back up at her. "Perhaps it's time that I explained some things to you."

She nodded, then glanced over at Lewis. "Not now, though."

"Not now, but soon," Tom agreed.

He touched her arm and she felt the warm glow of desire she always felt when he touched her.

"How very sweet," Lewis said from the other room.

Tom stiffened again and Sloan put her hand on his arm. "He's just trying to make you angry," she said.

"I know. He's succeeding."

Sloan tried not to smile. "As long as he knows how we feel anyway, why try to hide it?" Greatly daring, she leaned in and gently kissed Tom's lips. He stiffened and she started to pull away, but his arm came around her waist and his mouth moved on hers, deepening the kiss. A moment later, he let her go and she swayed, a little breathless and completely surprised.

Lewis chuckled. "I see you haven't forgotten everything I taught you, Tom."

Sloan stiffened this time, but Tom's voice was dry and amused.

"Certain techniques are still useful," he commented. "Others are outdated."

"Really?" Lewis walked over to the counter. "Interesting." He looked Sloan up and down in a slow, predatory fashion. "Perhaps you didn't learn them as well as you think."

Sloan blushed under that look, and felt herself responding, anger and arousal together. Tom tensed again and looked down at her, his nostrils flaring, then looked over at Lewis angrily.

A sharp knock on the front door sounded through the apartment. Sloan hurried over and looked into the viewscreen for her security camera.

"It's Peterson," she said.

Tom and Lewis looked at each other for a moment, then Tom nodded toward the bathroom. Lewis nodded in agreement, went to the bed and lifted Sarah, carrying her into the bathroom and shutting the door behind them. Sloan opened the front door.

"Sloan," Peterson said. "Do you know where Tom is?" Peterson trailed off as he saw Tom standing behind the kitchen counter. Tom raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where have you been?" Peterson demanded.

"Looking for Lewis," Tom replied calmly.

Peterson looked surprised. "Did you know Sarah Hillar was kidnapped again?"

"Yes," Tom answered. "That's why I was looking for Lewis."

"Any luck?"

Tom shook his head.

Peterson sighed. "Well, I hope he doesn't hurt her."

Sloan gave Tom a surprised look, then glanced back and Peterson. "Are you sure it was Lewis who took her?"

"Who else?"

"How did you discover she was missing?" Tom asked.

"Attwood sent someone to check on her yesterday. He was a little concerned that she might want to change her mind about her resignation. He wanted to make sure she was all right."

Tom and Sloan exchanged glances.

"I would have gone to see her," Sloan said quietly.

Peterson shrugged. "I don't know who he sent. He just said that when they got there, her apartment door was open and she was gone." He looked back over at Tom. "Keep looking. Let us know if we can help. Attwood is pretty worried."

Tom nodded. "I'm concerned about her as well."

Peterson nodded to them both and left and Sloan hurried to the bathroom to open the door. Lewis walked out and set Sarah down on the bed.

"As soon as he's gone, we should leave," Lewis said.

Tom nodded. "Where?"

"I'll take her to the house."

Tom shook his head. "I'm going with you."

Lewis tilted his head. "You know I'll take care of her."

Tom nodded. "You'll take care of her. But will you let her go?"

Lewis studied him for a moment. "There's an empty safe house across town," he said finally, then he smiled a tight smile. "It's the closest to neutral territory we're likely to find."

Tom nodded again. "I'll see if there's anyone watching the apartment."

Lewis' smile broadened. "Are you sure you're willing to leave Dr. Parker alone with me?"

Tom looked at Lewis and his smile faded as something unspoken seemed to pass between them again, then Tom slipped out the door. Sloan looked at Lewis. He looked down at her for a moment and the predatory smile returned.

"You have an interesting effect on Tom, Dr. Parker."

"So do you."

The smile changed. "We'll see which is stronger."

"I'm not worried," she said.

He studied her for a moment, then nodded.

She walked up to the bedroom area and brushed past him, quickly packing an overnight bag. Lewis watched her with that same amused smile, then his head lifted as though he were scenting the air.

"Tom is returning."

Sloan opened the front door to let Tom in. "That didn't take long," she said.

"There's no one out there," Tom said.

Lewis wrapped the blanket more closely around Sarah, then lifted her in his arms again. Sloan noticed that even in her sleep, Sarah snuggled against him.

Tom grasped Sloan's arms and turned her to face him. "I'll be gone for several days again."

"I'm coming with you," she told him.

Surprise flickered across Tom's face.

"Sarah is my friend," Sloan insisted. "I want to make sure she's safe."

"And you aren't willing to leave Tom alone with me, are you, Dr. Parker?" Lewis' voice was pure silk again and Sloan blushed.

Tom glanced at Lewis, then at Sloan and something in his manner changed, became more assertive somehow.

"Are you sure?" he asked Sloan.

Sloan nodded.

"All right," Tom agreed.

Sloan picked up her overnight bag and opened the door. Lewis crossed quickly to the car and Tom held the door for him as he placed Sarah in the back and climbed in after her. Sloan got into the front seat and waited as Tom slid into the driver's side. She licked her lips and swallowed hard, wondering if she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Sarah felt herself being lifted, carried, manipulated, but she didn't protest. She knew those arms, that chest she was lying against. She'd only felt them around her for two days, but they'd marked her for life.

She knew she was in a car, snuggled closely against Lewis, but she didn't care enough to open her eyes and ask where they were going. She drifted in a half-awake, half-asleep state, wondering why she was reacting to him like this.

Before, there had been desire and fear and only nominal trust. She didn't feel fear now, though. She felt safe.

Maybe it was because the people she trusted had betrayed her. Lewis had never betrayed her. He was honest and he had kept every promise he'd ever made. Part of her knew that he chose to be honest, it wasn't by nature that he did so. If he made another choice, she might not know it until it was too late.

She didn't care though, not right now. He'd made the pain go away, saved her from Giddings, and now he was taking her somewhere safe. Her life had been destroyed by Giddings and Attwood. She couldn't go back. She might as well go forward with Lewis. She sighed and drifted back into sleep.

Tom knew he was returning to Predator ways as he drove the car. Lewis gave him directions occasionally, and he obeyed. There was a difference, though. Before, he'd obeyed Lewis without thinking, because Lewis was the Alpha male. Tom was different now.

He considered the matter. When Sloan had broken Lewis' hold on him, Tom had transferred part of his imprint to her. When Tom had refused to kill Lewis later that same hour, the rest of Lewis' hold had been broken.

Tom had thought that Lewis' ability to make him angry tonight was control. He realized now that it was simply knowledge. Lewis knew Tom well enough to know how to manipulate him. Manipulation was not control, though. Tom was free of Lewis. They might not stand as equals, but Tom no longer obeyed. It was up to Tom to prevent himself from falling back into old patterns.

He glanced sideways at Sloan. Lewis' question was a good one. Why hadn't Tom claimed her yet? She was willing - more than willing, she wanted him. She responded to his touch, his presence, his voice. She was his if he wanted her.

He considered. He had chosen to protect Sloan, to act as her bodyguard. Once, that night in the hotel, he let himself slip from the role of guard to another role, a lover. In that instant, he had not paid attention and the police had broken in. He'd had to leave Sloan behind. He still burned with shame for that choice.

Had he not been concentrating on her, he might have felt the approaching policemen sooner and gotten them both out that night. As penance, he had held himself away from her all this time.

He also allowed the human males, Ed and Attwood and Peterson, to act dominant around him. Well, Attwood and Peterson. Ed was incapable of dominance. They controlled him to some extent because he chose to stay with Sloan. He had to follow their rules, play their game because it was what she wanted.

They could not stop Lewis, though. They weren't willing to take the actions necessary to achieve their objectives. They had not allowed Tom to interrogate Lisa. They would not listen to him when he warned of the holes in their security. They could not protect Sloan.

Tom made his decision. He had spent his whole life obeying others, first Lewis, then Attwood. It was time for him to control his own life. He would act as he chose from now on. If necessary, he would find his own way to stop Lewis and their people.

"I wondered when you would reach this point," Lewis said softly from the back seat.

Tom glanced in the rearview mirror and met his mentor's eyes. Sloan looked back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

"You always had that potential, but you never made the choice," Lewis continued.

"You never allowed me the choice," Tom accused.

Lewis smiled. "It is not something one 'allows'. It is something one takes."

Tom looked back at the road. Lewis was right. It was a choice he had to make for himself.. Now, he had made it.

"You know you can never go back," Lewis murmured.

Tom nodded, more to himself than to Lewis. They would truly be enemies now.

When they reached the safe house, Sloan was impressed. It was a large, attractive house, completely furnished, with all the trimmings - three bedrooms, two and a half baths, swimming pool, hot tub, well appointed kitchen. She was impressed that such a house was simply standing empty against future need. It spoke of planning and money.

When they walked in, Lewis immediately took Sarah to the master bedroom and put her into bed. Sloan watched from the doorway as Tom pulled the covers back, then opened her mouth to protest as Lewis casually removed Sarah's hospital gown. She closed her mouth without speaking as Lewis slid Sarah between the sheets and pulled them up to her chin.

Lewis took off his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt. "There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry," he said. "Feel free to enjoy the accommodations."

"What are you doing?" Sloan asked.

"Going to bed."

"There?!" Sloan stepped into the room, horrified that Lewis intended to sleep next to Sarah.

Lewis gave her another amused look. "Of course. She may need me during the night."

Sloan knew he meant because Sarah was sick, but the way his voice caressed the word 'need' was extremely suggestive. Sloan looked to Tom for support. He looked at Lewis for a moment, then walked over to Sloan, taking her arm and leading her out of the room.

"Tom," she protested as he shut the door behind him. "You can't let him stay in there with her."

"Why not?" Tom asked.

"Because..." she trailed off, imagining all the things Lewis might do to Sarah, then realizing that he had probably already done them.

Tom simply looked at her. "Lewis will not hurt her."

Sloan glanced at the closed door, then looked back at Tom. "Maybe we should have that talk now," she suggested.

Tom nodded. They walked to the living room and sat on the comfortable couch.

"This place is amazing," Sloan said. "It's nothing like the house where Lewis held me."

"That was a work house. This is a safe house," Tom said.

"What's the difference?"

"This house is a place where our people can come to live for a time if necessary. Females and children, families might need to stay here. The other was merely a base of operations."

"That makes sense, I suppose." Sloan looked down, then back up at him. "You were going to explain some things to me."

Tom nodded. "Where would you like me to start?"

"How about starting with what's between Sarah and Lewis?"

Tom tilted his head and looked at her. "He claimed her and she has accepted that claim."

"I don't understand."

"Lewis intended to use pleasure to control Sarah, to turn her into an agent for him. He didn't succeed."

Sloan's eyes widened. "You mean he..." She trailed off as Tom nodded.

A shiver of desire ran through her at the thought of what Lewis must have done to Sarah, the ways he must have touched her. Tom's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared again. Sloan swallowed hard, controlling the desire.

"Why didn't he succeed?" she asked.

"Sarah reached a place where he could not control her."

"I don't understand."

Tom looked at her. "It would be difficult to explain. It is enough for now that you understand that Lewis let Sarah go because he did not succeed."

"But he said he owns her and you said she accepted that claim."

"To an extent. Lewis has Marked her as his and she has acknowledged that Mark."

"What does that mean?"

"Again, it would be difficult to explain."

Sloan made a frustrated noise. "We're not getting anywhere, Tom."

Tom looked at her. "Perhaps we should try another topic."

Sloan rolled her eyes and remembered the way Lewis had brushed his nose over her face and Sarah's. "What does it mean the way he keeps nuzzling Sarah's cheek?"

"It is something we do. It announces our intention to claim someone sexually and reinforces, in our minds, that the individual is ours and no one else's."

Sloan swallowed hard again. "It sounds very... territorial."

Tom nodded. "We are. Especially the males. Especially with humans."

"Why with humans?"

"Among our own kind, sexual relationships are monogamous only when both parties wish it so. We do not own each other. Humans are different."

"You can own us?" Sloan's voice was calm and flat again.

"One of us can make a claim on one of you. Depending on the rank and prowess of the one making the claim, others will accept it as binding."

Sloan shivered, realizing that Lewis' action that night had been a challenge to Tom. Lewis must have expected her to tell Tom about it. "Just from that?" she asked breathlessly.

Tom shook his head. "That is merely a signal. It sets the Mark in our minds and the minds of others of our own kind who see us do it. The true claim is when the human acknowledges and accepts that he or she belongs to the one who has Marked them."

Sloan relaxed internally. She certainly hadn't acknowledged any claim of Lewis'.

"So Sarah acknowledged Lewis' claim?"

"Partially, yes."

"What does that mean?"

"To Lewis, it is sufficient. She is his."

"What does it mean to you?"

"If Sarah wishes to belong to Lewis, that is her choice. If she does not, I will help her to get away from him."

Sloan suddenly felt ashamed of her jealousy. Sarah hadn't been chasing Tom. Tom had offered his friendship and Sarah, who was probably in a great deal of pain, had accepted, as anyone would. Sloan decided she owed Sarah an apology when she woke up.

Sloan took a deep breath and met Tom's eyes. "All right. That answers the questions about Sarah. What about you?"

Tom's eyes narrowed and a slow flush worked it's way up his cheeks. "What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me."

Tom looked at her intently. "I was trained to do to a human the same thing that Lewis did to Sarah."

Sloan felt another rush of desire flood through her.

Tom continued. "I was also trained to prevent someone from acquiring a hold over me such as Lewis tried to acquire over Sarah."

Sloan bit her lip as she realized that her suspicions were correct about Lewis and Tom. "So you and Lewis..." she trailed off, unable to say it.

"Not as you think. Lewis did not handle that part of my training."

"Why not?"

Tom gave her a slightly surprised look. "He would not wish me to be able to break any hold he chose to place on me."

Sloan nodded. Of course he wouldn't. "So what is between you and Lewis?"

"Lewis taught me to control a person through pleasure. To that end, he taught me to give it and to receive it so I would understand its power."

Sloan blinked. There it was. Everything she'd suspected.

"Do you wish to leave?" Tom asked softly.

Sloan looked at him, startled by the question. "Why would I?"

Tom shrugged. "Humans have many taboos about these things."

A slow smile spread across Sloan's face as she thought about that. "Yes, we do. I told you before, though that I wouldn't judge you by your past."

Tom tilted his head and frowned in confusion. "You are not upset?"

"No. It's not as bad as I thought."

Tom raised an eyebrow and Sloan blushed, realizing what she'd just said. "Let's go to bed," she suggested, ready to end the conversation.

Tom's eyes widened in surprise. Sloan's blush deepened. "I meant, let's go to sleep."

Tom nodded. "Will you be all right alone?"

Sloan nodded. "As long as you're right next door."

"I will be."

Tom lay in the dark considering the conversation he'd just had with Sloan. She'd asked and he'd told her. At least, he'd told her as much as she could understand without the experience. The rest would wait until he had a chance to be alone with her - really alone.

All night, he had felt her response to Lewis. He felt her curiosity and tension about the act of Marking and her relief when he said that action wasn't the claim itself. Tom had realized then that Lewis Marked Sloan when he held her.

Lewis had obviously meant it as a challenge to Tom. A challenge of which Tom had been unaware and therefore had not taken. Lewis knew the effect he had on Sloan and he played to it. That, too, was a challenge which Tom had not taken.

Perhaps it was time he did.

Sarah woke slowly, cocooned in warmth. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Welcome back."

The words were a soft murmur next to her ear. She shivered as she realized that part of the warmth surrounding her was coming from Lewis' body wrapped around hers. She tried to turn in his arms and found that she was still ridiculously weak.

He nuzzled her cheek again and she giggled softly. "You do that a lot," she said.

"There's a reason."

She looked at him. "What is it?"

He smiled and didn't answer, pulling her closer instead. She sighed.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded against his cheek. "Yes. I'm still so weak, though."

"It will pass. For now, let me do things for you."

Her breath caught at that offer. Somehow, the idea of Lewis doing things for her was completely unexpected.

"What would you like first?" he continued. "Food? A bath?"

"A bath," Sarah said slowly, drawing the word out in sensual pleasure. "That sounds wonderful."

He chuckled. "Your wish is my command."

She laughed. "What planet are we on?"

He laughed with her and got out of bed. She heard him walking, then the sound of water running and cabinets opening and closing as he moved around. A few moments later, he came back and picked her up, carrying her into the bathroom.

She felt like a child again and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The touch of him reminded her that she wasn't a child and he was not her parent. He set her down in the half full tub, then knelt on the floor.

"Shall I wash you?" he asked.

"Why don't you join me?" she suggested.

He tilted his head and gave her an admonishing look. "You're not well enough yet."

She pouted, knowing he was right. Still, just the sight of him, the sound of his voice and the feel of his skin had awakened the old desire in her. He chuckled and leaned forward, catching her out-thrust lip between his. His tongue caressed it slowly, waking her desire more, then his lips moved upwards and his tongue slid into her mouth. The kiss was slow and sensual, just as their last time together had been. Like the last time, it ended too soon.

He drew away from her and picked up a wash cloth, dipping it in the water.

"Lewis," she breathed.

He rolled the soap in his hand, filling the cloth, then began to slide it over her body.

"Lewis," she breathed again, a little more strongly. Her eyes drifted closed as his hand moved over her throat, her breasts, her belly, then dipped down into the cleft between her legs.

She inhaled sharply, a gasp of pleasure as he touched her, arching her back. His fingers, still covered with terry cloth, moved over her clitoris, setting a rhythm that she found irresistible. Her hand closed on his wrist as his touch brought her to exquisite release.

As the final shudders passed through her, his hand moved away, shutting off the water. Her breathing slowed and she realized the tub was full. It had taken almost no time at all for him to bring her to orgasm.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Why?"

His eyebrows raised. "I told you I'd take care of you, do things for you for now."

"What about you?"

He smiled slightly. "You're too weak. Rest for now, Sarah. I'll go make some breakfast."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "You can cook?"

He laughed. "I have many talents, Sarah."

"I know that," she said with some asperity.

He laughed again and stroked her hair, leaning in to nuzzle her cheek. She didn't know what it meant, but it was obviously important to him. As he started to pull away, she took his face between her hands and drew it to her, then ran her nose over his cheek, his jaw, his mouth and back to his ear.

When he pulled away, his look was one of stunned incredulity. She smiled shyly, still not understanding, but knowing she'd scored somehow.

"Where's my breakfast?" she asked softly.

Tom walked into the kitchen, mildly surprised to find Lewis cooking. He knew Lewis could cook, it was just unexpected for him to be doing so.

"Good morning," Lewis said.

Tom nodded.

"Did you sleep well?" Lewis asked.

Tom's eyes narrowed. Something was different. "How is Sarah this morning?" he asked.

"Much better."

Something about Lewis' tone of voice told Tom that whatever was different, it had to do with Sarah. His eyes narrowed and he studied his former mentor. Lewis stopped and looked back at him with a calm, steady gaze. After a moment, Tom looked away.

Tom knew that Sarah was all right, had sensed her pleasure earlier as Lewis brought her to orgasm. There was nothing wrong with Sarah, so whatever was different was in Lewis.

Sloan walked in and stopped, staring at Lewis as he whipped the eggs and poured them into the skillet over the vegetables. She looked at Tom in wide-eyed amazement and he smiled. Maybe she didn't realize that Lewis used the bathroom just like everyone else.

His eyes narrowed as he considered that. Sloan had made Lewis out to be some sort of mythological creature, just as everyone else at the Agency had. They saw him as the dangerous, unstoppable sociopath. Sloan saw him as some sort of God of control. They were all wrong. Lewis was a man, fallible as were all men. Changing Sloan's image of Lewis would be important when Tom claimed her.

Lewis expertly flipped the omelet. "Are you hungry, Dr. Parker?"

Sloan stared at Lewis for a moment, then started. "Yes. Thank you."

Lewis looked at Tom with a twinkle in his eye. "Why don't you get some plates?"

Tom moved to the cupboards and located the plates, pulling out four. Lewis sliced the omelet into quarters and put one on each plate, then moved two of the plates to a tray which already contained juice, coffee and a couple of English muffins.

He looked over at Sloan. "Sarah will need some clothes, toiletries, etc."

Sloan nodded. "I'll take care of it. I want to check in at the Agency, just to keep them from being suspicious."

"Good idea," Tom said. "Are there any medical supplies we need?"

Lewis shook his head. "I don't believe so. Sarah seems to be fine, just a little weak. We could use some food, though. Fresh fruits and vegetables."

Tom nodded, knowing somehow that Lewis wanted time alone with Sarah. "I'll go out a little later and get some things."

"Excellent." Lewis picked up the tray. "Excuse me," he said politely as he left the kitchen.

Sloan stared after him. "That is so weird, seeing him act like a normal person," she said to Tom.

"He is a normal person, Sloan."

"There's nothing 'normal' about Lewis. There's nothing normal about you, either, for that matter."

Tom gave her an amused look. Perhaps it wasn't just Lewis that she had an inflated opinion of.

Sarah lay in the warm water and closed her eyes. She felt so much better. She didn't know if it was the bath or the orgasm or surprising Lewis. It didn't really matter. She drifted, feeling like she was lying in nothing as the water cooled to body temperature. She'd tried a sensory deprivation tank once and it felt a lot like that.

She knew her response to Lewis wasn't the best one. She was hurt and angry and scared, and he had rescued her like a prince on a white horse. She smiled at the image. He would look damn fine on a white horse, although black was more his style.

Still, he wasn't a knight in shining armor. He was a Predator. It didn't change the way he made her feel, but she knew she had to at least try to keep her mind wrapped around that fact. He was a Predator. A male of another species who thought he owned her.

She stretched a little luxuriously, thinking of what that ownership, of caring for her meant to him. She could definitely get used to a man who thought that providing orgasms to her without demanding reciprocity was appropriate behavior. Not to mention making her breakfast and waiting on her hand and foot when she was sick.

The sensual smile on her face slowly faded as she tried to picture being with him long-term. She couldn't do it. There was no possibility of long-term for them. Hopefully, he saw that too, but if he didn't, she'd have to explain it to him. She shivered a little, the old fear returning as she imagined trying to explain something to Lewis that he didn't want to hear.

She sat up and drained a little of the water, then washed her hair under the faucet. As she massaged her scalp, she began to relax again. Whatever happened tomorrow, she had right now with him. If all else failed, Tom would help her get away from Lewis. Hopefully that wouldn't be necessary, but if it was, Tom would help her.

She drained the soapy water out of the tub and very carefully tried to stand. Her legs were weak, but they supported her. She was concentrating so hard on staying upright, that she didn't hear the door open.

Strong arms went around her suddenly, making her start. She grabbed at Lewis' shoulders and looked up into irritated blue eyes.

"You should have waited for me." His voice was irritated also.

She hid a smile as he leaned over, still supporting her, and picked up a towel. As he began to dry her, she remembered the last time he'd done this. She'd resisted it then, hated it. Now she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder as he dried her back, ignoring the fact that she was making a wet spot on his shirt.

"Do you need to go back to sleep?" he asked.

"No," she murmured. "I just like the way you feel."

He didn't respond, but his arms tightened around her and she sighed again, snuggling closer. He drew away and rubbed at her hair with the towel, making her laugh. The boyish expression and the twinkle in his eyes were just too much and she leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His arms went around both her and the towel, holding her close as he kissed her back. When he broke the kiss, she nuzzled his cheek again. He stiffened, then made a low sound in his throat that might have been a growl. His mouth came down on hers, fiercely, demanding and she could feel his response, hard against her thigh.

She gave herself to the kiss, not understanding what it was about that action that had triggered his sudden, fierce desire. His heart was pounding as his mouth moved to travel down her neck, her shoulders. He seemed to be marking her with his lips, learning her again as he had the first time, only now it was an urgent, driving need in him.

She responded by releasing all of her own pent-up need, the need that had built up over the past six weeks to feel him, to touch him. She unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and began to explore him with her own mouth, the strong column of his neck, his shoulder. He shuddered as her lips moved over him, his arms tightening even more until she cried out softly.

He stopped, taking a deep breath. His arms loosened, but didn't let her go and they just stood for several moments, holding each other.

After another deep breath, he threw the towel toward the hamper and swung her up in his arms, carrying her back to the bed. As he set her down, she saw a tray with two plates on the night stand. She smiled and bit her lip, then acted mischievous to hide the lump in her throat.

"English muffins? For me? You remembered."

His look was more intense then she would ever have expected from him. "I remember everything, Sarah."

Her breath caught, but she decided to continue with the light tone. He might know what she was feeling, but something told her she'd get more emotion from him if she restrained her own.

"Really?" she said. "Prove it."

His eyes darkened and he moved toward her, slowly. Her eyes widened as he pressed her back on the bed with his weight and his hands moved unerringly to the most sensitive spots on her body, drawing little gasps and moans from her. His lips and tongue joined his hands and his weight shifted as he moved down her body, drawing her to the edge of the bed.

He parted her thighs and she lifted her head to look down. She smiled and held her breath, prolonging the anticipation. Finally she had to breathe and his tongue touched her as she exhaled. He took his time, making her gasp and writhe under his mouth. His fingers joined his lips and tongue and she exploded with pleasure again.

When she came back to herself, he was lying beside her, leaning on one elbow while he took a bite of omelet. His eyes twinkled at her and he looked insufferably pleased with himself as he speared another piece and held it out. She laughed and lifted herself up, placing her lips around the fork and slowly pulling backwards. His eyes darkened with desire and she knew he wanted her.

Her smile faded. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as he'd just given her.

"Lewis," she said breathlessly.

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Lewis," her tone was disbelieving. "You need it too."

His eyes met hers and for one brief instant, the shields were gone and she saw *him*. It was gone too quickly for her to understand what she'd seen, but she knew there was need there.

"Not until you're better," he said firmly.

The mischief came back. She wondered why her emotion made him go analytical and her teasing made him open up. It didn't matter. It worked.

"How about I be a good girl and take a nap after breakfast?"

He looked at her suspiciously.

"Then, when I wake up, all rested..." she trailed off with a wicked grin.

He smiled slowly in reply. "We'll see," was all he said, but she was pretty sure she could convince him. Later.

"She's asleep," Lewis informed them as he walked into the living room.

Tom and Sloan looked up at him.

"Is she all right?" Sloan asked. "She's sleeping a lot."

Lewis raised an eyebrow at her. "Not under the circumstances, Dr. Parker. Her body needs to recuperate and complete the process of flushing the drugs out of her system."

Sloan nodded. "I should have thought of that."

Lewis almost rolled his eyes, but he didn't comment. Tom studied him.

He'd felt Sarah's passion rising again several minutes after Lewis took the food into the bedroom. Lewis had become very aroused as well, which surprised Tom. He'd almost gone to the bedroom to make sure Lewis would control himself when he felt Lewis dampen his desire. A few minutes later, Sarah had climaxed again.

Tom was a little amused at Lewis' behavior, although he supposed it was the only form of comfort Lewis was honestly capable of giving to anyone. Tom knew that Lewis actually enjoyed producing sexual pleasure in another. Everything else was just a facade.

Tom's eyes narrowed as he wondered whether Sarah knew that Lewis' concern and consideration were just an act. She had known it before, but she was fragile now and she might be taking Lewis at face value. He doubted it, but it was possible under the circumstances.

"I'd like to see Sarah when she wakes up," Tom said.

Lewis glanced at him and Tom saw a Predatory warning, quickly smothered in Lewis' eyes.

"I want to talk to her also," Sloan said.

Lewis nodded. "When she wakes."

Tom studied Lewis, trying to analyze what was happening. Somehow, Sarah was triggering Lewis' instincts. Before, Lewis' feelings of ownership had been abstract, intellectual. Sarah was his and no one would harm her. Now, however, they were moving into a more primal area, more like the way Tom felt about Sloan.

That might be good or bad, depending on how Lewis reacted to the arousal of those instincts. If he responded as Tom did, wanting the best for the one who roused those feelings, then Lewis would do what was best for Sarah. If he responded as many people did, wanting only to possess and control, then Sarah might be in danger of becoming Lewis' prisoner again.

Lewis met Tom's eyes and there was a warning there. At another time, Tom would have lowered his eyes submissively. Now he simply nodded and looked away.

"You've changed, Tom," Lewis said.

Tom nodded again, acknowledging the truth of that. Lewis sat across from him and looked into Tom's eyes. He could see that Lewis had regained control.

"I'm glad to see you move into your own power, finally," Lewis said. "I was beginning to think you would let Attwood and his people dominate you forever."

Sloan gasped, but Tom merely smiled.

"There were things I had to learn," he said. "Things I couldn't have learned with you."

Lewis shrugged. "Perhaps not. It was good that I let you go, then."

"Let him go!!" Sloan exclaimed. "You didn't let him go. He left!"

Lewis smiled at her, a superior smiled designed to infuriate her. "That depends on your perspective."

"Perspective!" Sloan sputtered.

Lewis glanced at Tom, amusement in his eyes that didn't reach his face.

Tom replied with similar amusement. Sloan was easy to play at times.

"That was a joke, Sloan," Tom said.

"A joke?" Sloan looked at Lewis who allowed his amusement to show. "You have a pretty sick idea of a joke, Lewis."

"Again, Dr. Parker, it's all a matter of perspective."

They sat in silence for several minutes.

"Perhaps we should discuss what will happen to Sarah when she's well," Tom suggested.

Lewis' eyes narrowed. "Yes, perhaps we should."

It had taken the better part of two hours just to convince Sloan that Sarah could not, in any way, go back to her old life. Sloan kept arguing, trying to convince Tom and Lewis that she could find a way to make Attwood leave Sarah alone. Sloan couldn't accept that idea that Sarah would have to give up everything - her friends, her family, her whole life. It wasn't that Sloan didn't understand the concept, it was simply that she couldn't accept the necessity when it was applied to her friend.

Tom expected Lewis to become impatient and dismissive, but surprisingly, he'd listened and met all of Sloan's arguments with more convincing ones of his own. After a while, Tom realized that Lewis was using Sloan as a testing ground, preparing himself to argue the same topic with Sarah. Once Sloan accepted, reluctantly, the idea that Sarah had to be given a new life, Tom and Lewis began discussing the various options.

Tom brought up the subject of work and Lewis dismissed that, saying that he could provide for Sarah financially. Sloan argued the point, telling Lewis that Sarah would want to work, that she wouldn't be comfortable being dependent on him. Again, Lewis listened and considered what Sloan said, obviously measuring it against what he knew of Sarah.

Living arrangements were discussed and It was obvious that Lewis did not intend to keep Sarah with him, at least not in the same house. Tom was relieved. Sarah would have been in too much danger, not only from those who were after Lewis, but from the other Predators that were around him when he worked. Not that anyone would threaten Lewis' property. Tom smiled at that idea. Not if they wanted to survive, they wouldn't. Still, the emotional abuse Sarah would take would be incredibly painful

There was still the possibility that Lewis meant to keep her close, though. He might wish to move her from city to city with him. Tom realized that he needed to talk to Sarah and find out what she wanted before he could make a decision about what to do next.

After about several hours of conversation, Lewis raised his head, looking in the direction of the bedroom. "She's waking up," he said.

Sloan looked at Tom in surprise and he shook his head to keep her from asking questions. The fact that Lewis was so in tune with Sarah was important and he didn't want Lewis to realize he'd noticed.

Lewis stood and headed for the bedroom. Tom reached out empathically, trying to feel his mentor's emotions, hoping Lewis would lower his shields a tiny bit when he saw Sarah.

"He can tell she's waking up?" Sloan asked.

Tom nodded without looking at her.

"How can he do that?"

"It is like a feeling on your skin when you are that close to another person."

"You've felt it?"

"With you," he said absently.

He heard her sharp indrawn breath and looked over at her, then replayed the words he'd just said, realizing what he'd told her. Sloan blushed under his gaze and looked down. He smiled slightly. Lewis was right. He'd waited far too long.

He stood and reached down for her. She looked up in surprise and placed her hand in his, letting him draw her to her feet. Before she could turn for the bedroom, he leaned down and deliberately ran his nose over her face, her cheek, her jaw, Marking her. She gasped and started and he put his hands on her arms to hold her in place as he set the Mark in his mind.

"Sarah says she's ready to see you, now."

Sloan's eyes widened as Lewis' amused voice floated over to them. She tried to pull away, embarrassed, but Tom continued to hold her in place, finishing the Mark - for himself and for Lewis. When he felt Lewis' amused acknowledgment, he drew back and put an arm around Sloan, leading her to the bedroom where Sarah was waiting. She was trembling he noticed. He had definitely waited too long.

Tom drove Sloan to the Agency. She didn't say much, keeping her eyes downcast and blushing frequently. He was rather amused. Though Sloan had never been sexually aggressive with him, he would still have expected her to be more assertive. Obviously, she'd wanted him to take the initiative. Now that he had, she was a little disconcerted.

She hadn't been this way after he'd kissed her in the motel. Perhaps he'd waited so long she'd assumed he wasn't interested anymore and was now having to readjust her thinking. She would have time today while they ran their respective errands.

Sarah would also have time to make some decisions. Lewis had allowed Tom and Sloan in to see Sarah, but wasn't willing to leave them alone with her yet. She was still fragile and he was protective. Tom watched them together. Though he had never seen them together before, he knew something was definitely different between them. He'd decided to give them some time alone this afternoon. Later, he would speak to Sarah and find out what she wanted. Perhaps she would also be able to tell him what had changed in Lewis.

He frowned slightly, realizing that she might not tell him. She had a strong attachment to Lewis, despite her well-founded fear of him. If something had changed in Lewis because of her, she might protect him, especially if she thought it would give Tom an advantage. Tom did not believe that Sarah had given herself to Lewis completely, he would have felt such a surrender in her, but the possibility existed that even if she was not wholly Lewis', she would still be loyal to him. Tom, himself, had found it difficult to tell Sloan about his mentor, even knowing what was at stake. Lewis had a powerful effect on people and he used it ruthlessly to his own ends. Tom would have to be very careful until he was certain where Sarah stood now.

Sarah was pleased to see Tom and Sloan for a few minutes. It amused her that Lewis wouldn't leave them alone with her, something that Tom and Sloan obviously wanted. They probably wanted to ask her if she was all right and see if she needed to be rescued from Lewis. She didn't. Not yet, anyway.

She was even more pleased to learn that they were going to leave the house for a while. Sloan said she would bring Sarah some clothes and Tom wanted to know if there was anything she particularly wanted to eat. Both of them would be gone.

After they left, Lewis began to make noises about Sarah needing to eat again. She was getting hungry, but she wanted him more than food. She said so.

He looked at her and, for a moment, she thought he'd refuse. She let all the need, the hunger, the desire she felt come through and looked back at him, allowing it to show in her eyes as her lips parted and her breathing deepened. A matching fire began to burn in his eyes and he slowly reached up to unbutton his shirt.

A slow sensual smile came across her face and she watched appreciatively as he removed his shirt, baring his strong chest and arms. The jeans came off and her eyes devoured his muscular legs and perfect buttocks. When he removed his briefs, she saw that he was fully aroused and the sight of him made the ache between her thighs intensify.

He smiled and a wave of desire swept through her. She watched as he walked slowly around the bed and slid under the sheets, then pulled her against him. Looking deep into her eyes as he leaned in, he nuzzled her face again. She closed her eyes and felt his hands on her back, his chest pressing against her breasts. His knee moved to slide between her legs, but the sheets got in the way.

Impatiently, she pushed them back, out of the way. She didn't want anything between them. He helped her shove the covers to the foot of the bed, then pulled her back down, rolling to pin her beneath him.

He looked down at her again, his eyes slowly roaming her face, studying her. His hands didn't move, as he seemed to memorize every curve and angle of her mouth, her cheek, her jaw, her eyes. He leaned in and his breathing deepened as he brushed his nose over her cheek once, twice, a third time. Her lips parted as he traveled over her face that way, his flesh just barely touching hers. His cheek finally came to rest against hers and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

She took a ragged breath and tightened her arms around him. He breathed her name in her ear and she shivered. It wasn't just a word he spoke, it was her, the essence of who she was to him. Her head moved in response and, almost instinctively, she nuzzled his cheek in response. His arms tightened and his mouth moved, seeking hers.

He kissed her deeply, but, for the first time, there was almost a hesitation in him. Sarah was surprised, she'd never known him to be hesitant about anything. He'd always taken what he wanted. She realized suddenly that he wasn't taking now, he was seeking her response, a response freely given. He wasn't trying to rouse her with his skill or passion, he wanted her to give herself to him on her own terms.

She had no desire to set terms, though, so she kissed him back, learning the movements of his lips, the way his tongue touched hers. She slid her tongue into his mouth, exploring his teeth, the curve of his lips. The tiny noise of pleasure he made took her breath away and a sound escaped her in reply.

The sound seemed to move him. His hands came up to frame her face and he kissed her, possessing her again, accepting all that she was offering. The need she'd seen the barest flicker of before came out in that kiss and she wrapped herself around him, trying to answer it with her body. Her hands slid up his back, cupping his shoulders and her leg went around his, urging his knee between her thighs.

He broke the kiss and said her name again before covering her neck with kisses. The controlled, skillful master of pleasure was gone and all that was left was a man who wanted her desperately. Her own desperation returned, not just her need to touch him, but her desperate desire to have *him*, the man, not a living automaton. This was what she'd always wanted from him - to have him give something of himself in return for all of her.

"Lewis," she breathed, hearing all her own aching need in his name. He groaned and shifted until his body was between her thighs, spreading her wide. He pressed inside her, slowly but without finesse, and she could feel him trembling.

"Lewis," she said again, tightening her muscles around his shaft. He gasped and began to move, slowly at first, then with more speed and power, thrusting in and out of her. She moaned, almost sobbing as she approached the climax.

"Sarah." His voice shook. "Open your eyes."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him and saw all that he was, open in his eyes. He thrust deeper and she struggled against the pleasure to keep her eyes open and accept the gift he was giving her. She fought the climax, wanting the moment to last, but the strength of the orgasm carried her over the edge. She threw back her head and called out his name, hearing him call hers as they both shook with release.

As the final shudders of his climax passed, Lewis looked down into Sarah's eyes. For several moments, he was still there, then the walls abruptly returned. A tiny sob escaped her and she closed her eyes against the pain of seeing him shut her out again.

He shifted above her, withdrawing and moving the bulk of his weight to the side. She turned her back to him and pushed his arm away when he tried to pull her close. He lay behind her, not speaking, not touching her as she cried softly. After a few minutes, his arm came around her again and this time, she let him pull her back against him.

He nuzzled her cheek and spoke softly in her ear. "We should have waited. You aren't strong enough, yet."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be strong enough to deal with you," she said brokenly.

He didn't respond, just nuzzled her cheek and gently caressed her arms, her shoulders, sliding his other arm under her and threading his fingers through hers.

"I don't want to hurt you any more, Sarah." His voice was the barest whisper.

"You can't help it," she whispered back. "It's who you are."

He stiffened against her back and started to pull away from her, but she grabbed his arms and held them around her. After a moment, he slowly began to relax and curled himself against her, tucking her into the angles of his body as he had those first nights.

He sighed. "I can't change, Sarah."

"I know." Her voice was still a whisper.

After a few moments, she turned in his arms, pressing herself against him, wrapping herself around him and holding him to her, knowing that this moment wouldn't last any more than the ones before it had.

"What do you want, Sarah?"

"I don't know," she said.

They lay silent for a moment, then she asked the question. She was afraid of what the answer might be, but the need to know was stronger. "What do you want, Lewis?"

He sighed again. "To keep you with me. But that wouldn't be safe for you."

"Or for you," she said, closing her eyes. A tear trailed it's way down her cheek as she realized the danger she placed him in. He kept himself so tightly defended behind his shields because it was the only way he could survive. He wouldn't be able to live if he started opening up. Either the pain of his life would destroy him or someone would catch him in a moment of weakness.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Do you really understand, Sarah?"

She nodded and another tear followed the first. "Yes. I don't like it, but I understand."

He pulled her back against him, his hand going to the back of her head, stroking her hair. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and setting his scent in her memory again.

After several minutes, she sighed and opened her eyes. "Will you let me go, Lewis? When the time comes?"

She felt his jaw clench. "I don't want anything you don't want to give me, Sarah. Not anymore."

This time, she pulled away from him and looked deep in his eyes. "What I want to give you and what I can give you are two different things." She touched his face, willing him to feel the truth of it in her, wanting him to know how much she wanted to give him, how much she would give him if things were different.

He pulled her back down and gently kissed her forehead. "I know that, Sarah," he said. "I know." He was quiet for a while, then he spoke very softly, very intently. "I can't change, Sarah, but you could if you wish to."

She pulled away and gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

He didn't meet her eyes. "You could become one of us."

At first, she didn't understand, then she remembered what had happened to Ed's friend, Kelly. Her eyes widened and she pulled herself away from him, sitting up as her breathing increased and fear shot through her. "Kelly died from that."

Lewis gave her a puzzled look, obviously searching his memory for the name. "Ah. The girl. Yes, we were trying a new way to introduce the DNA." He shrugged and met her eyes. "It was unsuccessful, but the direct transfusion of DNA is not dangerous."

"That's it?! That's all you have to say? A young woman died and 'it was unsuccessful'?"

His eyes hardened, closing him off from her even further. "What would you have me say?"

Sarah took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, trying to relax. His thinking was so different. It would always be. If she let him change her, she could be with him, but she wouldn't be herself anymore. She'd be different too.

She looked down at him, studying him. His eyes were hard, cold and a little wary as he studied her in return. She sighed and lay back down, putting her head on his shoulder. "No, Lewis. I don't want you to change me."

His arm came around her, a little hesitantly, and he began stroking her hair again. A thought came to her and she smiled to herself.

"Something amuses you?" he asked.

"I was just thinking. Maybe as long as there's one human you care about - at least a little bit - you won't kill us all off."

His hand stilled for a moment, then resumed it's gentle stroking, but he didn't reply.

Sarah was drowsing on Lewis' chest, when her stomach gave a huge growl. She giggled and Lewis chuckled.

"Perhaps you should eat something," he said.

He kissed her gently, then got out of bed and pulled on his jeans. She pushed herself up as he headed for the door.

"Lewis, take me with you."

He turned back and looked at her for a moment, then came and gathered her up in his arms. As he carried her out the door, she snuggled against his shoulder.

"I want to watch you cook," she said mischievously.

He laughed and carried her into the kitchen. Setting her on a stool, he went to the living room and pulled a large, comfortable chair into the kitchen. She carefully got off the stool and started to walk to the chair, but he grabbed her and lifted her, giving her another irritated look.

"I said I would take care of you for now."

As he set her on the chair, she smoothed his hair and caressed his cheek with her hand. "I have to keep trying to get well, Lewis. You can't take care of me forever."

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak, just turned and went to the refrigerator. "What would you like?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not picky."

He opened the freezer and pulled out some frozen chicken breasts and packages of vegetables. She watched him as he moved around the kitchen, admiring his graceful, controlled movements. The muscles in his arms flexed and bunched as he chopped and stirred and she could feel the desire building in her again. She wondered if she could ever be around him without wanting him.

He glanced over his shoulder with a smile. "I thought you were hungry."

"I am," she said playfully. "I just can't decide what I'd rather eat."

His hand stilled abruptly, then resumed and she knew she'd gotten his attention. The idea of tasting him again aroused her even further. She'd only tried to give him pleasure the one time, and then it had been a contest between them. She wondered suddenly if he ever just received, without giving and controlling the interaction. She wanted to do that for him.

She pushed herself up, finding she wasn't too unsteady on her feet, and padded over to him. Sliding her hands around his waist and down over the fabric of his jeans, she felt the obvious indication that her words had wakened his desire as well as her own.

He started and began to turn in her arms, but she pressed against his back, kissing the spot where his neck met his shoulders, lightly flicking his skin with her tongue, then nipping gently with her teeth.

"You shouldn't be standing." His voice was husky and she smiled against his back. One hand cupped his erection through the material and the other slid up to the waist of his jeans, then unzipped the zipper.

"I'll make a deal with you," she whispered as she reached inside his jeans and touched his hard flesh.

His breath caught as her other hand followed the first, pushing the jeans low on his hips so she could reach him.

"Sarah," he said in a warning voice.

She nibbled up the back of his neck to his ear. "You can't cook and keep me in that chair, Lewis. I'll only be good if you do what I want."

His hands went to her wrists, capturing them and holding them still. "And what is that?"

"Let me do something for you," she whispered breathlessly.

He tensed and she knew it was with desire. She stood on her tiptoes and nuzzled his cheek from behind, pressing her advantage.

"Let me do this, Lewis." She knew he would only agree if he felt he had control, so she asked, as if it was a favor to her. "I want to touch you," she continued, baring her desire to him. "I want to feel you. I want to know your pleasure, too."

He turned abruptly, pulling her arms around his waist, then running his hands over her body. His mouth came down on her neck as he responded to his desire as he always did, by controlling the one who roused it.

"Lewis." She pulled away, flattening her hands on his stomach and sliding his jeans off his hips. "Let me do this." She knelt slowly, pushing his jeans down his legs, then running her hands back up his legs to grasp and knead his buttocks. On her knees, she ran her nose along the length of him, loving the strong scent of his maleness.

"Sarah." His voice was hoarse with passion. The warning was still there, but it was less now.

Her tongue crept out and ran down, then up the length of him. He tensed, inhaling sharply and she knew he would allow her to continue. His erection pulsed, throbbing and she knew she didn't have much time. For once, he was losing control.

One hand came around and grasped him. She ran her tongue around the head of his penis, then dipped her tongue into the opening at the tip. He moaned and his hips thrust forward. She put her lips around the head, moving up and down over just the tip, barely sucking. He gasped and thrust again and she took him into her mouth, sucking more strongly. She moved her head more quickly, occasionally letting her teeth graze him, and moved her hand on his shaft in time. His breathing was ragged and harsh. A moment later, she felt his whole body tense and shudder with release.

She held him in her mouth as he softened, then released him to kiss his stomach, wrapping her arms around his hips as she smiled a tiny smile. His breathing slowed and he suddenly leaned down and pulled her to her feet, looking deep into her eyes with an unreadable expression. Putting his hands around her waist, he lifted her to an empty space on the counter.

He spread her legs wide with his body and one hand moved between her thighs, demanding and urgent. She gasped as he forced her desire even higher. His mouth moved over her body, quickly, rousing her without hesitation or leniency. Taking back control she thought before he took her ability to think with his hands and his mouth.

His fingers entered her and his thumb rubbed over the sensitive nub above her vagina. His movements were precise and perfect, bringing her to climax so quickly, she barely had time to cry out. As the shudders passed away, his hand moved again, rousing her again and taking her to another climax, then another.

As she was still gasping from what his hands had done, his mouth moved down her body. His tongue barely flicked her engorged and sensitized clitoris, making her jump. His lips and tongue tortured her, making her moan and writhe, desperately seeking another orgasm. The thought crossed her mind that he shouldn't have let her go before. He would have controlled her eventually.

His mouth moved up her body and she whimpered as it left her unfulfilled. His lips reached her ear and his hand moved between her thighs again.

"Only when I allow it, Sarah," he whispered.

She wondered whether he meant only when he allowed her to give him pleasure or only when he allowed it would she have an orgasm, then thought fled again as she felt the hard shaft of his erection press into her.

His body drove her, controlled her, taking her higher again. He pulled her hips to the edge of the counter and pounded into her, thrusting powerfully until she cried out as the release swept through her body.

Tom returned to the house alone after several hours. He and Sloan had gone shopping for Sarah, then he dropped Sloan off at the Agency. He went to the grocery story, then brought all the packages back to the house, carrying the groceries into the kitchen, feeling for Lewis and Sarah empathically.

They were in the bedroom together, but Lewis was shielded tightly. Sarah was very relaxed, but sad. Perhaps she and Lewis had talked about the future.

Tom heard the bedroom door open and Lewis came around the corner into the kitchen. He was wearing jeans, zipped, but not buttoned, and no shirt or shoes. Tom raised an eyebrow as the scent struck him. Lewis and Sarah had obviously had sex. Tom was surprised that Lewis would do such a thing when Sarah was so weak. He looked a question at his mentor and Lewis looked a challenge back at him, his eyes cold and hard.

"I take it Sarah is feeling better?" Tom said mildly.

Lewis' eyes softened with the tiniest hint of amusement. "In many ways."

Tom smothered a smile. Lewis was arrogant. Not without reason, Tom had to admit.

He decided to attack. "Sarah is sad."

Lewis' eyes closed up again. He shrugged. "We talked."

"What did you decide?"

"She does not wish to be changed."

The blood drained from Tom's face as he realized what Lewis had offered Sarah. It had not occurred to Tom that Lewis would do that.

"Will you respect her wishes?" Tom's voice was soft, deadly, indicating that he would not allow Lewis to ignore what Sarah wanted.

Lewis' look was mildly surprised. "Of course. Otherwise, I would not have asked."

Tom relaxed slightly. That was true. Lewis would simply have done it.

"Where is Dr. Parker?" Lewis asked.

"At the Agency. She is trying to find out what Attwood knows about Sarah's disappearance."

Lewis look was disdainful. "That should not be difficult. Even for her."

Tom studied him. "If you think so little of her, why send me to kill her?"

Lewis smiled slowly. "For a human, she is quite intelligent. She is not worthy of you, though, Tom."

"Our opinions differ," Tom said.

"In many areas," Lewis agreed. He looked around. "Did you bring clothes for Sarah?"

"In the car," Tom said. "Are you certain you wish to give them to her?"

Lewis smiled, again with that touch of arrogant amusement. "I can always remove them," he said as he headed for the front door, buttoning his jeans as he went.

Tom considered slipping back to see Sarah, but decided he should wait for Lewis' permission. There was no reason to antagonize him at the moment. He appeared to be willing to let Sarah go.

As Lewis returned carrying the packages, Tom considered what he should do next. Sarah was better. Perhaps he and Sloan didn't need to stay here tonight. He had made his claim on Sloan and he found that he didn't want to wait any longer to complete it. Lewis returned from the bedroom and leaned against the door frame.

"Don't worry," he said in an amused tone. "I won't interrupt you."

Tom looked at him, but did not pretend to misunderstand. Lewis knew him too well.

"Unless, of course, you think you need assistance," Lewis continued.

Tom stiffened, remembering how easily Lewis could arouse Sloan. He wanted that to stop.

Lewis' eyes narrowed as he studied Tom. "If you can make her forget me here," he said suddenly, "with me in the next room, then she will truly be yours."

He turned abruptly and left as Tom's eyes widened. There was some truth to what Lewis had said. It was surprising that Lewis was willing to offer such advice, though. Perhaps Sarah had touched him more than Tom thought. Or perhaps it was simply a ploy of some sort.

He finished putting away the groceries, then went to the bedroom and stood outside. He didn't bother to knock, Lewis would know he was there. A moment later, the door opened and Lewis stood in front of him, a questioning look on his face.

"I'd like to talk to Sarah," Tom said. He didn't demand or challenge, he simply stated.

Lewis glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at Tom and nodded. He walked past Tom, heading for the kitchen. Tom went into the room and looked around. Sarah was sitting cross-legged on the bed, wearing Lewis' shirt. Clothes and toiletries were strewn around her. She looked tired, but there was color in her cheeks again. He could feel sadness and something else in her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded with a tiny smile. "I'm fine. Thank you for the clothes."

"Sloan picked them out."

Sarah nodded. "She knows what I like."

Tom moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Sarah gave him a surprised look. "Lewis wouldn't hurt me. Not intentionally, anyway."

"Did he hurt you unintentionally?"

Sarah sighed. "Not physically. Who he is causes me pain."

Tom nodded. He understood. Caring about Lewis was intensely painful. Lewis used that concern instinctively for his own benefit.

Sarah sighed again. "He offered to change me. I said no." She smiled a little sadly. "I suggested that maybe as long as there's one human he cares about, he won't kill us all off."

Tom doubted that would be the case, but he said nothing. Even if Lewis and those like him succeeded, it would be many years from now, perhaps an entire generation. Sarah might not live to see it. In the meantime, Tom would do everything he could to stop Lewis from accomplishing his goals.

Sarah looked over at him. "What happens when I'm well, Tom?"

"We will create a new identity for you."

Sarah frowned. "Is that really necessary? Giddings said she'd let me go once she had the answers she wanted."

Tom's eyebrows went up. Perhaps they shouldn't have rescued Sarah after all. Still, it was too late now. He said so.

Sarah patted his hand. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't particularly enjoying my stay. I don't mind too much that you interrupted it." She slanted a look at him from under half-closed eyes. "I actually thought at one point that I preferred Lewis' brand of torture." She blushed.

Tom said nothing. Sarah had no idea of what Lewis was capable of. There was no reason to try to enlighten her.

"So, I get a new identity?" she asked.

Tom nodded.

"What will I do?"

Tom shrugged. "What would you like to do?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "That's a big question."

A smile tugged at Tom's mouth. "Think about it. You have time to decide."

Sarah looked away, her eyes unfocused. He could tell she was considering the matter. He took the opportunity to study her carefully.

She'd obviously had a shower recently, her hair was still damp. Even so, he could smell sex on her - and arousal. Again, he understood. Once Lewis caused someone to desire him, they would continue to do so unless he reprogrammed them.

Her nipples were erect and her cheeks were flushed. The color had returned to her skin and there was no trembling in her muscles as she held herself erect. She was stronger. She would be completely well in a few days and could probably travel tomorrow or the day after. He looked at her closely, gauging her emotional state.

"Why are you sad?" he asked abruptly.

She started and blushed, not meeting his eyes. "I just wish... I wish he'd open up more."

Tom's eyebrows went up in surprise. Her phrasing and tone suggested that Lewis had already opened up some which was totally unexpected.

"You must realize..." he began.

"I know," she interrupted. "You don't have to tell me, Tom."

There were possibilities inherent in this situation. "Sarah..." he began again.

"No, Tom." She met his eyes and there was a fierceness in them. "I know what you want and I won't do it. I won't betray what little he's given me. If I did that, he'd become even more dangerous."

Tom nodded. She was correct. Still, it was difficult to let such an opportunity pass by.

He studied her again, concerned that Lewis would harm her emotionally. By opening himself at all, he drew more of Sarah out, opening her and making her even more vulnerable. He could deeply wound her.

Tom reached out and took her hand. "Don't let him hurt you, Sarah."

Sarah's eyes closed. "I can't run away from this, Tom. I have to see it through."

Tom squeezed her hand, making her open her eyes. "I will be here," was all he said, but he saw the gratitude in her eyes.

"Perhaps I should leave you two alone."

Tom turned his head to look at Lewis. His voice had been soft and deadly. His eyes were fastened on Tom's hand, holding Sarah's.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sarah said.

Lewis' eyes moved to her and he relaxed marginally.

"Tom is just trying to make sure I'm all right," Sarah said.

"Does he have to touch you to establish that?"

Sarah looked a challenge at Lewis. "I don't know. Ask him. You don't see me objecting, do you?"

Lewis' eyes narrowed again and Sarah made a disgusted sound and climbed off the bed.

"Are all Predator males so territorial?" she asked as she walked over to Lewis. He watched her as the moved close to him and put an arm around his waist.

Tom's eyes widened suddenly as Sarah stood on her toes and nuzzled Lewis' cheek in a close approximation of the Mark. Lewis' glared at Tom, who turned his head, trying not to laugh. Now he knew what was different about Lewis. Sarah had claimed him. He wondered what else Sarah had gotten away with. A pity she didn't know anything about their customs so she would understand what she was doing. Perhaps he would explain it to her someday.

"I'll leave you two alone," Tom said, brushing past Lewis. "I have to go collect Sloan."

"I'm so looking forward to having Dr. Parker here, this evening," Lewis said in a silky voice.

Tom looked back at him. Their eyes met and challenged, then called a truce. Tom's mouth twitched in amusement as he realized they were both in the same boat, though Lewis wasn't likely to admit it.

As Tom left, Lewis wrapped one arm around Sarah's waist and grasped her hair with the other hand, pulling her head back.

"Don't do that in public again," he said.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

He lowered his head and ran his nose over her cheek. "That," he said softly.

"Why not?" she asked. "You do it in public all the time."

"That's different."

"How?" she asked, a little exasperated. "What does it mean?"

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, then began to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. "It means you're mine," he said.

Comprehension struck and a wave of desire ran through her, making her knees weak. She slid her hands up his arms as he reached the top buttons, following the curve of his shoulder and neck till she took his face between her hands. "So when I do this..." She pulled his head down and ran her nose around his cheek and jaw. "... does that mean you're mine?"

His hand grasped her hair again and he looked deep into her eyes. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer her.

"Only to the extent that I give myself to you," he said, lowering his mouth to take hers.

She tried to move her head to avoid his mouth, but his hand in her hair held her in place. His head stopped lowering though, and he waited for her to speak.

"Then I'm yours only to the extent I give myself," she said softly.

His lips curved up in an amused smile as his mouth brushed hers. "Sarah," he whispered. "You've already given yourself to me. You're mine."

She wanted to protest, but his mouth covered hers, smothering the words she would have said. His hands moved on her body, rousing her easily. She wanted to fight it this time, though, to prove to herself that it was her own choice.

His mouth moved to her ear and he chuckled, deep in his throat. "Will you fight me again, Sarah? Can you?"

His body pressed down on hers, carrying them both to the floor. His weight came down on her as his hands moved over her, playing her. His mouth possessed hers and she responded despite herself.

He'd shut himself off again, shut himself off against the weakness he'd shown earlier today. He was proving to himself, to Tom and to Sarah that she was his, not the other way around.

His mouth still held hers as his body lifted. His knees spread her legs wide as his hands moved between them and he shoved his jeans down, then he laid his weight on her as he kicked them off. He rolled, carrying her with him, manipulating her easily to rest on top of him.

He didn't bother to pin her body to his as his hand moved under her. One finger slid easily into the hot depths of her sex, already slick with desire and need.

"Sarah," he said in admonitory tone. "You know you can't fight me."

He sat up, casually lifting her, then lowering her onto his rigid shaft before she could struggle or protest. His face moved close to her and he nuzzled her again. She stiffened, knowing what that meant now and he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Mine," he said, drawing back to look into her eyes.

The smile was gone and she knew he wanted her to fight him. He was trying to make her angry enough to resist so he could force her desire, claim her against her will, prove to her and to himself that he could make her respond to him.

She looked at him and willed herself to relax. Smiling wickedly, she tensed her internal muscles around him.

His eyes widened and his breathing deepened. Then his eyes narrowed again.

"Interesting tactic, Sarah. But what do you hope to accomplish?"

She leaned in and brushed her nose over his cheek again, claiming him as he'd claimed her. Her muscles tightened again and she set a pulsing rhythm within herself.

His nostrils flared and his eyelids drooped for the barest second, then he rolled forward, carrying her with him to pin her beneath him again. She wrapped her legs around him and continued her contractions.

"Excellent," he said, brushing his nose over her cheek. "How many positions can you do that from, though?"

She gasped as he abruptly pushed backwards and pulled out of her. She stared at him, open-mouthed as he walked to the bed and grabbed some pillows. He threw them on the floor beside her, then suddenly lunged and grabbed her, turning her on her stomach. His arm went under her waist and he lifted her, shifting the pillows so they were beneath her hips.

Her breath caught and fear shot through her. Surely he wouldn't...

She looked over her shoulder at him and her body trembled. She was terrified of anal sex since the one time she'd tried it and it had hurt so badly.

"Lewis..." Her voice shook, matching her body.

He looked down at her, honest surprise written on his face. "Fear, Sarah? Of me?" He lay down on top of her, resting part of his weight on one hand and caressed her arm, kissing the back of her neck. "I promised I'd never hurt you," he whispered.

"Does that promise still hold?" Her voice was still shaky.

"Of course." His voice was still a silky whisper. His hand traveled down her body, slipping underneath her to caress her breasts. "What are you afraid of? Don't you like this position?" His hand slid down her belly and one finger gently stroked her clitoris.

She closed her eyes and exhaled as she realized his intention. She didn't actually like this position. It was too impersonal and it made her feel vulnerable. Still, it was better than what she'd thought he was going to do.

He must have felt her relax because he shifted, turning them on their sides so she was pressed against him, but not under him.

"What did you think I was going to do?" His hands continued to travel her body. It was different, though. He wasn't actually rousing her so much as driving drive the fear away. She tried to relax into it, but she was still trembling inside. She hadn't realized how afraid she was of that.

He didn't speak for several moments, just let his hands touch her. One hand shifted between their bodies and dipped down to her buttocks, then slipped between them.

"Is this what you thought I was going to do?" he asked gently. His finger barely touched her anus and she stiffened, trying to pull away from him.

He held her tightly, not letting her move. His arm came back around her and he whispered in her ear again. "Someday, I'll teach you the pleasures of that, as well. Not today, though."

He rolled again so he was lying on his back with her resting on top of him. His hands caressed her gently, not demanding, just wandering aimlessly. She rolled off him and sat on the floor, looking at him.

He pushed himself onto his side and rested his head on one hand. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

She shook her head. "You couldn't know I would react like that."

Reaching out, he took her hand, idly caressing the back with his thumb. "I still didn't like feeling your fear. You haven't been afraid of me at all this time."

She thought about it and realized the last of her fear of him was gone. How could she be afraid of him after he'd stopped? Knowing he would do that said so much about him.

"Did someone hurt you once?" His eyes narrowed and she wondered whether he'd go and hunt the man down if she said yes.

"Not intentionally," she told him. "It just didn't work out."

He nodded. "You have to be careful."

She shuddered. "I don't want to think about it."

He smiled. "Someday you may want to try it. You needn't worry that I'll hurt you. I have a great deal of experience."

She looked at him curiously. "I wouldn't have thought there would be a lot of women who'd be waiting in line for that. Or do you just prefer it?"

Amusement crept into his eyes and he smiled broadly. "Not women, Sarah. Men."

She stared at him, suddenly realizing just how much Tom really did understand about the way she felt. She felt herself beginning to blush as she realized once again how incredibly tame her entire sex life was compared to probably one month of Lewis'. Or Tom's. She blushed harder, realizing how incredibly obvious it was now that she saw it.

"Have you ever...?" she asked shyly.

His smiled broadened. "When I was much younger. And even then, not often."

She nodded. She couldn't imagine him accepting such a subordinate position. He was far too dominant. He was so Alpha, he left the rest of the alphabet in the dust.

He tugged gently on her hand, pulling her down to lay beside him.

"Now," he said. "What can I do to make the fear go away?"

She bit her lower lip softly, realizing that her desire was mostly gone. The fear had driven it out of her. He looked at her, waiting, seeming to understand. More, it was obvious that he didn't want her to associate fear and desire of him any more.

He leaned in to nuzzle her cheek and she had to giggle, remembering how the gesture had started all this.

"How about a swim and a massage?" he asked.

"I don't have a bathing suit."

"So?" His eyes were amused again. "The fence is tall for a reason."

She smiled slowly and nodded. He grinned and rolled to his feet, sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her out the door.

When Sloan and Tom walked into the house, Sarah was sitting in the comfortable chair in the kitchen, watching Lewis cook. She wore one of the light, cotton dresses Sloan had purchased for her. Lewis was wearing jeans, zipped and buttoned, but no shirt or shoes. Sloan stared at his muscular chest and arms, trying not to let herself become aroused with Tom standing right next to her. Lewis looked over his shoulder and met Tom's eyes, then smiled slowly, almost challengingly.

Sloan looked over at Tom and saw a slow, hard smile cross his face in reply. He looked back at her, then leaned in and Marked her again. The feel of his nose brushing over her face, his breath on her cheek, made her start and close her eyes. She forgot about Lewis, forgot everything except the feeling of Tom sensuously moving his face over hers. When he finished, she was trembling again.

Not willing to look at Lewis, she glanced over at Sarah and saw amusement and understanding there.

"Lewis is making dinner," Sarah said casually. "He burned lunch."

Lewis looked over his shoulder again, giving Sarah a warning glance. "Whose fault was that?"

"I'm happy to accept the blame," Sarah said with a giggle.

Sloan glanced back and forth between the two of them, surprised at how relaxed Sarah was with Lewis. Sloan couldn't imagine being that relaxed with a man who'd kidnapped and raped her.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Lewis said in a relaxed voice. "Why don't you open a bottle of wine, Tom?"

Tom studied Lewis for a moment, then walked over to the wine rack. "What are we having?"

"Fish," Lewis answered. "An excellent Halibut."

Tom nodded and selected a bottle, then took down four glasses. He hunted around for a corkscrew, then pulled the cork and sniffed carefully.

"Not bad," he said, pouring a small amount into a glass.

Sloan watched, amazed, as he carefully sipped, testing the wine. She'd had no idea that he knew anything about wine. He nodded and poured some into the glasses, then held one out to her with a tiny smile. She took it, still staring at him wide-eyed. His smile broadened and he handed a glass to Sarah, then took one over to Lewis.

"Thank you, Tom." Lewis' voice was incredibly intimate. Tom gave him an amused glance.

Sloan looked over at Sarah. She looked back at Sloan, surprised, but not as stunned as Sloan was. Sloan knew Tom and Lewis had a sexual relationship at one time, but for Lewis to flaunt it like that and for Tom not to get angry? Sloan took a sip of wine, wondering if she should just run, now, while she still could.

Sarah studied her, then stood and slowly walked over to her.

"Trust me," Sarah murmured. "It's worth it."

Sloan gave her another wide-eyed look, that slowly turned into a grin at the slightly wicked expression in Sarah's eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lewis said.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Do you mind?"

Lewis looked over his shoulder, then met Tom's eyes. "If you don't want us to hear, then you should move further away."

Sarah giggled. "Would you let us?"

Tom looked over at Sloan. "That depends on how far you want to go."

Sloan felt an odd flush run through her, one part indignation and two parts desire. Sarah put her hand on Sloan's arm. "How about the living room?" she asked.

Tom shrugged and Sarah led Sloan out before she could explode.

"Don't bother," Sarah said. "It's how they are."

"Tom has never behaved like that before. He's always been completely respectful."

"He never claimed you before," Sarah said in an amused tone.

"How can you put up with that?"

Sarah gave her a serious look. "I don't know and it worries me sometimes. Part of it is I know Lewis will never hurt me."

"How can you say that?"

"He promised he wouldn't."

"And you believe him?"

Sarah nodded. "He's kept every promise he's ever made to me. Until he breaks one, I have to assume he'll continue."

Sloan stared at Sarah, open-mouthed. "What did he do to you? You're so different."

Sarah sighed and sat down on the couch. Sloan sat down beside her.

"He showed me a part of myself that I didn't know was there, Sloan. He showed me needs and desires and feelings I didn't know I had. When he kidnapped me..." She trailed off and Sloan could see pain in her eyes as her voice dropped to a whisper. "When he kidnapped me, I was terrified, just like you. But I wanted him, just like you. He didn't give me a choice about responding."

"But..." Sloan protested.

Sarah shook her head. "There is no 'but', Sloan. Whatever you think about how much control your mind has over your body, trust me, you're wrong. You will respond physically to certain stimuli whether you want to or not."

Sarah looked away. "After a while, though, there was a certain freedom in not having a choice. Whatever inhibitions I had or feelings of shame that had been programmed into me by society no longer mattered." She looked back at Sloan. "I'm not explaining this very well."

"You're doing fine," Sloan said. It was fascinating and she was starting to understand, a little anyway, what Sarah was talking about.

Sarah looked away again, obviously searching for words. "I managed to keep him from controlling me..."

"How?"

Sarah looked at her, confusion in her eyes. "I'm not really sure, Sloan. I reached a place beyond need where he couldn't control me. I don't know how I got there." She leaned close. "Between you and me, I don't know that I'll ever get there again. I wonder... if he'd kept me, whether he'd have succeeded eventually."

Sloan didn't understand most of that. Sarah looked at her and seemed to see that she didn't follow the explanation.

"Don't worry, Sloan. You'll understand." Sarah cast a glance at the kitchen, then at the bedroom. "You will."

Sloan blushed. "I've had sex before, Sarah."

A slow smile spread over Sarah's face. "Not with one of them, you haven't." She paused and gave Sloan a direct look. "Can I give you a word of advice?"

Sloan smiled a little wickedly. "Absolutely."

"Afterwards. Not tonight, but maybe tomorrow. When you're alone. Mark him."

Sloan's eyes widened and she giggled. "Sarah!"

Sarah giggled back. "The response will amaze you."

"Ladies," Lewis' voice came from the dining room. "Dinner is ready."

Sloan and Sarah continued to giggle as they stood up and walked into the dining room.

"Did you enjoy your chat?" Lewis asked.

The two women glanced at each other and grinned, nodding, as they all sat down on the four sides of the small table.

"This looks wonderful, Lewis," Sloan said.

"Thank you." He looked across the table at Tom. "Just like old times, wouldn't you say, Tom?"

Sloan was surprised when a slow smile spread over Tom's face.

"Not exactly like old times, Lewis. There was usually only one woman."

Sloan paused as she reached for the bowl of vegetables and swallowed hard. She looked over at Sarah and saw that the comment was having the same effect on her. She absolutely refused to look at either Tom or Lewis as she started her hand moving again.

"Or none," Lewis agreed calmly.

Sloan stopped dead again, then forced her hand to spoon some vegetables onto her plate, trying very hard to stop the trembling. She was not going to look up.

"Would you care for some fish, Dr. Parker?" Lewis' voice was smooth and incredibly irritating.

She took a deep breath and met his eyes, holding out her plate. "Yes, thank you."

His eyes laughed at her as he placed a portion of the Halibut on her plate, then did the same for Sarah. Sloan wondered if her own face was the same bright red that Sarah's was. She lowered her head just in case and took a bite of the fish. It was delicious.

"Lewis, this is fabulous," she said, looking up.

His eyes gleamed with amusement. "One of my many talents. Perhaps you'll sample some of the others in the future."

Sloan glanced at Tom, but his look was still amused. Sarah, on the other hand, had a slightly hurt expression as she focused on her plate. Sloan wondered suddenly what it must be like for Sarah to know that, in a very short time, Lewis would leave.

Sloan glanced over at Tom again, realizing that she was the lucky one. Tom would stay with her. He'd claimed her and he intended to keep her. Sarah wasn't so fortunate.

Sloan looked at Tom again, then reached out and put her hand on his arm. "I don't think that will be necessary, Lewis. I think I'll be just fine."

Tom's eyes lit with a predatory fire that Sloan had only rarely seen in them. She felt herself responding with a strong desire of her own.

"Perhaps we should just skip dinner altogether," Lewis murmured.

"And miss this incredible fish?" Sloan said brightly. "I wouldn't dream of insulting you like that, Lewis."

Lewis looked at her and a flicker of respect shone in his eyes. "Under the circumstances, Dr. Parker, I wouldn't be at all insulted."

Sloan blushed and looked back down at her food.

Lewis chuckled. "Perhaps we should discuss the old days some more, Tom."

"It does seem to have an interesting effect on the ladies," Tom said mildly.

"Tom!" Sloan gasped.

"We are empaths, Dr. Parker," Lewis said.

From across the table, Sarah giggled. "And I'm here to tell you that can be incredibly irritating."

Sloan laughed. "I've noticed that from time to time."

Sarah met her eyes. "Just wait," she said. "It gets worse."

Sloan laughed again, glancing sideways at Tom. It was a little strange, knowing that things were about to change between them. The anticipation was creating a very pleasant tension in her. She sat back in her chair and took a sip of wine, looking around at the other three.

"Weren't you two going to talk about the old days?" she asked Tom and Lewis. "I'm sure Sarah and I would be fascinated."

Sarah giggled and leaned back in her chair, matching Sloan's casual manner. "Absolutely," she agreed.

Lewis looked over at Tom, amused. "The prey seems to have changed the terms of the hunt."

"Isn't that what makes it interesting?" Tom asked.

"Indeed." Lewis took a sip of wine. "Like that woman in Oakland."

Tom nodded. "I think she surprised even you."

"A bit," Lewis agreed.

Sloan's eyes met Sarah's as they realized that Tom and Lewis had called their bluff. They were actually going to tell a story.

"That bar was always a little wild," Tom said.

"What bar?" Sarah asked.

Sloan gave her a 'how could you' look and Sarah gave her an 'I don't know' look in reply.

"Just a little bar in Oakland that we liked to frequent," Lewis answered.

"Why?" Sloan decided to dive in. She'd asked for it, after all.

"It was part of the training," Tom answered.

"What part?" Sloan asked.

"The part on seducing humans," Tom said.

Sloan gaped at him. "Why in the world would you be trained to do that?"

Lewis chuckled. "It has it's uses," he said. "This particular female had some unusual ideas, though."

"Like what?" Sarah asked. She looked over at Sloan, wide-eyed, with a huge grin on her face.

Lewis glanced at Tom. "When we approached her and indicated interest..."

"Indicated interest? That sounds pretty clinical," Sloan said.

Tom and Lewis glanced at each other again, then stood up.

"Sarah," Lewis said, extending his hand toward her.

Sarah swallowed hard and looked at Sloan before putting her hand in his. He drew her to her feet, then moved in close, just barely brushing his body against hers. Tom flanked her on the other side, and the two men circled her, occasionally brushing against her, looking deep into her eyes as they passed. Lewis' hand moved to rest gently on her shoulder as he slowed and stopped behind her. Tom's hand went to her waist as he paused in front. Lewis leaned in, close to Sarah's ear, and his eyes met Sloan's holding them.

"Interest," he said in a rich, silky voice.

Sloan looked at Sarah who was visibly trembling, then back at Lewis. His smile was knowing, but his eyes were intense as they bored into hers.

"Lewis," Tom said softly.

Lewis broke his hold on Sloan and looked at Tom, whose fingers were lightly touching Sarah's cheek. Lewis' jaw tightened and he drew Sarah away from Tom and back to the table, settling her in her chair. Sloan realized that Tom had just protected her by threatening to make a move on Sarah. The idea was alien to her, but it still sent a shiver of pleasure through her.

Sarah looked over at Sloan and tiny smile played about her lips. Sloan was struck by a sudden desire to find out for herself what it was like to have them both focused on her. She bit her lip and looked down.

"She accepted our advances and we suggested that we should go somewhere more private," Tom continued. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "She, however, preferred to stay where we were."

"In the bar?" Sarah gasped.

Lewis nodded. "Apparently she found the idea of having two men in public to be extremely stimulating."

Sloan and Sarah's eyes met and they both licked their lips.

"Perhaps she wasn't the only one," Lewis purred, looking from Sarah to Sloan.

Sloan felt her face reddening and glanced at Tom who gave her a measuring look.

"And that surprised even you?" Sarah asked Lewis.

"A bit," he admitted. "Not that a woman would be aroused by the idea, but that she would actually be willing to go through with it. I expected her to change her mind once we agreed."

"You agreed?" Sloan said with a wide-eyed look at Tom.

"Of course," Lewis said. "Why not?"

"Sure," Sloan said with a look at Sarah. "Why not?" She was fairly certain she was going to have a perpetually surprised look on her face for the rest of this conversation. "So, you..." Sloan trailed off, not certain what they would have done next.

"We led her to a dark corner, still in the main bar, but where we would be less likely to attract attention." Tom's tones matched Lewis' silky ones at their best.

"We didn't even have to touch her," Lewis said. "She was completely aroused just at the thought of what we were going to do."

"Why did you go through with it?" Sarah asked. "What value did it have?"

Lewis looked at her, then at Tom.

"To understand the power of the mind in arousal," Tom answered. "To see how far the sexual drive can carry a person. To learn to keep your own head in a dangerous and distracting situation."

Sarah nodded, her eyes narrowing as she studied Tom, then looked back at Lewis. "Interesting lessons," she said.

He nodded, holding her eyes. "Years of training," he said softly.

Sloan watched them and realized they were continuing a conversation that she and Tom had not been a part of. She glanced at Tom and saw the same knowledge in his eyes.

Sloan cleared her throat, embarrassed, and Lewis looked at her with a wicked grin. "Impatient for the end of the story, Dr. Parker?"

Tom chuckled. "It ends fairly predictably."

"Still, I'm sure the ladies wouldn't be satisfied," Lewis purred the word, "unless we continue."

"I think you can stop," Sloan said.

"I've definitely heard enough," Sarah said.

"You're sure?" Tom asked in a silken voice.

"We wouldn't want to deprive you," Lewis said in that same sensual purr.

Sarah and Sloan looked at each other and silently agreed to take the coward's way out. "We're sure," they said together.

Tom and Lewis exchanged amused glances.

"Shall we finish our dinner, then?" Lewis said casually, picking up his fork.

Sloan bent her head and took another bite of fish. It really was delicious. They ate in silence for several minutes.

"The conversation seems to have stagnated," Tom observed.

"Perhaps for lack of an interesting topic," Lewis replied.

"I'm not sure I'd survive another of your 'interesting topics'," Sarah said.

Lewis laughed. Sloan picked at the fish, not really hungry anymore. After a few more minutes, Tom threw his napkin on the table and looked over at Lewis.

Lewis glanced at Sloan and smiled. "A pity to waste such a meal. Still..." He met Tom's eyes. "I'll clean up."

"We'll clean up," Sarah said.

Lewis smiled over at Sarah as Tom stood and extended his hand down to Sloan just as Lewis had reached for Sarah earlier. Sloan looked up at him surprised, then slowly placed her hand in his and let him draw her up. She looked at Sarah and blushed at the little smile on her face. Sloan didn't have the courage to look at Lewis.

Tom placed his hand on Sloan's waist and firmly guided her out of the dining room.

Lewis smiled and leaned back in his chair. He glanced over at Sarah "Aren't you hungry?" he asked.

"Why did you do that?"

He gave her an inquisitive look.

"Why did you help them? It's almost as if you wanted them to get together."

He shrugged. "Part of Dr. Parker's allure may lie in the fact that Tom hasn't consummated their relationship yet. This may remind him that one female is much like another."

Sarah sucked in her breath at that casual comment, feeling an ache in her gut, as though he'd stabbed her. Tears came into her eyes and she stood up quickly. He moved faster than she would have thought possible, blocking her way.

"Sarah." His voice was soft and tender. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

She backed away from him, angry. "What other way could you mean it?" she demanded.

His body pressed her further back until she was trapped between him and the wall with his arms on either side of her. She pushed against his chest, but it was like pushing against a rock. His body barely touched hers as he lowered his head and brushed her cheek.

"Sarah," he said softly. "You know I didn't mean that to apply to you."

She looked up, meeting his eyes. She wasn't going to let him get away with it this time. "You never say anything you don't mean." Her eyes were hard as she blinked away the tears. "You calculate every word, every phrase. Why did you say that?"

He looked down at her without answering, then tried to lower his lips to her throat. She pulled away, pushing at his chest as she found herself blocked by his arm.

"No, Lewis. I'm not going to let you do this to me. Not without an explanation."

She looked into his eyes again, demanding a reply and was surprised to see uncertainty there. She stared at him, wondering if maybe, just maybe, he didn't know why he'd said it. That hardly seemed possible, but why else wouldn't he tell her? If he wanted to hurt her, he could easily continue to do so.

Could he actually be responding the way anyone would when they were preparing for a separation from someone they cared about? Could he be trying to push her away to protect himself? To hurt her before she hurt him by leaving? Could he really care about her that much?

Reaching up, she cupped his cheek. "Lewis, don't you know why you said it?"

He continued to look down at her, the uncertainty still in his eyes. She smiled slowly, then leaned forward and stood on her toes so she could nuzzle his cheek. "Because you're mine," she whispered.

He started and pulled away from her, moving his arms off the wall. She stared at him a moment and her smile became predatory. She laughed, low in her throat and moved toward him.

He didn't retreat, but his eyes were wary. She circled him slowly, her body barely brushing his, just as he had done that first day and again, tonight with Tom. As she passed in front of him, she met his eyes and saw they were hard and cold. He was controlling. It didn't matter. She had him now.

She moved slowly around behind him, drifting a hand across his chest and up over his broad shoulder as she went, then stopped. Her hand stayed at the junction of his neck and shoulder as she raised up on her toes to whisper in his ear. "Mine."

His head snapped around, but she was standing so he couldn't look into her eyes. She laughed again and stepped back, knowing what would make him respond.

"But then," she said softly, "one male is much like another."

He spun around and stared at her, his breathing deep and quick. She could see anger in his eyes. He knew she was manipulating him, but he was responding anyway. She laughed at him again. There was no fear in her. She knew he would never respond with violence. His response would be primitive, primal - the one she wanted.

His eyes narrowed and she saw control return. He studied her, measuring her. "Perhaps you would prefer another?" His words were almost a hiss.

Her smile faded and she looked at him sadly. "Preference doesn't matter. When you leave, I'll have to find another."

She turned and looked at the table, intending to start cleaning up, believing the conversation was over. His arms went around her suddenly, lifting her, and she clung to him as he carried her to the bedroom.

"Lewis," she breathed as he shut the door with his foot.

He let go of her legs, allowing them to swing to the floor. His other arm was still firmly around her waist, holding her to him. His free hand went to her hair, pulling her head back and his eyes bored into her. They were hard and cold as he leaned down and Marked her.

"Mine," he said. "There will be no other."

"Lewis. We can't..." She gasped as his hands moved, ripping the dress apart. She wore no bra, but the underpants were removed the same way, quickly lying in shreds on the floor. His hands were on her waist, pulling her to him and his eyes held hers.

"Lewis," she tried again. "We can't stay together. You know that."

His nostrils flared and he lowered his head to her cheek, Marking her again. "Mine," he said intently.

A sob escaped her, half fear that he wouldn't let her go, half joy that he didn't want to. Her hands crept up his arms to his shoulders, then locked around his neck as she pressed her cheek to his.

"Tonight, Lewis. I'm yours tonight," she whispered.

His mouth moved to her ear. "Always," he said.

The sob escaped her again. She had to stop this somehow. She should never have started it, never have pushed him. They couldn't stay together.

His hands slid over her body, touching her, rousing her easily. "Always," he whispered insistently.

As her passion rose, she made her last stand. Taking his head between her hands, she pulled him down to her and Marked him. "Mine," she said firmly.

He stiffened and she knew he understood. If he wanted her always, he was the price. She knew it was a price he couldn't pay.

His hands tightened on her again, then he stepped back and released her. The fire still burned in his eyes, but he was in control once more. He looked down at the shreds of cloth on the floor and smiled slightly.

"I'll have to buy you more clothes."

A laugh escaped her, on the edge of hysteria. His hand reached out and brushed her cheek as he took a deep breath.

"You have an interesting effect on me, Sarah."

"I could say the same thing to you, Lewis." Her voice was barely a whisper.

He moved close again and gently pulled her against him. "Did I frighten you?" he asked.

"Don't you know?"

He shook his head. She laughed again, not calmly, but the edge was gone.

"I'll never be frightened of you again, Lewis."

His arms tightened around her. "Good," he whispered.

They stood like that for several minutes, then he sighed. "Perhaps we should clean the kitchen."

She laughed and this time, it was normal and comfortable. "Good idea. It'll be a real mess if we leave it till morning."

She found another dress and pulled it on. He waited for her, the put an arm around her as they went back to the dining room, occasionally leaning his head down to rub his cheek against her hair. She sighed in contentment, wishing, just for a moment, that it could be like this always.

"So do I," he murmured.

She smiled. "That's the empathy thing again."

"I know. It's irritating," he said in an amused voice.

"Not this time," she said softly. "It occasionally has its uses."

Tom could feel Sloan's nervous anticipation. Her emotions were a palpable, physical sensation to him tonight. Since he'd Marked her, everything about her was becoming a part of him. He began to understand why Sarah had such a strong effect on Lewis.

He put that out of his mind as he led Sloan down the hall to the farthest bedroom. He wanted to concentrate on her tonight, not Lewis. He considered for a moment taking her somewhere else, but Lewis was right. If he could make Sloan forget Lewis here, then she would truly belong to Tom.

He opened the door to the bedroom and walked in behind Sloan, then shut the door. She turned and looked at him with a nervous smile.

"Tom..." she started.

He didn't let her finish, just moved close to her and took her face between his hands. He kissed her gently, feeling her emotions. She was willing. She wanted him. No matter what she might say in her nervousness, she wanted this.

The kiss deepened as it had that night in the hotel. His mouth moved on hers and she responded, parting her lips and allowing him access to her. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body against his.

His hands moved down her back, tracing patterns as his mouth trailed down her cheek, stopping to Mark her softly, before moving on to bite gently on her ear. She shivered with pleasure and he smiled as his lips moved over the sensitive skin of her throat to her shoulder.

Her hands flattened on his waist, slipping under his shirt to caress the skin of his back. He dipped his head under her chin, tilting her head back and ran his tongue over the soft skin, down to the top of her shirt. Grasping the fabric at her waist, he pulled it free of her jeans and lifted it up, running his hands under and over her waist, her ribs, her breasts as he raised it over her head.

Her breasts were small and she wore no bra, leaving her bare to the waist. His hands moved to her nipples, teasing them with light rubs and squeezes. She inhaled sharply and arched her back. As he began to lower his head to her neck again, he stopped, his attention yanked elsewhere by someone else's emotions.

His breathing quickened as he felt Lewis losing control.

"Tom? What's wrong?"

"Lewis," he said shortly, trying to feel what was happening. Sarah was not upset, she was angry and controlled, then sad.

"What's happening?" Sloan asked urgently. "Is he hurting Sarah?"

Tom shook his head. "He would not hurt her. He is losing control, though."

"What do you mean, 'losing control'?"

"I don't know." Tom looked into her eyes, confused. "I've never felt Lewis lose control."

"Is Sarah frightened?"

"No. She is angry and sad."

He turned for the door, but Sloan grabbed his arm. "No."

He looked at her surprised.

"You said Lewis won't hurt her. Do you believe that?"

He nodded.

"Then leave them alone. Whatever it is, they have to work it out for themselves."

Tom looked at the door, considering.

"Tom." Sloan put her hand to his cheek, turning his head back to face her. "It's none of your business."

Tom looked at her, trying to decide whether she was right or not. A moment later, the question left his mind as Sloan leaned forward and Marked him. He stiffened and his arms went around her, instinctively pulling her closer.

"Who's doing the claiming here, anyway?" she murmured in his ear.

He growled and lowered his head, possessing her mouth with his own. She responded, but he could tell she was surprised at his passion. She'd thought him tame, gentle and considerate. That needed changing.

He broke the kiss and pulled his shirt off in a quick, fluid motion. He wanted to feel her flesh against his own. In the training, he'd been schooled to patience and finesse, but he knew now that Sloan expected that from him. She expected him to be in control. If he expressed the urgent passion he felt for her, that would make her respond in a way she had not anticipated. Time enough for gentleness later.

He smiled as he reached out and unfastened her jeans, then followed her legs with his hands as he pushed them off her. His hands on the back of her knees urged her to step out of her clothes and his nostrils flared at her scent. When she complied, he slid up her body, his chest touching the front of her, his hands traveling the back as he stood. She was nude now, and his hands roamed her freely, marking all of her. His mouth moved on her, rousing her, bringing her alive with a passion to match his own.

He swung her up in his arms and carried her quickly to the bed, then rapidly removed his jeans and covered her body with his own. His hand moved between her thighs, exploring, learning the folds and lines of the incredibly sensitive flesh of her sex. His finger paused at her entrance, moving in slow circles around the opening, feeling the heat and the wetness of her. He didn't want to enter her with his finger, he wanted to possess her with his body.

She needed the urgency too. He could feel it in her, had felt it since this morning when he'd first Marked her. She didn't need preparation, she needed him.

He spread her legs with his knees, opening her wide, then thrust into her, running his hands over her breasts and stomach, kissing her throat, making her moan with pleasure. Her hips thrust against his and he knew he had her. She had forgotten Lewis, forgotten where they were and why they were here. She was his.

He pulled out and thrust into her again, giving himself to the moment as well. She gasped and wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him closer. He moved inside her and she moaned again, whispering his name. He moved powerfully, following the demands of her hips under him.

He thrust harder, losing himself in the insistent driving need to take her to fulfillment. His eyes drifted closed and he felt with his other senses, listening to her moans and gasps, feeling her flesh against his, smelling the scent of her arousal and tasting her emotions in his mind. As he felt her hit the edge of a climax, he twisted his hips, driving her into a powerful orgasm.

A cry of pleasure escaped her and he stiffened, feeling her pleasure wash over him. He held himself still, using every ounce of control he'd ever learned from Lewis to contain his own need to finish. He waited, holding himself above her as the shudders of her orgasm passed, then settled himself on top of her, barely touching her with his hands.

"Tom?" Her voice was breathless. "You didn't...?"

"I'm not finished with you yet," he said in a husky, silky voice.

Her entire body shivered in response to his words and he slowly lowered his head to take her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss. His hand moved over her breasts, and he steeled himself against the exquisite agony of withdrawing. She moaned in despair as he pulled out of her, her hands grasping his shoulders to try to pull him back.

His hand moved down her belly, dipping toward the cleft between her legs. He Marked her again, slowly, letting her feel each motion as he brushed his face over hers. Her breath was coming faster again and her eyes were wide as she looked up at him.

He smiled and lowered his head to take her neck. His hand continued on its path, dipping low to cover her mons. One finger tickled the outer lips of her sex and she gasped, her legs spreading wider almost involuntarily in response to his touch. The finger moved deeper, brushing over her clitoris and she gasped again.

He slid his other hand under her body and turned on his side, drawing her with him and pulling her upper leg over his. His hand moved down her stomach, stealing lower to touch her intimately as his eyes looked deep into hers. She gasped again and arched her back, pressing her hips against his. He leaned in and grazed her lips with his own, taking her lower lip between his and caressing it with his tongue.

She shivered again and he smiled, releasing her lip and traveling her neck again, then coming back to her ear.

"What position do you like?" he asked.

He could feel her skin heat with a blush and he chuckled. "Shall I pick one?"

He pulled away from her a bit, his decision already made. As he moved back and grabbed a pillow, she ran her finger down his chest.

"I've always liked being on top," she said with a playful grin.

He grinned back, knowing it was her way of attempting to regain control. "No, you just think you do."

Her eyes widened as he reached for her, turning her on her stomach and tucking the pillow under her hips.

"Tom," she breathed huskily.

"Shh."

He moved between her legs, spreading them wide with his knees, then fitted himself over her, letting her feel the weight of his body on her back, his shaft pressing against her sex. His hands moved under her, one caressing her breasts, the other traveling down to rub against her clitoris as he kissed and nuzzled the back of her neck.

She gasped and moaned, her hips moving in time with his finger. He chuckled again, enjoying the feel of her need and desire for him. Except for that one time when Lewis had forced them underground, Sloan had always made the decisions, set the pace. Now he was setting the pace and he was finding it extremely satisfying.

He slid his hands down her body, lifting himself off her. His hands went between her legs, spreading her sex and she moaned, pressing backwards. He knew she expected him to enter her, but instead, he drew back further and set his lips on her, tasting her for the first time.

She bucked, crying out her need, saying his name and he smiled as his tongue moved on her. He sucked gently, then pressed her between his teeth and tongue. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and drew himself up, putting his arm under her waist as he thrust into her again.

She cried out and shook with an orgasm almost immediately. He laughed and moved again, pushing her higher, driving her into another climax before allowing himself that same exquisite release.

Sarah shut the door and locked the classroom behind her, then took the key back to the receptionist. Her name was still Sarah, but she was Sarah Bowman now, not Hillar. It was hard to remember sometimes.

The little Community College where she was teaching was a pleasant, safe place. She liked the people and had already made a few friends. She doubted any of them would ever be as close to her as Tom and Sloan were, though. Some experiences just forced people together, not allowing them to be separate no matter the physical distance between them.

Sloan and Tom would visit her later on, maybe a few more months from now. When Tom had brought her here, he'd told her it wouldn't be safe for them to visit for quite a while. She understood. Still, four and a half months without them, without her family or anyone she loved seemed like an eternity.

Teaching was fun. She'd always wanted to try it. She had sufficient credentials, though Sarah Bowman's degrees were from an entirely different university than Sarah Hillar's. She taught basic literature courses for the English department, helping people get credit so they could enter a real college.

She wondered sometimes as she watched these people living their calm lives, what it would be like to be the way they were again. Not knowing about the Predators. Not knowing about the Agency. Thinking you could live your life as you chose with nothing to threaten you. She knew she could never go back to that.

Still, the calm, sleepy contentment here was infectious. Some days, as she sat by the river and ate lunch or read, she could almost forget everything that had happened and just exist. Almost.

She had enough money to do whatever she wanted. Lewis had seen to that, over her protests. She hadn't wanted his money, but he'd simply placed it in the bank and told her she could spend it or not. She didn't have to work to support herself, just to keep from going crazy. She would be able to travel if she wanted and see the world. That thought appealed to her. She'd never really been anywhere. Maybe in a year or two, she'd go to Europe for the summer.

She walked the mile from the college to her apartment slowly, comfortably. She couldn't think of anything she needed as she passed the little grocery store, so she just kept walking. One of the other teachers, Mike Danvers, passed her and offered her a lift, but she shook her head with a smile and kept walking. Mike was nice enough, but he wasn't Lewis.

She might as well have given herself to him that last night. He'd demanded always and she'd refused, but he had her anyway. She wondered if she'd ever want to feel another man's touch.

She put all that aside and enjoyed the afternoon. It was a beautiful, Spring day. The sky was blue and the air was clean. She could be happy here. Well, content perhaps.

Her mailbox contained only bills and junk mail. Not surprising, but it still depressed her a little. Sloan had promised to make Tom find a way to let Sarah's family write to her. Sarah knew they'd keep that promise. It was just a matter of time.

She unlocked the door to her comfortable, two bedroom house and went inside, throwing the bills on the table and the junk in the trash. She walked into the living room and stopped.

He stood there, looking at her. His eyes were the same intense blue as she remembered. His body looked real and solid. A rush of desire ran through her and her knees wobbled. She put her hand on the door frame and licked her suddenly dry lips, trying to articulate all the questions running through her mind.

"Lewis," was all that came out.

Why are you here? Why did you come? What do you want? All the questions passed through her mind, but his name was all she could say.

His nostrils flared and he walked slowly over to her. Over-controlling she thought, just like he always does.

His fingers touched her cheek and she closed her eyes, feeling her knees getting weaker. His arms went around her, supporting her, and his nose brushed her cheek, Marking her.

A tiny sob escaped her and she wrapped her arms around him. She didn't care why he was here. She'd ask that later. For now, he was touching her again and that was all that mattered.

Lifting her in his arms, he moved unerringly for the bedroom. Of course, he'd already have located it, she thought. He set her on her feet by the bed and ran his hands over her body, studying her face, closing his eyes and ducking his head to hear the catch in her breath when he touched her.

He leaned down and drew her dress up, over her head and off. She reached out, tugging at his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans as he reached around and unfastened her bra. He pulled the shirt off and she threw her bra aside, reaching out to run her hands over his chest, his shoulders and down to cup the erection that she could see straining against his jeans. Her fingers moved, unfastening his belt, the button, the zipper and she pushed the jeans off his hips, freeing him to the touch of her hungry hands.

He growled and pulled her closer, slipping his hands under her panties, then pushing them down. He slid down her body, pulling the underwear with him and she stepped out of them. His nose brushed her thigh, then dipped into the triangle that formed her sex. She gasped, grabbing his shoulders for support and tried to spread her legs wider as his tongue flicked out, trying to taste her.

He made a frustrated sound, and, a moment later, his nose traveled up her body, his hands sliding up her back. He paused and took one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth and tongue. She arched against him and he growled again, standing upright. Just before he swung her up in his arms, she felt his bare flesh pressing against her and knew he'd removed his jeans.

He carried her to the bed and lay down on top of her. Her legs spread as his mouth came down on hers and she moaned deep in her throat as he pressed into her. He moved slowly at first, each thrust, each glide drawing a little sound of pleasure from her. His mouth never left hers and he seemed to be drinking her in as he moved within her.

The rhythm increased in speed and she could feel his need building. His mouth finally released hers and she moaned as his lips found her throat. He drove harder into her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and thrusting powerfully. She shifted her legs, lifting them higher, trying to get him deeper inside her.

He responded by levering himself up and lifting her hips with his hands, pounding into her, driving her toward a climax. She looked up in his eyes and saw *him* again. His shields were down and he was there with her. He stared down at her, holding her eyes, letting her see his need until her head fell back and, with a desperate cry, she surrendered to the feeling, to the climax, to his possession of her.

He cried out in reply and she felt his entire body tense and shake as he let go and fell over the edge with her.

They lay together, her head comfortably pillowed on his chest. She sighed in contentment.

After a moment, she asked the questions.

"Why are you here?"

"To see you," he answered.

"Why?"

He didn't reply at first. "I thought that was obvious," he finally said in a light tone.

She smiled into his chest. "I thought 'one female was much like another'."

He turned in her arms and lifted her chin so her eyes met his. "I didn't mean that."

"I know," she said.

He looked deeply into her eyes, obviously trying to gauge the truth of that statement, then nodded and released her chin. She lowered her head to his chest again.

"What do you want, Lewis?"

There was a long pause before he answered. "You've left a hole in my life, Sarah. I'm not sure how you did that."

"Neither am I," she said wistfully. "You, however, have left a canyon in my life."

He laughed.

"I think you know how you did it," she continued.

"Years of training," he said with laughter in his voice.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked.

His hands moved on her back and her arms. "We make love again."

She shivered, desire returning. "After that?"

He sighed heavily. "I can't take you back with me."

"I wouldn't go," she told him.

She felt his head move as he nodded. "Then I'll have to come to you," he said.

She thought about that for a moment. He'd arrive when he wanted and leave as quickly. If something happened to him, she'd never know. He'd just stop appearing in her living room. Still, it was the best she could hope for. And, as she'd realized over the past four months, she didn't want anyone else.

There was nothing left to say, really, so she gave in to her desire and reached up to pull his head down. She kissed him deeply, feeling each movement of his tongue and lips. She wondered how many other lips he would kiss between the times when he came back to her.

The thought made her furious and she sat up, straddling his body. His hands moved on her and she pressed them down to the bed. He allowed it, looking at her curiously.

Her eyes bored into his as she placed her hands on his chest and leaned down. She met his eyes, conveying her own fierce feelings for him and she felt a response in him. His breathing deepened and his eyes lit from within. His hands moved and she pushed them down again, then leaned down and slowly Marked him.

"Mine," she whispered fiercely.

His fists clenched and she reached down, grasping his arms, holding them on the bed. She knew she couldn't really hold him, he allowed it, but the symbolism was important to her. She Marked him again.

"Mine," she whispered, almost crying in her need to have something of him in return for what she'd given.

He moved suddenly, carrying her over and pinning her beneath him. His head lowered and he gently nuzzled her cheek.

"Yours," he whispered, so softly she almost didn't hear him.

Another sob escaped her and she pulled him down, kissing him passionately, claiming what he'd finally given to her. He kissed her back, his passion meeting hers. They finally broke from the kiss, both of them breathless, and she shifted her legs, trying to get him between them.

He laughed. "Aren't you tired of the missionary position, yet, Sarah?" he asked playfully.

Her eyes widened in stunned surprise at his sudden change of mood.

He grinned at her. "There are so many more interesting positions."

She laughed, blushing. "We've tried some of the others."

"But there are so many more," he persisted.

She giggled. "What did you have in mind?"

He pulled away from her and grabbed a pillow. "Turn over," he said with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

A shiver of desire and not quite fear shot through her and she complied, slowly. He lifted her hips, placing the pillow underneath and settling her comfortably. Then he lay down beside her and began to trace patterns on the skin of her back.

"Tuck your legs up," he suggested casually.

She swallowed and drew her knees up around the pillows, shivering at how exposed she felt. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but the position made her feel so vulnerable.

He grabbed another pillow and lifted her again, settling her down and moving behind her. He leaned forward, his arms going to either side of her body, supporting himself on his hands. His mouth and tongue began to do what his hands had just been doing on her back, tracing patterns on her skin.

Her eyes closed and she felt her skin flushing with desire. The blood rushed down between her legs, sensitizing her sex, making her shift uncomfortably. He chuckled and continued to kiss and nibble along her back and shoulder.

One of his hands joined his mouth, fingers trailing over her spine, drawing little gasps from her. His hand traveled down, cupping one her buttocks, then slid down and circled the opening of her vagina.

"I think you're enjoying this, Sarah." His voice was an amused whisper near her ear as his hand moved down further to stroke her clitoris. She jumped and writhed under that torturing hand.

"Lewis," she said in a warning voice.

He chuckled and leaned closer, pinning her body under hers. She could feel his shaft pressing against her thigh as his finger continued to tease her.

"Yes?" he asked.

She gasped again as his finger slipped partway into her, then slid out, making her thrust her hips backwards, trying to get more. Her hands clenched on the sheets under her as she tried to push herself up and turn over so she could touch him and end the torture, but his weight held her down and his mouth returned to traveling her back.

"Was there something you wanted, Sarah?" His voice was light and playful.

She moaned, then snapped out his name again. "Lewis!" Her voice sounded desperate, even to her own ears.

He laughed, moving his hand over her clitoris, rubbing and flicking with his fingers. She was writhing under his hand, moaning before he finally took pity on her and moved between her legs, positioning his shaft at her opening and slowly, so slowly pressed himself into her. Then he pulled out, holding himself, with just the tip of him inside her, and reached under her hip to rub her clitoris again.

She gasped, thrusting backwards and he let her impale herself on him, then grabbed her hips and held her there, immobile.

His breathing deepened, and through the haze of her need, she realized he was having trouble restraining himself. Taking a deep breath, she tightened her internal muscles around him.

He groaned and moved, one pull, then a thrust back into her.

"Sarah," he whispered.

It was difficult from this position, but she tightened around him again and he groaned again. His hands tightened on her hips and he moved again, pulling out, then gliding into her again.

"You're learning, Sarah," he said in husky voice.

"I had a good teacher," she breathed, reveling in the feel of him moving in and out of her.

He laughed softly. "Tell me you like it, Sarah. Talk to me like you did those first days."

She inhaled sharply, remembering how she's spoken to him, how free she'd felt then. He twisted his hips a little, changing the way the flesh of her sex moved as he thrust in and out of her.

"Lewis," she moaned.

"Do you like it, Sarah?"

"Yes," she breathed. The one word made it easier for the next to escape. "Oh, Lewis, yes. It's wonderful."

He thrust deeper with each word she spoke, pulling her toward him with his hands as he thrust with his hips. She pushed upwards with her hips, trying to spread her legs further so he could enter her deeper.

"Sarah," he breathed again.

She felt the pulsing in her sex as he pushed her toward a climax. She cried out as it hit and thought fled for an indeterminable time. When she began to come back to herself, Lewis was still with her, shuddering with the final echoes of his own pleasure. She lay still, breathing deeply and smiled as he slid out of her and pulled her off the pillows, curling around her. He was breathing deeply as he put his arms around her and held her against him.

"So, you liked it?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Except for one thing."

"What's that?" he chuckled.

She knew he expected her to say she hadn't liked his teasing. She pulled his arms more tightly around her. "I couldn't see your eyes," she said softly.

He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. "I'll agree with that exception."

She smiled and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

Lewis was cooking again. She'd decided he must like to cook. She'd also decided that his teasing earlier had just been his way of regaining control after he accepted her claim on him. She smiled to herself. She could deal with the fact that he needed to be the dominant one in this relationship. Especially now that it was a relationship.

She watched him move around her stove, occasionally complaining about her kitchen implements. She giggled and told him she'd get better ones for the next time he came. He smiled and said they'd get them tomorrow since he planned to stay through the weekend.

She sighed happily. A weekend of Lewis. It would be over too soon, but she intended to enjoy it while it lasted. That would be the story of her life from now on. Enjoy it while it lasts.

He was hers now, though. He belonged to her and she belonged to him. It was a good feeling. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant in his culture. They'd have to talk about it. Somehow, she thought it might mean even more to him than it did to her, although he'd probably never tell her what exactly.

He burned his finger and shook his hand, then stuck the finger in his mouth sucking on it. She laughed, surprised to see him acting so ordinary. He grinned at her and kept cooking.

He was different now, more relaxed. She didn't know if it was because he'd given himself or because they were so far away from his little war. It didn't matter. He was different and maybe, just maybe, she could make some of that difference stay with him when he went back to the rest of his life.

She narrowed her eyes, studying him. She hated the idea of using what she knew against him. She couldn't bear the thought of him being killed or imprisoned again. She also didn't much like the idea of changing him. She'd always believed that if you loved someone, you accepted them for who they were and left it at that. He had offered her a choice, after all. He hadn't forced her to become like him.

She thought about rejecting him, sending him away. He was trying to destroy her race, after all, and she was sitting here, playing house with him. The idea brought an ache to her heart and her breath caught. He turned suddenly, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over and stroking her face.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. "This isn't going to be easy," she said.

He studied her for a moment, then understanding came into his eyes and he lowered his head until their foreheads touched.

"No, it's not," he agreed softly. He took a deep breath. "Do you want me to go away?"

The ache got stronger and he inhaled sharply, pulling her close. "I told you before, Sarah. I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"And I told you, you can't help it."

He held her for a moment without speaking. "You haven't answered the question."

"No," she said immediately. "I don't want you to go away."

He held her tighter. "Then I won't."

© Tere Matthews 1998

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