Hector picked up a splinter of wood from the broken bed frame and, with a groan, jabbed it into his wrist. When he pulled it away, the tip of it glinted bright red. I shuddered. Blood dripped from the fresh wound. Drying blood covered his front from the fast healing sword wound.

I tried to breathe shallow breaths. All my life, I could never remember a time when I'd witnessed a wounded superior vamp. This was the first time I'd actually been around vampire blood, and it smelled delicious. It wasn't the coppery, salty kind that flows in human veins; it was a heavenly banquet, filled with all desire and euphoria--

"Harper!" Hector called to me.

I snapped back to reality as though I'd been under some trance. I hadn't realized that I'd come closer, that I'd actually taken his wrist into my own hands, that I'd been about to taste it.

"Ugh," I yelped and dropped his already healing wrist. "Why'd I do that?"

Hector shrugged. "Well, we don't really let the word out, but our blood is just as desirable to humans as human blood is to us. Only ours is attractive to you because it wants to consume you, not the other way around. It wants to change you," Hector said, keeping his eyes on Leon the whole time. His eyes grew wide with astonishment. "It's working."

It was, as I'd somehow known it would. The gaping hole in Leon's center was closing. His breathing regulated. Muscles and tendons wove themselves back together. The wolf part of him faded as he took on the form of his human self once more.

Before our eyes, Alpha Leonard was whole and healthy again. He blinked up at us curiously, running his hands over his torso where he'd been torn. Then he smiled as wide as a man who'd just beat death, because he had. He rose and swept me up in his arms. I gasped as he swung me through the air in jubilation. Finally he stopped.

"I knew you were powerful, but this is far more than I could have imagined--" he said, and I cut him off.

"Because it wasn't me," I said.

"Not you? But you're the only Spellbinder in this room, my dear. You don't say your friend is. . ." His eyes grew curious again as he studied Hector. "But he looks like a blood-drinker."

"He is. A vampire, I mean. One that just saved your life," I said.

Leon looked shocked at first, then relaxed and held out his hand politely, as though he'd only just remembered his manners. I noticed a small wince from Leon when Hector took his hand. Obviously Leon wasn't used to shaking hands with vampires.

"I am Alpha Leonard," he said, bowing his head slightly, "And I thank you for your generosity-- a rarity in your kind, but I am thankful for it nonetheless."

"No prob, man," Hector said quite simply.

"It seems you've done away with my treacherous brother as well." Leon nodded toward the werewolf corpse in the floor with the sword still through it and a pool of dark red blood underneath it.

"Nope. This time, it was Harper."

"My Harper killed a werewolf?"

"My Harper," Hector gave a small pause to let the words sink in, "Killed a werewolf."

My mouth dropped. They can't seriously be doing this right now, I thought. My face flushed. It suddenly felt like I'd swallowed a brick.

Leon regarded Hector humerously, but Hector kept his somber face on. I was reminded of the emotionless glare he often wore in the compound in front of the superior vamps.

"In any case," Leon said quickly, as though he were merely trying to change the subject. Perhaps he didn't wish to discuss it in front of me. "He caught me off guard. How were you able to slay him, Harper?"

"I-erm-I didn't mean to. I thought it would just injure him enough to make him stop, I didn't think it'd kill him. . ."

"Ah, well, it happens." Leon shrugged.

"It does?" I asked.

"It does," Hector agreed.

Leon sauntered over to his dead brother and gracefully slid the sword from the corpse. He inspected the blood-tinged sword and sighed.

"He conspires to kill me and he doesn't even use the family silver." He shook his head, his long dreads swinging with his movement.

"But you were dead- dying. Before Harper willed you to live and I obliged," Hector reminded him.

Leon seemed to be struck by Hector's words, as though he was only realizing how close he was to not exiting at that moment. Had we not intervened, someone would probably be sewing him into leg warmers right now. He gazed of a moment, with a look of deepest thought.

"I owe you far more than my loyalty," he said to me finally.

"Me? But Hector's the one-"

"But you willed it so."

I heard Hector scoff, but ignored it. I regarded Leon seriously. Now was the time to be honest.

"Thank you so much for everything, but I have to go. There's something I've got to do."

"Then I will go with you," he said, unshaken.

"We have to travel, it could be dangerous."

"All the more reason for me to come. No-one knows the land better than I," he said. "I owe you my life, My Queen, I would follow you to the ends of the earth just to be sure you succeeded safely."

"I don't--" I started in objection, but then I thought on it.

Why shouldn't Leon come? I thought. I need help, and Hector was only available to help during the night. I had no idea where we were going or how to get there. I had no idea what all was waiting in the wild; I had a feeling I hadn't seen even half of it. Besides, it would likely be very difficult to keep an alpha werewolf from doing exactly what he wanted to do. If he felt he must protect me on my dangerous journey, I should let him. The more the merrier. The only problem was problems that may arise or escalate between Leon and Hector.

"Okay. We'd love to have you," I said.

They'd just have to get over their differences.

"What?" Hector yelped.