A shadow, nothing more, barely noticeable against the black sky on the other side of the glass he leaned on. Dark thoughts, as dark as the night beside him, ran through his head, regrets. She was too good to be restricted to spending her life in the shadows and depths of the night. He had been too selfish and hadn't enough self control to save her from it, to stop himself. He thought of her and found her in his mind instantly, running through the forest satisfied and full of regret and self-hatred. He thought to her with gentle calmness, I'm sorry for the life you have now, the things you must do now. In the forest she stopped wrapped in his silky voice in her head, and replied with, You warned me, didn't you. It wasn't a question and he hung his head, despising himself. She felt his overwhelming sadness and added, If you hadn't, I wouldn't have found you, I wouldn't be near you, and this is better than the sun. She started running again and Darius knew the conversation was over, the connection severed.  He couldn't help but feel regret for being what he was, and who he was, weak willed and entirely not strong enough to resist her. He had followed her for weeks before the meeting in the park, his own fault. For not being strong enough to look away from her to go feed, for following her hungry, knowing he was not strong enough to resist. He hung his head again and waited for her return, with thoughts that now rivaled the darkness outside.
   She continued to run, with her mind purposely empty, and concentrated on going faster, and faster. Whipping by the trees and over the undergrowth that only moved marginally as she sped by, leaving everything she passed undisturbed and without evidence of her passing. Seeking the solace of the black, the shadows, that came with the moonless night. Deep sorrow filled her then as she let a thought of her former life, her living life, enter her mind. She stumbled slightly but didn't slow down even a fraction, pushing the thought from her mind again, and in an effort to keep them out, thought of her "life" now. She thought of everything she had now that she didn't, and never would have experienced before the encounter with Darius. Her thoughts turned to him swiftly without her permission, and she stumbled again, this time unable to stop herself from falling. She flew through the trees, fortunately missing them, and landed on her backside on a pile of thankfully soft undergrowth. She sat up and wiped her hands on her jeans, and sat there for a second. Then with the force of all her strength, a considerable amount now, brought both hands down on the soggy earth, frustrated with herself and her thoughts, shaking the ground for a mile around. She could hear the creatures scurry for safety and the ground settle again. She got up and walked the last hundred yards to the house she shared with Darius at the edge of the city. As she walked through the door his presence surrounded her and her breathing tripped momentarily at the shock of the sensations that followed entering his presence.