Chapter 1: Claire

Humming to myself as she worked not in Myrnin's lab, but behind Oliver's counter, I couldn't help but think about all the things that had lead me to work for one of my secret crushes. Money had been tight lately at the Glass House due to taxes (both the blood kind and the money kind) Had been raised to help repair some of the damages Bishop and his crew had left behind during the war, she along with everyone else in the house had gotten a second job and the only available place hiring that she was qualified to work at the time had been Oliver's coffee shop.

I remembered being so nervous when filling out the application and that feeling only increased when Oliver himself had called her not a day later after she had turned in the damn thing, her heart had seemed to beat faster and faster during the interview and I had only felt relieved when he had told me up front that I had gotten the job.

That had been a little over four months ago and while the financial problems were over, I found myself still working here. Eve had moved onto the TPU campus coffee bar, saying that they paid more and the hours where why better, which left me working from eight am to five pm all alone…with Oliver.

It wasn't like working with Oliver was a bad thing, he was professional if strict at times, he did his work and expected you to do the same, and generally watched out for the people who worked for him.

That wasn't the problem, the problem with working for Oliver was that I had secretly been fantasying about the man since I had come to Morganville, my feelings for him hadn't changed not even after all those time he had hurt me or my friends which you would think after setting your boyfriend up to die would put a damper on, but it didn't and now working for him only made it worse.

I would go to bed at night and dream about him making love to me, of making my body ache and throb for him, of feeling his hard thick cock push into….

"Claire phone for you."

Blink I quickly handed over the cup of coffee I had just made to some jock then turn to see Oliver leaning against the counter looking at me with a blank expression, I felt myself being to blush and cleared my throat.

"Um…yeah I'll go take that call. Be back in a sec." I said and walked past him and into the back area where the phone was and picking it up, I pressed it to my ear and said quickly.

"Common Grounds, this is Claire."

There was the sound of shifting papers and then Myrnin's voice came on the line.

"Claire, where are you? You supported to be here an hour ago." He said and sound irritated.

Glancing up at the clock I saw that I was indeed late for my second job, cursing I quickly started to undo my apron.

"Shot sorry Myrnin, I had to fill in for someone at common ground. I'll be there in a few minutes." I said and added. "I'll bring you some donuts with sprinkles."

That seemed to cheer him up because he spoke he didn't sound as pissed off.

"Fine you will be forgiven, just hurry up. We have much to do tonight."

I paused in the act of taking off my apron as Myrnin's words filtered in.

"Um, tonight…Myrnin is this going to be an all-night thing again?" I asked and remembered how angry Shane had been the last time I spent the night at work.

XXXXXXXXXXXX(FLASHBACK)XXXXXXXXXXX

"Stupid cheating fang-banging whore!' He snarled and backhanded me hard across the face, yelping in pain I stumbled back from the force of the hit and landed hard on my ass.

"You think you can cheat on me with that crazy ass vamp bitch?"

Kick

"Shane Stop It." I whimpered as he pulled his leg back to kick me again.

"Fucking slut You are going to quite be his little blood whore." He snarled and gripping my hair yanked me up to my feet and pulled me towards his bedroom.

"I'll show you what a real man can do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(END FLASHBACK)XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shane had changed since his dad's death, and part of me feared the day he would go too far and kill me, but what would happen if I did leave?

Shane had apologized for afterward and had been pretty much his normal self but I was trying as hard as I could not provoke him again.

"Yes Claire, this is an 'all night thing', do you have a problem with that?" He demanded and I shook my head.

If I said yes, then Myrnin would start to look for another assistant and at one point I would have been happy about that but know… things had changed. Memories of the night Myrnin had bite me played through my mind, I remembered the moment his fangs had slid into my neck and his hands began to play with my breast in front of Bishop and his bubbles.

It had been a ploy to give the others time to get into place and it had worked but at a price, I was bound to Myrnin through my blood and would always carry a piece of him inside me. I couldn't allow my relationship with Shane get in the way of that, I may love him but this…whatever was between Myrnin and me went beyond that.

"No…I'll be there soon," I said and hanging up made my way to my locker and saw Oliver leaning against the locker next to mine.

"You could have told me that it was past time for me to leave." I snapped as I opened my locker and began to pull out my stuff.

His eyebrows went up ever so slightly as he replied "And lose free workers? No I think I'll keep them in the dark" Now his eyebrows dipped down slightly as he shrugged. "It's not my fault if you can't keep track of the clock"

Biting back a retort as I finished getting ready to leave I walked past him and left through the back door, all the while feeling his gaze on my back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

SHANE

Tipping back the bottle for a long drink, I waited for Claire to get back from work. We need to talk about her working for the blood suckers, I knew she was fucking that asshole Myrnin and I was pretty sure she was fucking Oliver now to.

I wasn't stupid, I knew the signs and I was going to punish that bitch for thinking she could fuck around behind my back with two blood suckers. It didn't matter that I was fucking some whores behind Claire's back or that one of them could be knocked up with my kid, all that mattered was that this bitch who I had loved and protected as best I could here in this fucked up town, was fucking around behind my back.

"God damn fang banging whore." I growled and finished off the bottle of jack and started on another one.

I was so fucking mad, I could see straight and part of me screamed at me to stop and think, but I was done thinking about Claire.

Picking up the smith and west my dad had given me not long ago, and started to load it up. Tonight that lying bitch would pay for cheating on me and once she was dead maybe I would shake this town up a bit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CLAIRE

Entering the lab, I put my bag on one of the lab tables along with the coffee and donuts I ordered for Myrnin. Once that was done I made my way over to my work station and grabbed my lab coat and slid it on while glancing around for the crazy scientist that was my boss, Myrnin loved scaring the crap out of me by appearing in front of me using vampire speed.

Glancing around I couldn't spot him and I wondered where the vampire had gone off to?

"So this is where you were at? Figures considering you are his little whore after all."

Turing I saw Shane standing there looking pissed off and for some reason instead of fear, all I felt was anger.

How dare he come here and accuse me off sleeping around with my boss?

I may not care about Shane like I once did but I was still his girlfriend and had never once cheated on him…even when there had been nights I had wanted to.

"Shane it's not like that and you know it. WHAT are you doing here? Fuck have you been drinking" I said demanded when I saw him stumble closer to me.

"I know what you're doing here, your lying little cunt! You're here to cheat on me with that bloodsucking freak you call a boss" he slurred.

Now I was officially pissed off, I had put up with his drinking and abuse for way too long and now I was just done with it.

"Shane I'm fucking fed up with this insecure bullshit! I have only ever been loyal to you and what has that gotten me? You beating the shit out of me while telling me what a whore I AM!" I screamed.

He seemed taken aback by my words, I had never yelled at Shane before and I guess he must have thought I would back done and cower like I had done in the past, but I was sick of him and his bullshit.

"You know what Shane? We are over, done. I through being your punching back, now get the fuck out before Myrnin comes back and drains your worthless ass." I snapped and froze when he put his right hand from behind to reveal the gun and held it out towards me.

"You shut up you fucking little bitch, we are done when I say we are DONE! I know your fucking lying to me you little whore, now this is your last chance Claire, SO TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH" he yelled his expression saying clearly that he would pull the trigger and he would kill me, right here and right now.

"Shane put the gun down." I said as calmly as I could but Shane wasn't going to be reasoned with.

"YOU GOD DAMN FANG BANGER!" HE screamed and pulled the trigger.