Gray stormy eyes glared out through the thick brush of the forest as he looked hatefully out towards the Goblin King’s castle. A low growl escaping his slightly parted lips as he stood from his crouched position. He could sense her want, her desires, and her hunger. It was enough to enrage him to the point of insanity. The bond that he was feeling with her was strengthening but she was fighting him. So close, she was so close to giving in to the wolf within but the Goblin King was interfering. The side of his lip twitched with the rage that he felt towards this Fae King who stood between him and his intended mate.

Soon, very soon the hunger within would overpower her self-control and she would come to him. It was the waiting that he did not like. The longer she stayed within the Goblin King’s presence the more-Fist slammed hard into the tree at his side as the countless possibilities of just what might happen between the two came to mind. If he had not entered her mind when he did she would have mated with him. She was his, it was he who had brought about her change, and it should be he who had her as his mate. Backing away into the thick of the forest he calmed his boiling anger, as he knew that night would come soon enough, and that is the time when the wolf is at its most powerful.

Sarah eyed the food within the plate with distaste, the mere sight of the charred meat sickened her. Pushing the plate away she picked at the steamed vegetables grimacing as the slight taste of the meats juice that had mingled with the vegetables hit her tongue. Gulping down the large glass of water she stood from the plate and walked away towards the balcony. There was something out there, it felt as if someone was calling for her.

Hearing the approaching of feet towards the door she listened as the door was opened and she recognized the sound as Hoggle. Without turning her back she smiled greeting him with a warm hello, "Hoggle, I was wondering if you were going to come back by."

Hoggle blinked seeing that Sarah’s back was turned to him, "How? Ah, never mind! Are you not hungry?"

Sarah turned looking distastefully towards the plate she saw in Hoggle’s hand, "I just didn’t care for the meat."

"Oh," Hoggle felt awkward about his situation. She was acting strange but who was he to bring it up? He had not been in her life for a long time, he was surprised that she even considered him a friend.

She started towards her friend knowing that something was bothering him but stopped as she saw the plate of cooked meat within his hand. The very sight of it made her sick.

He stepped forwards, plate still in hand, "What-what’s wrong?"

Her lip twitched in disgust as the stench of the food sickened her to her very core. "No-nothing, could you please get that stuff out of here. That smell-"

Hoggle looked to the plate within his hand trying to understand her dislike - it smelled mouth watering. "What this?" he held it out towards her with question.

Reflexively she lashed out at the offending stuff, food tumbling to the floor with plate following with a crash. Sarah’s act startled Hoggle as he stepped slightly back.

Sarah eyed the spilled food and shattered plate, shocked that she had lashed out at Hoggle like she did. Looking to her friend pleadingly she started towards him but he stepped back, "Hoggle, I’m so sorry! I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Please I didn’t mean-"

Hoggle’s expression looked hurt, "Don-don’t mind. I’ll clean it up."

Sarah watched as Hoggle hurried out of the room as if running away from her. It hurt, striking a sharp pain to her heart to see her friend cower away from her like she was a monster. "I am a monster. God, what is wrong with me?"

Closing her eyes she tried to take a deep breath to calm her nerves but the smell of the food on the floor made her sick. Holding her hand to her face she tried to block the offending odor by breathing through her clothes, but it was no use, she could still smell it. Backing away, she hurried to the balcony doors shutting them behind her as she stepped out into the fresh air, the sweet fragrance of flowers and greenery replacing the awful stench within her room. She couldn’t understand why something so small could affect her so. Leaning against the edge of the balcony, Sarah closed her eyes, feeling weary about her situation.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that it had something to do with what had happened to her that night, that night that she was brought back to this world. The image of the large wolf sprang to mind making her shiver slightly from the thought of what had almost happened. A voice on the wind caught her attention, so soft she wasn’t sure if it was just in her mind or really there carried by the wind.

"Sarah, sweet Sarah, I’m waiting for you. I can feel your confusion, your pain. Don’t be afraid, embrace what lies within."

She swayed as the words caressed against her like some unseen lover, so light and yet so penetrating. She could imagine his touch caressing against her skin, holding her within his arms. A cold chill ran down her spine as she realized what she was doing. She would have suspected the Goblin King, but something within was screaming that it was not.

Stepping away from the edge she backed to the door, resting her head against the glass of the door eyes distant as she stared blankly to the cloudless sky. Wrapping her arms about her she shakily took in a long deep breath, trying to block the haunting voice from her mind.

Damien smiled as he sensed her reaction to his words and his mental touches. She was so receptive, her mind so open and vulnerable, this would not be as hard as he had first suspected. The dark grin fell as a sudden pain ripped through his mind. He staggered back, hands clutching his head as the force of the mental blow hit him full force. Damien was not prepared for her ability to thrash out with her mind like she was doing. Dropping his body, he fell, face buried in the grass beneath him.

As soon as the mental hit left his mind, Damien let out a groan as his mind felt like someone had slammed a brick into it. His groan turned to that of a laugh as he shakily got back to his feet. "I love a woman with spirit! Fight me all that you want Sarah but you will give in to me one way or the other, that I promise."

Reaching back for the doorknob behind her, Sarah quickly retreated within the room. As she locked the balcony door she was grateful that the mess that she had made was gone and the smell no longer lingered within the room. Feeling dizzy and suddenly tired she slowly made her way towards the bed collapsing on it as soon as she reached it.

Her eyes felt heavy as she lied back, and as soon as her head hit the soft pillow, her eyes were closed as she drifted off to sleep. Little did she know that she was being watched.

The room was softly lit by the candles that lay around her lightly dressed form, Sarah’s pale white skin contrasting dramatically against the dark rich red silken sheets. Her long dark brown hair spread about the bed as if a halo around her. She wore nothing but the sheets, her hands coming up to her chest to hold the sheets in place. She felt vulnerable, fearful of what was happening. The last thing she remembered was walking to the bed and falling asleep in her clothes.

If this was a dream it was unlike any that she had ever experienced. The candles flickered as a small draft of air swept about her making her tremble slightly as she realized that she was not alone. She could feel his presence and knew that it was not Jareth.

Wearing only loose black pants Damien crawled to her walking on hands and knees as he came over her now trembling form. She was beautiful, he was glad that he did not kill her like he was sent to do when his pack brought her here. His gray eyes meting with her blue ones as he looked down on her, waiting for her response and recognition.

She knew him, knew this stranger before her, her eyes sweeping nervously over his short brown wavy hair, his strong jaw line, sensual lips, and entrancing gray eyes. As her eyes met with his she then knew his name, but how she knew was beyond her.

Damien did not give her time to question as he swooped down, tasting the soft white skin of her bare shoulders as he slowly made his way upwards towards her inviting mouth. She arched against him as his lips traced upwards, meeting her mouth with his. It was so real, so intense the sensation of having her helplessly underneath him. He grinned against her lips at the knowledge that she would soon be his.

Sarah was taken back by the sensations that his touch aroused. "Damien," she groaned trying to push away at his unmoving form. She wanted to wake up, to be away from this stranger that she somehow knew. It scared her to think that someone she had never met could make her feel so-

"Alive," he commented reading her thoughts the entire time within her dream. "Sarah, don’t fight your nature."

She was shaking with fear as she realized that he was able to read her thoughts, knew what she was thinking. Trying to pull herself from underneath him, she stopped seeing that she wouldn’t be able too without loosing her concealment within the dark red sheets.

He smiled at her, knowing her shyness, it made him crave for her all the more. Damien held her eyes with his watching as she battled with the instincts that told her to give in to the hunger within.

Her chest heaved heavily as the beating of her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest. Sarah’s body felt on fire, a burning for something she was not wanting to give to this man that she did not know, this man that could hear her thoughts.

Her body shot up with a start as she felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her slightly and a voice she knew all to well calling her name. Eyes shooting open Sarah shot up from where she lay on the bed, her chest still heaving from her now labored breathing. Leaning on her side she saw Hoggle at the bedside. Collapsing back onto the bed, Sarah mentally sighed in relief.

Hoggle looked concerned as he watched her fling herself back on the bed. Normally he would have allowed her to sleep but she had already slept most of the day and her sleep looked as if it was troubled. "You okay?"

Sarah laughed out at that, "No, if you really want to know. I’m not all right! Last night I get brought back here, attacked by some large white wolf, saved by the Goblin King, I feel as if I’m losing my mind, my body is changing and to top it all off I have no clue what is going on. Not to mention the fact that-Oh never mind!" she was about to say that she was falling for Jareth but thought better of it.

Hoggle shook his head, "You might’s want to start getting ready for dinner. Jareth’s not going to be happy if you’re not there when dinner is ready."

Grabbing the nearby pillow Sarah flung it over her face, "Don’t remind me about that." Sitting up immediately as she flung the pillow off her face she wasn’t sure if she had heard Hoggle right. "Wait a minute! Did you say dinner? I just closed my eyes a second ago."

"You slept most the day, sun’s already startin’ to set."

Sarah groaned throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she might as well get up and take a bath or something. It was bad enough that she had to deal with her feelings for Jareth but now she had to actually face him with the knowledge that he knew. She still couldn’t believe that she had kissed him. Looking back to Hoggle before she went into the washroom she smiled to her friend to reassure to him that she was okay, for the moment, "Thank you Hoggle."

Hoggle looked to Sarah confused, not knowing why she was thanking him, "What’s for?"

"For being my friend, for caring." She didn’t see his expression change to guilt as she entered the washroom to start getting herself ready for dinner, for the talk. The thought of having to face him after what happened in the garden sent a wave of excitement and dread through her.