"Have I ever told you what a lousy vampire you make, Al?"

"Shut up, Louis, and help me get him into the coffin." Alex was already lying on his back inside the red satin lined casket.

"All right, but don't say I didn't tell you that this was a bad idea." Louis lifted the young man into the coffin and draped the body over Alex. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

Alexander took a deep breath and looked at the sleeping man's face. The dark lashes long enough to brush his pink cheeks. The pale, beautiful face so peaceful in slumber. He wrapped his arms around the young man's warm shoulders. "Yes, Louis. Now close the lid please."

The werewolf didn't answer.

"Louis?"

Alex couldn't see past the edge of the coffin. He heard a muffled yelp and frantically tried to sit up. "Louis!"

"Hello, Alex."

Alexander panicked. "Gideon! What did you do to Louis?"

A face with angular, delicate features peeked over the side of the casket to stare at the blonde man inside. "Louis is taking a short nap."

"If you hurt him-"

"You know I could never do that to a dear friend of yours." The intruder smiled, his long extended canines glinting in the pale candlelight. "Is there something I could help you with?" Gideon's dark black eyes glittered with mischief, his long midnight hair framing his lean face perfectly. Of course after several hundred years, he was bound to find a hairstyle that suited him.

"That's all right, Gideon. I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"It's no bother, really." Gideon's long, lean fingers began toying with the short black hair of Alex's captive. The blonde vampire resisted an urge to shoo the hand away. "Plan on keeping this one for a while, Alex? That's not like you"

"I just"

"Finally wanted someone to replace Anne Marie?"

"No. It's not like that."

"Oh I think it is. He's pretty, Alex. Maybe when you're done with him, I could have a taste?"

This time Alex did move Gideon's hand away. "Go find your own," he hissed.

Gideon smirked. "Ooo. Getting a little possessive all ready? Go find my own, huh? All right, Alex. I will. But this one may come to me of his own accord, just like Anne Marie."

"I don't think so, Gideon. I will destroy him before I allow you to do that again," the blonde vampire vowed.

"We'll see, Alexander. We'll see."

Gideon placed the lid on the coffin, and Alexander locked it from the inside.