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# Fallen Grace

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## By Jessica Cartwright

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## Fallen Grace

## Copyright 2010 Jessica Cartwright

## Smashwords Edition

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## This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

## No reproduction without permission.

## All rights reserved.

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## The right of Jessica Cartwright to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Commonwealth Copyright Act and its amendments.

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## Cover by David Cartwright

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## A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from National Library of Australia.

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## ISBN 978-0-646-54624-7

## Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although it is a free ebook, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this ebook please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

# For Bella and Manu

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Interlude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Acknowledgments

Sneak Peak: Hidden Splendour

# Interlude

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Alex. Where is Alex? It's the first thought that came into my mind. I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious for or worse what had happened to Alex. I opened my eyes to gain my bearings. My vampire sight allowed me to see through the pitch black. I could see the stone walls around me covered with years of moss and water stains. I looked up but I could not see the sky. I couldn't see a door and the walls must have been at least 25 metres high. I had no idea how we had gotten in here or more importantly how we would get out.

Finally, in the corner of the room, I saw Alex. He was laying on the floor with his back to me. My heart caught in my throat, he wasn't moving. After a few seconds of sheer panic I saw his chest rise and fall. Alex was alive. Relief flooded over me like a warm wave.

"Alex," I whispered. "Alex can you hear me?" I rushed over to where Alex's body lay. He must have been freezing in this place. He was only wearing jeans and his batman shirt. The sight of this made me smile. I flashed back to earlier that day when he had arrived in that shirt, laughing at the irony of him being the bat. He was so sure I would turn into a bat and fly away at the end of the night no matter how many times I told him not all the myths about vampires were true. I crouched down beside Alex touching his shoulder with my hand.

"Alex come on you have to wake up. We need to get out of here." Alex lifted his head slightly and met my gaze.

"Grace? Is that really you?"

"Of course it is." I replied confused by his question.

Alex looked unsure and repeated "Is it really you? They said you were dead. I saw them stab you."

I looked at Alex; he looked so scared I felt so much empathy for him. He knew so little about his own kind.

"Alex, you know that not all of those myths are true. I can't be killed by someone stabbing me, especially not when they stab me on the opposite side to my heart. I've told you before the Acelades protectors are not as smart as ours."

Alex's arms caught me off guard. He threw them around me, holding me in a tight hug, allowing me to feel his relief.

"Alex, Alex" I cried, attempting to break him out of the relieved state he was now in after realising I was alive.

"What?" he asked holding my back in his arms looking at my face intently.

"A stab to the chest might not kill me but it still hurts like hell so take it easy," I replied extracting myself from his arms. I needed to keep my distance from him. The way he made me feel was not useful here. I needed to be a killer, a protector. In short I needed to do my job and keep him alive. I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to become so distracted that I had risked everything and almost lost it all.

"Do you remember how you got here?" I asked him hoping for some insight into how I was going to get us out of here.

"No" he replied "it was pitch black and I was pretty groggy. How did you get here?"

"I have no idea but I will find a way to get us out of here and get you back to the manor. Don't worry Alex, I'll figure it out." I stood up and moved away from Alex. I needed him to believe that we would get out of this even if I was not sure myself. I had been in worse positions before, but at least then I knew what I was up against, right now I had no idea where we were or who was with us but I could make a guess and if I was right it was bad. very bad. I began searching the walls looking for a clue as to how we had ended up in this chamber. I felt a presence behind me and I turned finding myself face to face with Alex, our bodies touching. I could feel his emotions pulse through me as if they were my own. Fear, anxiety, excitement, lust and love all of them flooding me.

"Alex, you need to sit down, I'll get us out of here but having you constantly in my face is not helping," I stated coolly trying to keep my thoughts straight. I needed Alex to stay away from me so I could concentrate on the job at hand. It was hard enough keeping my own emotions in check without having to deal with his as well. Alex needed to return to the manor, to Lucas and Katherine. Then a new protector could be assigned for the rest of the detail. To do that, we needed to leave this place as soon as possible. Alex looked at me rejected.

"I just thought..." thankfully his voice trailed off and I didn't have to answer his question. I looked at Alex and sighed. He needed an explanation and I knew he would not understand or accept the truth and I didn't have time to make him especially when I was having a hard time accepting it myself. I had always followed the rules, well mostly but now they seemed archaic and contrived.

"I'm very good at what I do Alex, I make myself fit into any situation so that I can protect those who need it. I've done this for a long time. Just let me get us out of here and get you back to the manor, back to your life." I replied flatly.

Alex looked as though he was going to say something but it caught in his throat. He walked away from me and sat with his back against the wall, his eyes never leaving me. I could see the hurt I had caused. Alex was trying to be strong but I could see him crumbling. He had given up everything he knew for me, trusted me completely and here I was rejecting him. He didn't understand how I could do this but there was no anger just pain. I had to remain cool, callous, uncaring, that was the only way to save him, maybe one day he would understand. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

I returned to looking for a way out. I could hear Alex breathing deeply behind me trying to calm his emotions. I didn't trust myself to look at him. I was still searching for an escape when a door opened to my left. It had been invisible, made from the same stone as the walls. Light poured into the chamber and across Alex. I could see a figure in the doorway. The face remained in shadows from the light behind her but I would know that form anywhere. I ran to Alex using my body as a shield to protect him from sight.

"Hello Grace," Lillian purred in her husky voice "It's been too long and when I heard we were inviting Alex as our guest I just insisted that you join us."

I growled in response. I could feel the killer in me taking over as it always did. I would kill Lillian tonight of that I was sure.

# ~1~

I was running. Searching for the house, a servant, anything that could help me but I could not see my way through the fog. The fog was thick and the shadows menacing. I called out for my father hoping that it had been a mistake that he had been too quick to act, that he would return me to the carriage and mother would chastise him for his actions when we returned to the house. I called and called but all I could hear were the horses whining in the night. I continued to run. I was searching for the house. Father had told me to make for the house and wake the servants but then we had been separated. Here I was running in the middle of the night looking for a house that I could not find screaming for my father, a servant, anyone.

The fog was enveloping me. I could hardly breathe and my body was tired. My foot caught on something and I fell to the ground. My ankle began to throb immediately and I knew it was twisted. I grabbed my ankle, lifting up my dress to see the damage. It was already starting to swell. I knew I would not be able to make it to the house. I could hear the horses crying in the distance. Through my tears, I began to scream for help but I knew no one could hear me. I felt a presence behind me and I turned to see a figure materialising in the fog. I saw a woman walking towards me, her midnight blue cape flowing behind her. Her face was strikingly beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Her skin was the colour of snow and was framed by golden brown hair that formed curls around her face, softening her hard features. She had ebony black eyes that appeared to bore holes right through me and scarlet red lips which she moistened with her tongue. I looked past her and noticed the man. His skin too was pale but he had a softer appearance than she did. His hair was a deep brown and his eyes were hazel with flecks of gold. He looked at the woman as he walked past her towards me.

"She's perfect," gushed the woman as they circled me. I felt fear grip and my stomach lurch.

I woke up in a cold sweat. No matter how frequently I had this dream it always had the same effect, waking up in a cold sweat feeling panicked and more tired then when I had gone to sleep. Rolling over in bed and stared at my clock. It was 7:00pm and I would be due for the meeting soon. I sat up and observed my new room. I had arrived at the manor house early in the morning for my new assignment. I had been so tired I had taken little notice of my room apart from the large four posted bed which lay in the centre. I had fallen into bed almost the moment I had arrived allowing the thick white sheets and buttercup and gold quilt to surround me in a cocoon of warmth. It had been a trying month and I was in need of sleep and cared little for the other furnishings around me. Now, only slightly more, rested I began to take in my new surroundings.

I knew that my room was one of the larger of the manor house, an indication of Lucas's gratitude for my assistance. My bay windows overlooked the estate grounds and gave me a view of the forest. Both windows had seats that another person may have used to sit and admire the grounds. There was a lounge suite to the left of the bed with wing backed chairs and an ornate coffee table in front of the sofa. I looked to my right and saw an immense wardrobe leading through to a bathroom complete with a corner spa.

I pushed back my bed covers and rose from the bed. The plush cream carpet was soft under my feet. My black satin nightgown reached to the ground brushing my ankles. I stretched my tired and battered body inhaling deeply. I walked over to the wardrobe smiling as I saw that all of my belongings had been packed away as if they always belonged there. Lucas had obviously sent his servants in after I was asleep to unpack my trunk. I inspected my belongings and noticed that there were several new items of clothing that I did not recognise. The tags told me these items were designer and appeared to have been bought especially for me. As I looked over the wardrobe, I noticed shoes, tops, pants and dresses all of which had not come from my trunk. I laughed to myself as I saw the array of colours, these new clothes came in none of which were my usual preference for black or charcoal. Lucas was always saying that I looked like I was in mourning and I guess this was his less than subtle way of making a change.

Not wanting to offend my host, I selected a new pair of denims and matched it with a purple v-neck cashmere sweater. I walked into the bathroom and saw that like the wardrobe, it too had been prepared. Fresh towels lay next to the vanity and various beauty products lined the shelves. I wondered why Lucas had gone to all this trouble. Protection duty does not generally allow for a lot of personal indulgence or require expensive clothing. I shrugged off the thought knowing that Lucas was aware of my last assignment and was trying to provide some recuperation in return for calling me back to duty so soon. I placed my new clothes on the seat next to the vanity and noticed a crystal goblet on the side table. The crystal goblet was frosted from its cool contents which was thick and red in appearance. My body was reminded that it had been sometime since I had last fed and I was grateful for Lucas's thoughtfulness. I picked up the goblet and drained its contents greedily. I could tell instantly it was deer blood probably from the estate grounds. I was happy to know that at least feeding would be easy during this assignment, even if I was still unclear about the rest of the details.

I had no more idea about my assignment now than I did two days ago. I was thinking about this encounter as I stepped out of my nightgown and into the shower. The warm water was refreshing after my troubled sleep. I allowed myself to remain in the shower much longer than necessary enjoying the water raining down on me. When I finally stepped out of the shower, I felt clean and revived. I allowed myself the indulgence of using the various products that lined the shelves of my bathroom until I smelt of jasmine, lily, rose and strawberry. I enjoyed the way these smells made me feel, taking me back to my human days when I wandered around the grounds of my family home on a spring day.

I put on my new clothes and took a final look at myself in the mirror before leaving to go the meeting. Despite the new clothes, lotions and makeup I still looked tired. My eyes were dark; they had lost the topaz and green flecks that were usually present. My skin looked paler than ever accenting the darkness of my eyes. My dark brown hair fell down around my face in layers softening the edges of my face which appeared to have hardened. My lips still retained their scarlet red colour and provided my face with some femininity. I sighed at the face looking back at me in the mirror. There was a time when I was considered a great beauty. I had many suitors both human and vampire alike, but the centuries had been difficult for me and since William I had lost the softness that had been the object of affection for so many.

My duties had kept me busy after his death however, they could not take away my grief or my guilt. I knew I had only allowed myself to heal and carrying out my duties so that one day, I might meet the ones responsible for his death and bring them to justice. My brother had been taken and those responsible would pay. I looked away from the mirror, perhaps being at the manor with regular food and rest would allow my body to be revived a little and I would regain my former self.

I walked through the bedroom and noticed another goblet sitting on the coffee table next to an envelope addressed to me. I walked over and sat on the sofa whilst I read the letter and savoured the goblets contents. The letter was from Lucas;

Dear Grace,

I trust you rested well. I took the liberty of having my servants prepare your room whilst you slept and took the opportunity to make some amendments to your wardrobe with the assistance of Katherine. I look forward to meeting you in the library at 8:00pm so that we can discuss the duties of your new assignment.

Once again my deepest gratitude for your acceptance of this new assignment I know it must come at great personal cost to you.

Kind Regards

Lucas

I returned the letter to its envelope and replaced it and the goblet on the tray. I looked at the clock on the wall which informed me the meeting was to commence in ten minutes. I wondered why Lucas would have called his daughter Katherine for assistance. I was sure she was living in London and had far better things to do than purchase clothes for me. I stood up from the sofa and made my way to the door. I took a final glance around the room and wondered what this new assignment was going to bring.

I thought back to when Lucas had approached me about this assignment. I had been in Paris after just completing my last assignment. Marius and Lucas had come to inspect the bodies the Acelades assassins sent to kill the Trobe family. I had been their protector for the past five months and it had taken its toll on me. The threat had been high and the family was particularly needy which did not help. Being in the centre of Paris I had found it difficult to feed and remain inconspicuous but the family had refused to move. Eventually, their assassin had grown tired of making indirect attempts to kill the family and had conducted a strike attack. Seven assassins had stormed the home and I had killed all of them without losing a protective detail. Mr Trobe had suffered some minor injuries as a result of his attempts to help, causing him more harm than if he had remained silent and still as I had requested. Still, it was a successful assignment and I was looking forward to returning to my secret retreat. I was at the end of my decade of service and was scheduled to have six months rest.

Marius and Lucas had come to survey the bodies before the clean up squad arrived. The Trobe family had temporarily moved to a hotel whilst their house was restored. They may not have been injured, but the same could not be said for their house. Both Marius and Lucas congratulated me on my success. I took the compliments with grace but wondered why they had come. It had been decades since Marius had felt it necessary to observe my assignments and Lucas had never seen me on assignment or any other protector for that matter unless it was a Council event. After some small talk I cut them short.

"Why have you come here?" I asked knowing I was overstepping my boundaries questioning my boss and the Council leader about their actions. Marius and Lucas looked at each other and Marius nodded. I would not be sanctioned for my candour they knew I was no fool.

"Marius informs me that your decade is up," Lucas replied.

"That's correct. I'm due to go to my retreat tomorrow," I stated regarding Lucas suspiciously.

"I have a favour to ask of you," Lucas continued hesitantly. I had never seen Lucas like this before. He was always strong and sure of himself.

"What is it that you need Lucas? You know I will do whatever is necessary," I replied. Lucas had never asked anything of me before and yet he had given me so much. I knew that whatever he asked, I would do.

"I would like for you to come to the Manor and meet with me about an assignment. I know that you are due for leave but this is a delicate matter and I need someone I can trust," Lucas finished gravely staring at me intensely.

"Of course," I replied. The thoughts of my home in Ireland vanished immediately. "I will be at the manor as soon as I can. Do you have a brief of the assignment for me?" I asked holding out my hand.

"No, this assignment will be strictly off the record," he stated looking knowingly between myself and Marius who nodded at Lucas.

"Oh," I remarked.

"I will make preparations for your arrival. Alistair will meet you at the airport tomorrow."

"Fine. Make sure he retrieves my car I left it in New York after my last assignment," I replied.

As I now prepared to hear about my assignment, I walked through the halls of the manor and it was just as I had remembered it. I had been a guest here many years ago before I became a protector. The walls were filled with portraits of Lucas's family and masterpieces of artwork that he had collected over his many years. The manor had been restored to its original state with many of the modern conveniences including central heating, bathrooms and a modern kitchen. Lucas had carried out these renovations when he had 'bought' the manor house five years ago. In reality, Lucas had owned the home since it was built and he resold it to himself whenever he wanted to move back. Lucas had accumulated his wealth over many centuries and was probably the richest man in the world. Not that he would admit this fact. Ever the gentleman Lucas never talked business and kept his finances private. This allowed him to remain in one place for longer periods of time because people never really knew what he did. Lucas had moved to the United States after 'buying' the property five years ago. It had been vacant for over 20 years in his absence and the community was happy to see it lived in again. Lucas returned their kindness by investing in the community and hosting events in his home when he could. Lucas was still required to be away for long periods of time for business but he had an attachment to the manor. He had built it for his wife.

I came to the library door and hesitated briefly before entering, I could hear voices in the room. I detected Lucas's voice first but the other voice was more difficult to identify. It was female and both parties appeared to be involved in a serious discussion. I knocked on the door and waited to be granted entry.

"Come in," Lucas called out. I pushed open the carved wooden door and entered the library.

The library was exactly that, a large room with three of the four walls covered with ceiling to floor book shelves, crammed with books on every imaginable topic. There was a fireplace in the corner which was providing warmth for the room. The windows in this room like those of mine looked out over the estate grounds and into the forest. In the middle of the room was Lucas's desk. A large wooden desk with a high backed leather chair sat in front of the book selves to the left. It was covered with the usual papers and a computer which appeared to be showing Lucas's current stock prices. To the right of the room there was a sitting area which contained two large plush lounges, and two large armchairs. A glass coffee table sat in the middle and placed on a tray in its centre were three crystal goblets filled with blood. Their red liquid was thick and inviting, it was the life force of our people. I walked over to the sitting area where Lucas was seated in an arm chair.

Lucas was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt. Lucas looked like a gentleman from another time. His thick silver coloured hair was combed back and his olive eyes appeared kind and inviting. Lucas smiled at me as I walked over to his chair and beckoned me to sit on the sofa next to him. I took my seat and noticed the other person in the room. On the sofa opposite me, sat Katherine. I smiled at Katherine and she gave a small smile back. Katherine looked worried but as elegant as ever. Katherine took after her mother and had long fiery red hair which was pinned up in a French twist. Her skin was pale and her eyes a striking blue. She was slender and tall and positioned herself with poise on the sofa opposite me. I wondered why Katherine was here and what had given her that cause for concern. I looked to Lucas for answers.

"Thank you for coming Grace I know that you were supposed to be resting after completing your last assignment but I knew you were the only one that could help me, help us," Lucas began looking from me to Katherine. "I am sure you are anxious to know why we asked you to come here but firstly I wanted to ensure that you found everything to your liking in your room. I see you found the new clothing I purchased," Lucas's eyes smiled as he looked at my new clothes.

"Everything was perfect thank you Lucas but you really did not have to go to all of this trouble. It is my honour to help you," I replied.

Lucas sat back in his chair and looked from Katherine to me. "As you can see my daughter Katherine has returned from London to visit me here at the manor." I looked at Katherine who shifted in her seat and appeared to be more anxious than when I had entered the room. "What you are not aware of is that whilst my Katherine has been living in London she met a man". Lucas paused and I looked at Katherine whose eyes shifted to her father and then to the ground.

"Lucas I am aware that Katherine and John were in a relationship and I also know that it occurred far before she moved to London," I assured them both.

"Grace, I am not talking about her relationship with John. This was another man and as a result of this relationship Katherine became pregnant with a child." At this I sat forward in my chair, I could not believe that I had not known of this before. Children were rare in our kind and they were celebrated. The fact that Katherine had given birth and no one had been informed not even the protectors made me wonder. I looked at Katherine who nodded confirming what Lucas had said.

"Katherine and her husband, Stephan had their child, my grandchild and have been residing in London ever since," Lucas continued not bothering to answer the questions I was sure he knew I wanted to ask.

My mind was failing to process the information I was being given. I wondered why I had not heard of this before. I looked at Lucas who appeared to be waiting for me before he continued. "Go on," I encouraged.

"My grandson, Alex, is now 17 years old and Katherine and Stephan have moved here to be closer to me and the protection that brings. Alex is special and not only because he is the child of vampires." Lucas stopped.

I looked at Katherine, she was sitting on the edge of her seat staring at me. I looked to Lucas who appeared to be gauging my response. "What makes him special?" I asked beginning to become suspicious of the reason for him being kept hidden.

Lucas took a deep breath and looked to Katherine before replying. "Alex is not one of us, he is human. He does not possess any vampire powers and ages as a normal human does." I looked at Lucas incredulously sure that he must be joking. Lucas continued "We are not certain how this happened but Alex appears to have no vampiric attributes apart from being the son of two vampires."

I could not believe what Lucas was saying and I looked to Katherine. "Katherine, is this true?"

"Yes, I don't know how it happened but it's a miracle. Our son is human. We felt so blessed to have him and have cared for him all these years with no thought to what this could mean until recently." Katherine stopped. She appeared unsure of whether or not she should go on. She looked to Lucas who nodded his permission for her to continue.

"As you can imagine," she said, "when Alex was born we kept him secret for fear that the Acelades would find out and try to harm him. As he grew and we realised that he was human we had more reason to protect him because of his weakness and we feared that the Acelades would find him and kill him so we remained in London and faded into the oblivion of the city. Last week Stephan was returning home and he found a package on the front door step addressed to Alex. The postage stamp on the package was from Italy and knowing that we did not know anyone in Italy he kept the package from Alex. Later that night, when Alex was asleep, we opened the package and it was from Benedict Acelades himself. The package was a present to Alex and it contained a cape bearing the Acelades crest, a vile of blood and a copy of the prophecy. We left London immediately and came here".

The prophecy, what prophecy were they talking about? I looked from Katherine to Lucas questioningly.

"She does not know about the prophecy?" Katherine asked her father.

"Hardly any of our kind does now Katherine," Lucas replied kindly. "It was so long ago that the prophecy was made that most vampires have thought it false and failed to pass it on and the centuries progressed. I would be surprised if anyone outside of the Acelades and Sempre families knows of the prophecy today."

"What does the prophecy say?" I interrupted anxious to find out how this related to my new assignment. Anything to do with the Acelades family caused my adrenaline to build and my thoughts to turn poisonous.

Lucas looked at me and answered "The prophecy states that a time will come when a child is born of vampires but is not a vampire. This child will grow and age with the sun. At this time another child will be born of vampires with powers beyond compare. If these two should meet and their souls be found to be the other's half, they will form a union unlike the world has ever seen. This union will cause the death and destruction of the human world and allow one family to rule all vampires and humans alike."

Lucas and Katherine remained quiet as I attempted to process this information. After a few minutes Lucas continued "As you are now aware, Katherine and Stephan kept the birth of their child quiet and I believe that it was not until last year, when the home of Katherine and Stephan was invaded, that the Acelades became aware that they had a son. Once this occurred I began to investigate the Acelades more closely to understand why they would be interested in breaking into the home of Katherine and Stephan when they appeared to take nothing. As a result of these enquiries, I found out that Benedict's daughter Lillian gave birth to a girl at the same time as Katherine. This child has incredible powers. She can read the mind of any being after drinking their blood, vampire and human alike. Little is known of her other powers, but she appears able to control and manipulate those around her to fulfil her every wish. Benedict's men had been sent looking for her mate. They had searched many houses before Katherine and Stephan's but were alerted to Alex's condition by the presence of food in the home. It is our understanding that Benedict wishes for Alex and his granddaughter Scarlet to meet hoping that they will fulfil the prophecy."

"What is it you need for me to do? I am more than happy to take care of this child Scarlet, however I do not understand why it was necessary for me to be brought here? I was already in Paris you could have simply told me about this when you came to see me there and I would have gone to Italy and the whole situation would have already been taken care of."

A look of horror filled Katherine's face. She had never been able to understand our protection duties and found violence reprehensible, which in other circumstances had always made me laugh considering she was a vampire, but now I could not understand why she did not want to protect her son. "No, that is not what I want. Father that is not what we agreed, I will not take another woman's child from her no matter how repulsive I find her!" Katherine looked to Lucas whose face was grave.

"Whilst I appreciate the offer Grace, Katherine will not consent for me to give those orders and as it is her son, I have allowed her to decide on the best course of action. For Alex and Scarlet to fulfil the prophecy they must consummate their relationship before their eighteenth year. Our intelligence tells us that Scarlet has the power to read and control minds and she could easily get into Alex's mind and make him nothing more than a puppet to her will. Alex needs to be kept safe and as far away from Scarlet as possible. As I said, Scarlet's powers have not yet reached their full capacity and she can only use her powers on vampires and humans if she has been able to drink their blood. That is how she found out about Alex. Katherine's housekeeper Mischa turned against the family and allowed Scarlet to read all of the information she possessed about Alex and our family."

At this point Katherine interrupted Lucas, "If she can't drink Alex's blood then she won't be able to trick him into becoming her mate and he will be safe. If Alex is kept away from Scarlet then he will be safe. We want you to protect Alex until he reaches the age of 18."

I looked from Lucas to Katherine sure that I had heard them wrong. "You want me to baby-sit Alex and keep him away from a girl until he reaches eighteen?"

"Protect not baby-sit," Lucas replied "I know that your protection duties normally involve eliminating threats to our way of life and keeping the Acelades at bay but this is an unusual circumstance. Benedict Acelades and his granddaughter Scarlet cannot get to Alex. It is clear from their package that they wish to make Alex part of their family. Why else would they send him the cape with their family crest?"

I shook my head at Lucas. I did not have a reason why Benedict would do this but it did not make me anymore willing to take on baby sitting duties when I was supposed to be on a break.

"The blood is also a sign. He clearly thinks that Alex and Scarlet will be each other's half, or at least that Scarlet will be able to convince Alex for long enough that this is the case and afterwards it will no longer matter as Alex will need her to survive as badly as she needs him." Lucas continued.

"Could you not just tell Alex about this?" I asked.

"Katherine and Stephan want Alex to have a normal life for as long as possible. They want him to make his own choices and feel that he is able to have control over who he loves and when and if he wants to become a vampire," Lucas replied.

I went to speak but Lucas raised his hand to stop my response. "Grace," Lucas spoke quietly "Alex is my only grandchild and he is special even for our race. He deserves the chance to live his life with out the Acelades interfering. You know I would not ask for your assistance unless I felt there was no other option. Alex is at risk and I cannot protect him. You are the best at what you do Grace. I need someone who has your expertise and can be with him all the time without spiking interest. I do not want his life disrupted any more than it already has been. Alex does not know of our ways and we would like to keep his innocence for as long as possible."

I looked at Lucas and he suddenly appeared every one of his 637 years.

"I am at your service for as long as you require. It will be my honour to protect your grandson Lucas." With that, Katherine jumped from the lounge and threw her arms around me.

"Thank you, thank you!" she sobbed into my shoulder. I looked to Lucas whose face expressed his gratitude.

"I will give you anything you need whilst you are here Grace and make your time as pleasant as possible," Lucas assured me as he sat back in his chair.

# ~2~

I took a goblet from the table and drained it in one sip. I replaced the goblet on the silver tray and sat back on the lounge. Lucas rose from his chair and went to a cupboard on the sideboard near the door. Lucas opened the door to reveal a small fridge from which he retrieved a pitcher filled with crimson liquid. He returned to where Katherine and I were sitting and refilled my glass. I again sipped from my glass with gusto. Talk of the Acelades and the uncertainty of my new task had intensified my thirst. I felt the need to be as strong as possible to meet any of the challenges this new assignment might bring. I could feel the blood flowing through my body recharging me after what had been a long and arduous assignment. Finally, after three more glasses I was ready to talk.

I turned to Katherine and Lucas who were looking at me curiously. I smiled at them and replaced my goblet on the table. "It's been a while since I had a constant food source," I explained sheepishly. "It's not exactly like we have storage services when we are on duty."

"I am sure we cannot even begin to understand," Lucas stated graciously "We have long become accustomed to our luxuries and forget what it can be like for others."

"I am still not completely sure I understand. How is it that you have been able to keep our way of life a secret from Alex for so long?" I asked.

"It is not that difficult really. We have always kept our home filled with food and kept our hours like most humans do. Stephan works in finance and earns a good living so Alex has never questioned where our money comes from. I have made a home for Alex attending his school, throwing him birthday parties. It was a chance for all of us to be human and I relished the normalcy of his life," Katherine explained.

"But has he never questioned that you don't age?" I asked.

"Grace, Alex is only 17 years old. I am sure as he gets older he will have questions for Katherine and Stephan. But for now, he lives in blissful human ignorance," Lucas said.

"It seems unlikely but I trust that you believe Alex knows no different. That being said, we need to organise how we are going to explain my presence to Alex. I am sure he will have questions when he suddenly has another person living in his house," I stated.

"And his school," Katherine chimed in. "You need to be with him as much as possible and he spends most of his days at school."

I looked at Katherine and she smiled at me helplessly. Of course I would have to attend his school. The thought of returning to school sent shivers down my spine. I did not enjoy attending lessons with my tutor when I was alive, I could not imagine that it would be any better now.

"I have given some thought to this," Lucas entered the conversation "One of the benefits of having you on this assignment Grace is that you look to anyone on the outside to be the same age as Alex so it will be easy for you to attend his school. I have taken the liberty of enrolling you in Creswick Academy and you will begin on Monday. I was able to organise for you and Alex to be in many of the same classes so you will be able to spend a great deal of time watching him. You will find that school uniforms have been purchased on your behalf and tailored to your measurements. I have also purchased the necessary school books and other items for you and I will have all of these brought up to your room tonight. As for explaining why you are living in our home, I have an idea for that too," Lucas paused.

Katherine and I nodded for him to continue. The sooner we decided on a story the sooner I could begin doing a proper survey on the house and its residents.

"Alex is well aware that I frequently travel to Europe for business and to visit friends. I have often visited him during these trips whilst he was living London. To explain your presence we could merely tell Alex that you are the granddaughter of a dear family friend who is your guardian since your parents died. He called last week and said that you had been accepted into Creswick Academy and asked if I would be willing to have you stay at my home while you attended the school. Given that Alex, Katherine and Stephan were now living here I thought it would provide him with a good source of company and a study companion, so I said yes and here you are." Lucas finished obviously quite pleased with himself for concocting this story.

"Do you really think that Alex will believe that story, especially when he has heard nothing about my coming here and I just turn up at what, breakfast tomorrow? I am assuming that you go through the motions of eating these meals to protect Alex from finding out the truth?" I asked.

"I think you overestimate my son," Katherine said kindly "He has been moping around the house since we arrived thinking his life will end because we have taken him away from Olivia. I doubt it will even occur to him that he didn't know you were coming and he will likely forget the story we give him soon after he has been told."

"Who is Olivia?" I queried

"Olivia was his girlfriend back in London. They had been dating only two months when we moved but you know how it is at that age, every relationship is like Romeo and Juliet." Katherine laughed.

"I wouldn't know," I replied darkly, "I was only just older than Alex when I was turned and I had yet to meet any suitable men."

"Oh," Katherine shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "I'm sorry Grace. That was inconsiderate of me. I should have known better knowing your history."

I could see from the look on Katherine's face that she deeply regretted her flippant remarks. "It's ok Katherine, I know you didn't mean anything by it and I am sure that I would have been just as bad as Alex if I had been meeting suitors at his age. You will have to forgive my snappiness. Clearly I've forgotten my social graces."

"You are forgiven Grace. I can only imagine how exhausting your duties must be. In any event, I don't think that we will have any trouble convincing Alex of our story. The goings on of the people in this house are of little concern to Alex. His mind is firmly fixed in London," Katherine assured me.

"Ok. So now that is decided, if you don't mind Lucas, I would like to check out the manor and the estate grounds to gain the lay of the land and of course I will need to look into all of your staff to make sure you don't have another incident like the one with Mischa." I stated this with my mind now solely focused on the assignment ahead.

"Of course Grace, whatever you feel is best. We will completely defer to you in this matter. Anything you need or you feel we need to change we will do to the best of our ability," Lucas answered me seriously.

"Well, obviously, my first suggestion would be for you to tell Alex everything but as I am sure that this isn't going to happen I would like to meet with you both tomorrow night after I have had time to make a list," I replied.

"You're right telling Alex is not an option," Katherine responded lightly.

I took my leave from Lucas and Katherine and left the library. Leaning against the wall outside the library, I let the events of the night replay in my mind. There was no way that I could have anticipated this assignment. I felt very unsure about how I would complete it. The assessment of the property and surveillance would be easy. I had done this many times. But protecting a mark who was human was something I had never done before. My duties normally involved search and destroy, eliminating threats or short term security for Council events.

Shaking my head I tried to focus on the job at hand. I knew that I could start the basics that were the same for any job and I would work out the rest as it came to me. I was sure Lucas would not have requested me if he did not think I was more than capable of completing this assignment. Taking a deep breath I stepped away from the wall and started down the hall making a mental checklist of all the things I needed to complete for my initial assessment.

My mind was now in the right frame I could feel my body responding. My senses were more alert taking in everything in my surroundings. The first task would be to make a thorough inspection of the manor. I remembered the house from my last visit however, I now looked at the house from a different perspective. My last time at the manor had been to serve as a type of security for a Council ball. On that occasion it had only been necessary to secure the ballroom and adjoining sitting rooms. There were now three floors and over 50 rooms to secure and significantly less security detail. I started on the top floor which consisted mostly of the servants' rooms. There were twelve bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large sitting room. After a quick inspection, I noted that there was little I could do to improve security on this floor. All of the windows had security alarms and motion sensors to detect the slightest movement.

The second floor was much the same with regards to security. All of the windows and exterior doors had ultra sensitive alarmed motion detectors. The rooms were all fitted with surveillance cameras which automatically switched on whenever the resident left the room. I had inspected 7 of the 8 bedrooms, their adjoining bathrooms and the 2 sitting rooms when I reached what I could only presume must be Alex's room. I noted the subtle differences immediately from the reinforced steel door designed to look exactly like the other doors, to the surveillance camera hidden in the light fixture above the door. I did not feel up to the challenge of convincing a 17 year old pining teenager of a story about why I had suddenly appeared at his grandfather's home. I decided that this room could wait until tomorrow when Alex would hopefully be moping somewhere else in the house.

The ground floor was the easiest of all to profile. I had already done a thorough assessment for the last function and despite Lucas's significant renovations the main structure of the house remained the same. As with all of the other floors, the windows and doors were alarmed and the floors had surveillance cameras fitted monitoring the rooms that were currently unoccupied. I made a mental note to ask Lucas where the tapes were recorded. I made my way to the cellar and answered my own questions. I found a sophisticated monitoring system set up in a room behind the wine cellar which hosted an extensive collection of vintage wines and cognacs. I smiled at Lucas's over the top security measures. I could only imagine that these measures would extend to the estate grounds. I could already tell from the security monitors that the grounds had been fitted with surveillance cameras.

I walked through the kitchen and out into the night air. The air was cool and damp against my skin. Taking a deep breath, I walked out into the gardens. Making my way through kitchen gardens I was amused by the sheer volume of fruits and vegetables being grown both here and in the orchards. Lucas had clearly put a lot of time into the gardens. They were perfectly manicured and in full bloom adding to the stately presence of the manor. The central manor grounds were surrounded by a 2 meter high wall. I jumped lightly onto the top of the wall and inspected the security measures. The wall had weight sensors fitted to detect changes in pressure and alert surveillance cameras.

The stables and garage were also fitted with security measures to protect not only Alex but the vast array of collectibles including suits of armour from the crusades, discarded experiments from Da Vinci, Mozart's violin, and a shield from Henry the VII. The garage also housed Lucas' cars. The stables housed his livestock. He had clearly taken great care to cover all areas contained within the estate walls. I now had only one place left to check, outside the estate walls. I had left this area to last hoping that my mind would be so focused on checking the security measures I would be able to block the memories of what had happened outside those walls.

Outside of the wall, the estate led into rambling bushes and a thick forest. The driveway outside of the fences, like that inside, was lined with cherry and apple blossom trees that were swaying slightly in the breeze. Compared to inside the walls, the outside gardens appeared wild and untamed but retained the same beauty of the polished gardens. I walked through wrought iron gates that separated the driveway in two. Taking a deep breath, I walked past the apple and cherry blossom trees and onto the lawn that led to the forest. I could feel my pulse quicken with each step I took. My body was tingling all over and my senses were on high alert. Rationally I knew that there would be nothing waiting in the forest for me but my body remembered the last time I had come here. Fear began to build in my stomach. I swallowed hard and walked into the forest.

I immediately began to search my surroundings. There was a full moon out providing some light in the forest. My vampire sight did the rest. I walked purposefully deeper into the forest. I knew that I had to go to that place again to quiet the fear that was threatening to explode from within my body. Each step I took intensified the alarms that were deafening my brain. I finally reached the clearing where I had found William after the Acelades were finished with him. He was no longer there, he hadn't been for almost 80 years, but I could still remember clearly how his body looked when I found him. I had not returned here since that day. Even years later when I came for the Council ball I had avoided the area like the plague. The fear in my stomach began to recede and I could begin to hear the sounds of the forest again. I stood in the clearing until my heartbeat returned to normal and my breathing was no longer rapid. Finally, I turned my back on the clearing and began to make my way back to the manor.

The manor still retained the mystery and presence that it had the first time I had come almost two hundred years ago. Much of the inside was different, but from the outside, the Manor was forever set in the 1700's. The manor was really a massive cotton plantation home. Lucas had been inspired by the large estate homes of England and Ireland when he built this property and it was the talk of Fredrick County West Virginia when first built. None of the town folk were quite sure how they felt about a European building the largest home in the county. Lucas won them over however, through hosting many gala events in the home and donating a large amount of money to the county to rebuild the town hall after it was burnt down in 1737.

I had stayed with Lucas for almost two years after finding William. It was here that William and I learnt about our history, the Vampire Council, what protectors do and the feud between the Sempres and the Acelades. It was here that I decided that that I wanted to become a protector. The manor felt as much like a home to me as my family home in Ireland. The rooms were filled with memories of William and I together learning about what we were and who we could become. It was here that William and I made a vow to avenge our parent's murder. We did not realise then how much that vow would cost us, cost me.

I returned to the manor feeling confident in the security measures that Lucas had put into place. He had obviously paid more attention than I remembered the last time I was present at his home and had implemented many of the measures we used for the Council ball to protect the entire house. As I climbed the steps to the front of the manor, I felt a complete feeling of exhaustion. Tonight's events, combined with my residual weariness from my last assignment had depleted any energy I had gained from my feeding. I decided that profiling the servants would need to wait until tomorrow after I had had the opportunity to feed properly from one of the many food sources available on the estate. I climbed the stairs to the second floor and stopped briefly outside of Alex's room. I could hear what sounded like computerised gun fire and deduced he was playing a video game of some description most likely depicting the Second World War from the sounds of the troop movements. I continued to my room and began to undress taking one more goblet full of blood and walking to the wardrobe to review the school uniforms that had arrived in my absence. I was not ready to deal with the idea of having to go to school yet so I dressed in my nightgown and slipped into bed. It was not long before I felt myself slipping into a deep and comfortable sleep.

I rose early, my sleep had been undisturbed and I could feel the benefits in my body already. My muscles ached less and my head felt clearer, sharper. I quickly got dressed in a black running suit and trainers and made my way down stairs noting that all of the residents of my floor were still sleeping soundly. On the ground floor I could hear the servants preparing breakfast and beginning the day's chores. I walked through the foyer and out of the large wooden doors at the front of the manor.

Outside the air was crisp. The sun was only just beginning to rise and the estate grounds were still covered in a light fog. The lawns were coated in thick dew which displayed the evidence of my path as I made my way across the lawn and into the back fields of the estate. I went through the side gate in the wall and was immediately in the forest. I stopped for a moment to gain my surroundings and began my hunt. I could smell deer, bears and birds in the forest. Given the sheer size of my hunger, I decided that a bear would be the best creature to hunt. I slowly began to stalk the animal in the forest following its scent to a cave about five minutes into the forest. I picked up a stone from the clearing outside the cave and threw it into the opening. I heard the rock slam into the side of the cave and bounce along the floor making a loud noise in the relative quiet of the predawn forest.

I threw another rock into the cave and this time I heard the bear stir. It began to make its way out of the cave and I took my place on the ledge above the opening ready to strike. The disgruntled bear walked out of the cave and I launched myself off the ledge landing on its back. I sunk my teeth into its neck quickly bringing it down. I fed ravenously until I could feel the end drawing near and I finished the task. The blood pulsed through my body making me feel light headed for a brief moment. The power surge in my body was noticeable and I felt myself returning to full strength. The burning sensation in my stomach was completely quenched and I was feeling satisfied. I quickly tidied myself in case I ran into Alex on my return to the house, although I doubted that he was yet conscious, and made my way back to the manor.

Most vampires did not keep the same eating habits as me, preferring the blood of humans over that of animals but I could never come to terms with taking the blood of a human the way my families and mine had been taken. Of course, nowadays, many vampires from the Sempre family consumed blood siphoned from the blood banks they owned. The Acelades family however, still enjoyed the hunt for human blood as I well remembered. Most vampires, especially those in my line of work, could not understand my decision to feed only on the blood of animals but nonetheless I had fed this way since my transformation. The downside to this was that I needed to feed more often than most vampires often leaving me exposed when on assignment. I looked forward to having a constant easy supply of food while I was here.

My return to the manor showed me my assumption was correct and all of the manor's residents remained asleep. I again took the luxury of a long hot shower allowing the water and fragrant soaps to wash over my body. I wrapped myself in the Egyptian cotton bath robe that was hanging on the stand in the bathroom and made my way to the wardrobe. I decided to again dress in clothes that Lucas had purchased for me assuming that my all black wardrobe would be neither appreciated nor appropriate for my first meeting with Alex. I selected a deep, emerald green blouse with matching scarf and ivory cardigan and dark hipster denims. Moving to the shoe rack, I selected a pair of matching green kitten heels. I returned to the bathroom to apply my makeup and fix my hair. I pinned my hair back from my face allowing the layers to form soft curls down my back. I kept my make up light and as I applied my mascara I noticed my eyes were slightly less hollow. Perhaps facing William's final resting place had given me some closure. I took a final look in the mirror checking my overall appearance hoping that it said 17 year old Irish student. The sun coming in from the bathroom windows caught the stones in my necklace and cast a cascade of coloured lights across the room. I raised my hand to the necklace, holding it lightly between my fingers. It was a diamond incrusted cross my father had given me on my 16th birthday. I could not remember the last time it had seen the sun and been allowed to cast colourful lights. I stood for a few moments and appreciated its beauty. Finally, I turned and left taking the light show with me.

I retrieved my laptop from my bag and sat on the sofa. I typed Creswick Academy into my search engine and was soon confronted with a list of sites referring to the prestigious school. I spent the next few hours researching Creswick including its history, the courses available, clubs, sports teams and the lay out of the school grounds. Once I felt confident that I would be able to at least display a disinterested knowledge in the school that I was about to attend, I turned my search efforts to a different venture. If I was going to pass for a 17 year old I needed to at least have some idea of what a typical 17 year old was like. Thankfully, I was up to date with technology as a by product of the job however, that was where my insight into the teenage life stopped. I searched through online magazines, music sites, movie trailers and fashion stores until I felt that I had at least a basic grip on what was happening in the world today.

I closed the lid to my laptop and looked at the clock. It was 8:00am and I was sure by the sounds in the hall that breakfast would soon be served. A nervous sensation began to build in my stomach and work its way through my body. I was feeling under-prepared and uncertain about playing the role of a 17 year old and was sure it would take Alex about 30 seconds to realise I was a fake. I stopped myself from going any further. If what Katherine had said last night was correct, there was a high chance that Alex would not even notice that I was at breakfast this morning and it was even more unlikely that he would decide to give me a pop quiz on my favourite music and movies. I only hoped that the other students at Creswick would show me the same disinterest when I started tomorrow. The less impact my arrival caused the better.

Leaving my room, I hesitated briefly before Alex's room. I could hear no noises from within so quickly pushed open the door and surveyed the room. It had the same security measures as the rest of the home with increased density. I wondered how Alex had not noticed these, even though Lucas had attempted to conceal them almost totally within the walls and ceiling. I began to think that Katherine's assessment of Alex's observation skills may have been correct.

Taking the stairs down to the ground floor, I could hear the other residents already seating themselves at the table for breakfast. Hesitating briefly, I pushed open the door to the dining room and entered. Lucas, Katherine and a young man who I could only presume to be Alex were already seated at the table which was set for four people. Immediately feeling uneasy, I looked at Lucas who caught my eyes beckoning me forward. I was sure that I was supposed to come to breakfast but now it appeared that a place had not been set for me. It appeared the family Lucas, Katherine, Stephan and Alex, were going to eat together. I walked towards the table taking in the buzz of activity going on in the room. Servants were laying out breakfast on the sideboard including eggs, bacon, hash browns and sausages, pouring coffee and juice into cups and glasses on the table and ensuring that every condiment imaginable was available to complement breakfast.

I arrived at the table standing behind the chair next to Katherine and opposite Alex who appeared engrossed in a book of some description and had yet to even acknowledge that I had entered the room.

"Good morning Grace," Lucas welcomed. "I trust you slept well and found your room comfortable."

"Yes very well thank you Lucas. After the long flight I was quite sure that I could have slept anywhere but the room is magnificent," I replied playing along with the story.

"Please sit down Grace." Katherine joined the conversation briefly looking from Alex to me "I am afraid my husband has been called away on urgent business and could not be here to meet you this morning."

The mystery of the four place settings made sense now however, Stephan's absence seemed strange given the threat that his son was facing. How odd that he would chose to attend to an insignificant business matter. I took my seat and eyed Alex. His scent was strong, stronger than any other I had encountered before. It was heady and musky as it circled me. The blood lust was brewing in my stomach but I swallowed hard and refocused. Alex was still absorbed in his book and did not appear to be aware of anything occurring around him. On closer inspection I saw the book he was reading was 'The Portrait of Dorian Grey', a favourite of mine in a different time. I looked from Katherine to Lucas unsure of how they wanted me to proceed.

"Alex please put your book away while we are at the table. We have company," Katherine chastised. Alex sighed heavily and closed his book pushing it away. "Thank you."

"Grace is starting Creswick tomorrow with you Alex," Lucas explained. "She has been lucky enough to receive a scholarship and will be staying with us while she is here." Alex finally raised his head and his eyes met mine. I struggled to strangle a gasp that threatened to escape. Alex had startling emerald green eyes that matched the colour of my shirt. He was the image of John with sandy blond hair that fell into his eyes carelessly, a strong square chin and a tanned complexion.

"Hi," I said "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah," Alex replied "where are you from?"

"Ireland," I returned. Alex did not appear to have any other questions for me and walked over to the sideboard and started filling his plate. I looked from Katherine to Lucas with disbelief. Lucas nodded but I could not understand how Alex could look so much like John the protector who had trained me. John had been assassinated by the Acelades almost 20 years ago. Alex returned to the table so these questions would have to wait.

Alex looked at us and questioned "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Of course," Katherine replied flustered. We all rose and went to the buffet placing food on our plates. I selected two slices of toast hoping I could swallow them. Returning to the table, I tried to re-engage Alex in conversation to refocus my mind.

"Are you reading 'The Portrait of Dorian Grey' for school?"

"Yeah,"

"Oh." Determined not to be deterred, I continued, "What classes are you taking at school?"

"The usual."

"Do you like Creswick?"

"Not really."

"Any reason?"

"Because it's here and I would rather be in London but you can thank her for that!" Alex shot a dark look in Katherine's direction.

"Alex," Katherine interrupted, "Now is not the time."

"Whatever," Alex replied.

The rest of breakfast continued in silence. I managed to force down one slice of toast before excusing myself from the table and leaving the room. Once outside, my stomach lurched and running to the bathroom I expelled all the toast. Leaning on the vanity I ran my hands under the cool water allowing my body to calm. I was not looking forward to having to perform this task after every meal. Finally, feeling only slightly more composed, I decided it was time to speak with Lucas. I entered the library and saw that Lucas and Katherine were already waiting for me.

"How is this possible?" I asked "He looks exactly like John."

"I should have told you last night," Katherine conceded. "You know that John and I were in a relationship when he trained you. We moved to London to escape the scrutiny of the Council and whilst we were there I fell pregnant. Before I could give birth John was killed and Stephan came to inform me of the news. Stephan was a friend of John's and he supported me after John was killed. Our friendship grew into companionship, then love and we decided to get married. Stephan is the only father that Alex has ever known and he believes that Stephan is his father."

"How could you do this?" I asked Katherine. "And you how could you permit it?" I levelled my second question at Lucas.

"You don't understand what it was like Grace. I was 7 months pregnant and my other half had just been killed. I didn't intentionally mean for this to happen but as Alex grew up, he and Stephan had such a close relationship I did not feel that Alex should be punished by not having a father for something that was beyond his control." Katherine attempted to explain, but I did not want to hear it.

"What about John? Your so called other half who was supposed to be the love of your life, your soul mate. Don't you think he deserves to have his son know the truth? That man gave his life for our kind and you swept him under the carpet like he never existed!" I retorted.

"I did what I thought was best to protect Alex. That is what John would have wanted. Then when we got the package, I realised that maybe someone knew about John and so we came here. I have never stopped loving John but we both knew the risks when we got involved. We knew it wasn't allowed, but we didn't care," Katherine responded.

"I don't agree with what you've done here."

"I know that you and John were close Grace, he trained you to be what you are and that is why we knew that you were the best. Please believe that Katherine did not make this decision lightly and neither did I. The safety of Alex needed to be made our top priority. John would have wanted Alex to be safe and he understood the dangers of his work." Lucas interceded.

"I don't want any more surprises. If I am going to do this assignment, you both need to be honest with me," I stated firmly.

"I promise you there is nothing else," Lucas responded. "It was poorly advised of me not to tell you of this last night. I should have known that you would recognise John as soon as you saw Alex."

"Yes you should have," I was ready to move on. I could not believe that they had done this, but their family matters were no concern of mine. "I took a tour of the manor and estate grounds last night and I must say, Lucas, I'm impressed with the security measures you have in place."

"Thank you." Lucas accepted the compliment. "Did you visit the entire grounds?"

"Yes," I responded, understanding the meaning of Lucas's comment. "I was able to get everywhere I needed."

Katherine looked from Lucas to me obviously unsure of the meaning of our conversation but not willing to ask questions. "I plan on spending today speaking with the staff and developing a profile to identify any possible threats if that is acceptable to you?" I asked Lucas.

"Of course. I have already informed my staff that they are to make themselves available to you upon request. I have also gathered their employee files including a basic background check that we conducted which might be helpful to you as a starting point." Lucas handed me a stack of files, each with an employee's name written on the cover. I took the files from Lucas and noted there were seven in all. Profiling would be the most important task to ensure the safety of Alex. I needed to make sure that there were no Acelades members working in the manor. I took my leave from Lucas and Katherine and turned to leave the library when Katherine called me back.

"Grace, I just wanted to make sure that you understand why we are keeping Alex in the dark about his father and our way of life. It is for his benefit. It's too much for a child to grow up with and I wanted him to have a chance at a human life before he enters our world."

I turned to look at Katherine. "I don't understand why you have made these choices Katherine, but they are your choices to make. I will fulfil your wishes and I won't tell Alex about John or what we are unless there is no other option to keep him safe. That is the best I can promise, you know that my duties come first and I will do anything to keep my charge safe."

"That is the most I could ask of you Grace. Thank you," Katherine replied. With that, I left the library with the employee files in my hand and my head swimming with the morning's revelations.

# ~3~

I ascended the stairs to the second floor and collected my laptop and paperwork from my room before making my way up to the third floor. I entered the sitting room and walked over to the window where two arm chairs and a side table had been set up for the purpose of today's interviews. I set up my laptop and organised my papers, ready to interview the employees and to check any information they provided to me against the Council database. I quickly reviewed the first employee file. Martha had worked for Lucas for almost 200 years. Lucas had made her a vampire after she had fallen ill with Spanish influenza. She had followed Lucas from England to America and back several times. Martha was the housekeeper and appeared to love her work. She had been offered opportunities to become independently wealthy in her time with Lucas but had chosen to remain on as staff. She stated that she knew her place and could think of no better honour than to work for Lucas who had saved her and her sister Eliza.

I heard Martha approaching and watched her enter the sitting room. She was the image of an English housekeeper with her salt and pepper hair pulled back in a tight bun and her face set in a stern look. She wore a grey wool skirt, white blouse and apron, with a sense of pride. She walked over to where I was and took a seat. I remembered Martha from my two previous stays at the manor. She had been kind to William and me when we had arrived young and scared. I looked at Martha and smiled.

"Good morning Martha it is lovely to see you again. I only wish it were under better circumstances," I said.

"Good morning Grace, it is nice to have you back in the manor. I am glad Lucas was able to have you assigned to protect Alex, that boy needs the best." Martha concluded with a nod.

"I have a few questions I need to ask you Martha. I know you may have answered a lot of these questions when we held the Council ball but, given the importance of this matter, I need to ask these questions again."

"Of course Grace, I will answer any questions you have. I have long ago sworn my loyalty to Lucas and that has not changed."

"Thank you Martha. Can you please tell me when you started working for the Sempre family?" I asked.

"I started working for Lucas at the end of the 18th Century. I was working as a housekeeper for a family when I fell ill with the flu and was sent away. Lucas found Eliza and me living in a sick house. I remembered Lucas from when he had visited my employer's home on business. He asked Eliza and me if we would like him to make us better and if we would like to work for him at his house. We said yes straight away and Lucas took us from the sick house to his estate. That night he made us into vampires and I have worked for him ever since," Martha stated proudly.

"Have you ever met anyone from the Acelades family?" I asked next.

"No. Never!" Martha responded.

"What would you do if you were approached by a member of the Acelades family and they wanted information or access to Alex?"

"I would tell Lucas immediately and take whatever measures I thought necessary to protect Alex and this family."

"As you would be aware, Martha, I am here because of an eminent risk to Alex and therefore to the whole Sempre family. My duties are very clear on this matter. I need to protect Alex above all else. In the course of this assignment, I may need to ask you to perform certain actions that may not appear clear to you at the time. Are you willing to do this?"

"Of course Grace, anything you need." Martha replied kindly obviously understanding my discomfort at having to ask her these questions when it was already clear that she would do anything to protect Lucas and his family. Martha's kind reply made me feel worse about the next question I was going to ask, but it had to be done.

"What about Eliza? How would you feel if you had to refuse her?" I asked noticing Martha's body tightened at the mention of Eliza.

"Eliza ceased being my sister the moment she left the Sempre fold. She made her choice and chose money and lust over family and loyalty. The last I heard about Eliza she was living in France and was wanted by the Acelades for taking some of their artwork. For all I know, they have found her and disposed of her by now," Martha responded.

"I appreciate your honesty and your candour Martha. That is all I have at the moment. If I have any other questions, I will ask to speak with you again." I rose with Martha and walked her to the edge of the sitting room. "Would you mind asking Sienna to come up here please?" I asked. Martha nodded and left the room.

I returned to the arm chair and reviewed Sienna's file. Sienna was the newest member of Lucas's staff. She had only been working with Lucas for 5 years despite being a vampire for almost 80 years. Prior to this, Sienna had lived with her husband in New York. Sienna had come to work for Lucas after her husband was killed when he got caught in the crossfire between two warring vampires. Her husband tried to stop the two men who were fighting with total disregard for their human neighbours and sustained a fatal wound. Sienna had found his body on the street on her way home from work. Sienna travelled across the globe for about two years before coming upon the English estate and was drawn to being around her kind. Sienna had worked as a maid until the arrival of Katherine, Stephan and Alex when she was promoted to chef, a job she had held while living in New York.

Sienna entered the room and I rose to greet her. Her hair was strawberry blonde and cut short into a bob which she tucked behind her ears. She had pale blue eyes which were framed by a furrowed brow portraying her nerves. She chewed on her thin lower lip and glanced cautiously at me as she entered. Sienna appeared to be in her mid twenties. She was dressed in black pants and a fitted white t-shirt, black cable knit vest and flat black shoes.

"Good morning Sienna, thank you for making the time to see me," I stated knowing full well that this was not a choice she made but an order she followed.

"Hi" Sienna replied looking uncomfortable. I gestured for Sienna to take the opposite arm chair and returned to my seat.

"As I am sure you are aware, my name is Grace and I am here on a protection assignment for Alex. I need to ask you some questions today and I will be cross checking the information that you give me with the information we have recorded on the Council database as well as with other historical documents. I will inform you up front that if you lie to me I will know and I will report this both to Lucas and the Council. As a whole, they will decide your punishment. This is not a threat merely a fact I always like to provide as a courtesy and a warning."

Sienna sat motionless in front of me, apart from wringing her hands which she placed in her lap. I commenced my interview with Sienna and gained little more information than was in her file. She informed me that she had been turned by a traveller who visited with her family during the depression. She had met her husband almost a year to the day after she had been turned and they had remained together until his death. Sienna had never had any contact with the Acelades family, but knew of them through her travels and from her time spent at the manor. She was quick to pledge her loyalty to the family and spoke of her enjoyment at getting to create meals again, even if they were only enjoyed by one of the residents in the manor. I observed Sienna as she spoke, her nerves were evident in her flighty movements and rapid speech but I also noticed a sincerity and kindness to her manner. Sienna had known what it was like to suffer a great loss and appeared unlikely to assist anyone in inflicting that kind of pain on another.

The rest of my interviews progressed in much the same fashion. I knew all of the staff from my previous visits to the manor or as part of another function in Lucas's business enterprises. Michael, the butler and Louisa, the maid, had come to work for Lucas after discovering they were to have a child almost 90 years ago. Alistair, the son of Michael and Louisa, had returned with his wife Emma after the Second World War and acted as a chauffer and security detail for Lucas, while Emma was a talented musician and artist. All of the information they provided me was consistent with the information both on their files and in the database. In addition to this, they had all previously been vetted by the protection detail covering the Council. I had trained Alistair in basic security for his current position. None of the staff I had profiled raised any concerns for Alex's security and all stated their loyalty to Lucas. I had expected as much but it was still comforting to have assurances.

My last interview was with George, the gardener and caretaker, who had lived at the manor since it was built and had worked for Lucas for a long time prior. George was originally from Ireland and had been a gardener in his previous life. He appeared to be in his late seventies with stark white hair and a wrinkled leather complexion from his years in the sun before his body stopped ageing. George was a large man with broad shoulders and stood at least a foot above me. I had left my interview with George until last, knowing that it would be the hardest. I made my way down from the third floor and out into the garden knowing full well that while George would make himself available to me that did not include him being inside while the sun was up. I found George in the orchard tending to the apple trees.

Taking a deep breath, I walked towards George vividly reliving the last time I had seen him. George had been the first to reach me after I found William's body. He had been walking the estate grounds and heard me cry out. He ran through the forest to find me in a state of hysteria, lying over what remained of William, in the clearing. George had tried to remove me but I would not budge from William's side. Realising this, George had carried William and I back to the manor, speaking softly to me the whole way trying to calm me. Over the next week, he visited me everyday breaking his rule about being inside while the sun was out for the first time. At William's burial, George held my hand and walked me to the casket to place my flowers which he had picked for me. That was the last time I had seen George. I had carefully avoided him on my last visit, arriving only hours before the Ball and leaving at its conclusion. There would be no avoiding George on this visit.

"Good afternoon George," I stated making him aware of my presence as he was currently up a ladder with his back towards me.

"I knew you'd come. Not like the last time eh lass." George replied not making any effort to climb down the ladder or face me.

"I'm sorry about that George. I was busy last time," I stated, feeling embarrassed by my behaviour.

"Hmmm." George replied, obviously not believing a word I said.

"I'm sure you know by now why I'm here and that I'll be here until Alex turns 18," I stated starting the formal part of the interview hoping that it would subside my guilt. "My protection duties require me to interview, everyone at the manor to ensure that there are no security risks. I know you have been through this before but I need you tell me about when you came to work for Lucas."

George stepped down from the ladder and turned to rest against it. "You look terrible!" George stated looking me up and down, his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I started working for Lucas late in the 1500's. I'm not sure the exact year it wasn't important to me back then. I have worked for him ever since as a gardener and caretaker on seven different estates including this one. Before that, I travelled around Ireland doing odd jobs for board, eating when I needed to and trying to figure out what I was going to do for eternity. I was made a vampire by a vampire who thought I reminded him of his father. I chose not to stay with him and travel on my own, preferring to be outside as I'm sure you've noticed. I've never been friends with an Acelades or any of their kind, although I have met them on several occasions when I've been with Lucas. You can ask him about that it's his business. If I was ever approached by a member of the Acelades family, I would tell Lucas or take care of them. I think that should answer all your questions".

"That does answer my questions and I don't think I look terrible. I've been working for three years straight on my last assignment. You'd be tired too!" I replied.

"Lass, I've been working for the past 700 years and I don't look as bad as you do. You didn't look this bad the first time you came here. It only started after I found you with him in the forest" George looked at me questioningly.

I was surprised by George's frankness, most people pretended not to know about William and those that did never discussed him in my presence. I took a breath in and looked at George. I went to say something but the words caught in my throat. George smiled at me and nodded.

"I know Grace. I know what it's like to lose your family. It changes you and you won't get over it until you realise it's not your fault," George said kindly. "I don't know much about what happened only from the gossip I hear at the dinner table, but by the sounds of it you did everything you could to save him."

"William," I said. "His name was William."

"William," George echoed and with that he climbed back up the ladder and returned to his work.

I turned and walked from the orchard feeling drained from my conversation with George. It had been many years since someone had spoken so openly to me about William. My head was filled with memories from the past which always happened when someone spoke about William. I didn't notice Alex until I almost ran into him. He was sitting on the lawn next to a large black Labrador who had its head resting on Alex's lap. He was still reading the book from breakfast this morning. I stopped when I saw him, not feeling up to putting on a brave face and desperately wanting some peace and quiet. At least being outside his scent was dispersed provided I kept my distance. Alex looked up from his book and stared at me. I noticed him sigh as he placed his book to the side.

"So how much are they paying you to baby sit me?" Alex asked

"Excuse me?" I said I could feel my heart racing how could he possibly know about my assignment already "I am not here to baby sit you."

"So it's just a coincidence that you arrive the day after I tell my mom that I am going back to London to live with Olivia and her family and finish school?" he stated.

"Olivia? Who's Olivia?" I asked innocently.

"My girlfriend."

"That's nice but listen Alex this may come as a surprise to you but I came here to go to Creswick Academy, not for you. I didn't even know you were here until I arrived last night and Lucas told me that you and your parents have decided to move here from London. I was hoping we could be friends both being from a long way away but clearly that isn't going to happen," I retorted.

"So, you really are here just to go to Creswick?" Alex asked obviously feeling stupid for his previous comments.

"Yes, I am really just here to go to Creswick. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go inside and let Lucas and your mom know that the game is up and their bait hasn't worked. You won't be swayed from Olivia for me, despite my best womanly charms," I replied sarcastically before I could stop myself. I was feeling irritated at Alex's attitude when I knew how much Lucas had done to keep him safe, and I was feeling edgy from my earlier conversation with George and the memories of William.

Alex was clearly shocked by my response, but recovered quickly and smiled at me. He looked like he was going to respond, then stopped and looked down at the Labrador.

"This is Duke," he said as he stroked the dog on the back, earning himself a lick on the cheek. I laughed in spite of myself and the dog looked towards me wagging its tail clearly pleased with himself.

"It's a nice dog," I replied and started to make my way over to pat Duke.

"He's not my dog but he has kind of followed me around since I got here." Alex shrugged and returned to patting Duke on the head to avoid another lick.

I sat on the other side of Duke and began patting him. His fur was soft and I could feel his heart beating as I patted him. Alex and I sat there in a comfortable silence with Duke in between us panting contentedly. I looked at Alex and noticed that he was staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Alex replied quickly looking away a blush appeared on Alex's cheeks. I smiled and looked down at Duke giving Alex a few moments.

"So, what should I expect at Creswick tomorrow?" I asked. If I was going to spend the next three months with Alex day and night I needed to at least try and make him think that we were friends.

"It's ok. I have only been there for a couple of weeks but the people there are cool." Alex replied.

"That's good. I hope it's not too different from my school back home." I stated, continuing the story I was trying to make sound convincing.

"There aren't that many people at the school so we will probably be in the same classes so at least there will be someone you know," Alex said smiling at me. His smile was amazing and made his eyes shine. His hair fell carelessly across his forehead as he tilted his head to the side. I turned my head away from Alex and stared out across the lawn. I did not trust myself today .I could feel the poison building in my teeth as I stared at him smiling at me, feeling the urge to taste his blood. I was too tired to keep my body in check and it probably wasn't safe for me to be around humans right now.

"Well, I better head back and get ready for starting school tomorrow." I stood up and turned to look at Alex.

"Oh, ok," Alex replied looking disappointed that I was leaving "I guess I'll see you at dinner?"

"For sure." I replied and started my walk back to the house. My body started regulating itself the further I got away from Alex. The poison started to recede from my teeth and the hunger in my body receded. I shook my head to clear the thoughts of attacking Alex from my brain. I hadn't had thoughts like that since I first became a vampire. I couldn't understand why I would feel like that now. It must have been because I was so tired and stressed. I needed to get my feelings under control if I was going to be able to complete this mission. Being tired wasn't an excuse. I was here for at least three months and I had to get used to being reminded of William, being around humans and ignoring the exhaustion that was gnawing at my every fibre, calling me to sleep for months on end.

I finally made it back to the sanctuary of my room and allowed myself to lie on the bed and sink into its covers. I remained there for a few hours, slipping in and out of sleep, dreaming of past assignments and William. Realising that this was doing nothing to ease my exhaustion and only fraying my nerves even more, I rose from the bed. I returned to my laptop which I had placed on the coffee table when I had left the manor to interview George. I opened a new report and completed a brief summary of my initial surveillance and security checks including the interviews that I had conducted today. In my recommendations, I included the need to inform the mark that he was the subject of a protection detail and the nature of this assignment, knowing full well that Lucas and Katherine would never allow this to occur. I also included a need to speak formally or at this point even informally with Stephan, to ascertain a greater level of detail about his relationship with John, Alex's father, and his history before becoming a member of the Sempre family. I still found it odd that he would not be here, given the current state of things, but then again, I had found many things quite odd and disturbing over the last 24 hours. No reason that he should be particularly different.

The bell sounded in the hall informing me that it was now 6:30pm and dinner was served. I emailed my report to Marius and Lucas and closed my computer. Summoning all of my strength, I rose from the lounge and prepared myself for dinner. I did not feel up to putting on a performance pretending to be hungry for whatever food they served and I was especially not looking forward to a repeat of the uncomfortable feelings I experienced this afternoon when I was with Alex. I hoped that being in the room with Lucas and Katherine would limit these feelings and that I could excuse myself quickly from dinner as I had my first day of school in the morning.

I entered the dining room and was disappointed to see only Alex sitting at the table. I had hoped that Lucas and Katherine would be here by now. Alex looked up and smiled at me. Forcing a smile to my face, I made my way over to the table, feeling the poison build in my teeth at the sight of his smile. I sat opposite Alex as I had at breakfast this morning and looked hopefully at the door for Lucas and Katherine to arrive.

"Did you get all of your things ready for tomorrow?" Alex asked.

"What?" I replied startled by his question

"You were getting ready for school when you left?" Alex repeated slowly as if trying to jog my memory for some story that he now obviously no longer believed.

"Oh yes, of course," I stated "Sorry you'll have to forgive me I guess I am still a little jet lagged." I added, trying to explain my lapse in memory.

"I know exactly what you mean," Alex nodded knowingly "It took me two weeks to fully adjust after we moved here."

At least, he had accepted my story. On the upside, he was actually trying to be friendly which I would have been grateful for if every cell in body did not want to jump over the table and drink his blood. I swallowed hard and lifted my glass, hoping to mask his smell with its contents. I would need to feed daily whilst I was here. If I had this reaction around just one human, I could not imagine what Creswick Academy would be like. I stared out the window to my right and hoped that Katherine and Lucas would soon join us. Attempting to regain my attention, Alex asked "So will you be driving with me to school tomorrow?"

"I think so, I mean if that's alright with you of course. I'm sure Katherine and Lucas would be happy with that as it fits in with their master plan." I joked, remembering our altercation earlier today. Alex blushed slightly and laughed.

"Have you filled in all of your paperwork? I remember it seemed to go on for every when we had to do it," he said.

"I did a lot of it before I came," I lied. "So hopefully I won't have much to do tomorrow." That part was true. I did not look forward to filling in endless mindless forms asking irrelevant questions as to my real purpose for being at the school.

Lucas and Katherine entered the room and took their seats. "Sorry we're late," Lucas stated. "Let's eat."

Dinner proceeded quite pleasantly with the four of us talking politely about my impending start at Creswick and Alex's current progress there. We discussed what classes we might have together and the different clubs and activities that were available. Thankfully, Alex had not joined any of these and I would not be forced to attend some inane group during my lunch times or after school. Towards the end of dinner, Michael entered the dining room and informed Alex that he had a call from a Miss Olivia Hutchinson. Alex nodded and he quickly asked to be excused from the table, leaving before his mother had time to grant him permission. When he had gone, Lucas, Katherine and I were able to speak freely.

"I have submitted my initial report to you and Marius," I informed them.

"I will review it after dinner. I must say I am impressed by your efficiency. Are there any surprises?" Lucas replied.

"Not really. I know you won't agree with my recommendations but they need to be known," I stated.

"Am I to assume that you recommend we tell Alex?" Katherine asked.

"Of course," I stated. "My duties would be inordinately more effective if he was told, but I respect your wishes and will enact them to the best of my ability."

I provided Katherine and Lucas with a brief summary of my findings after my inspection of the manor and my interviews. Katherine looked relieved to know that there did not appear to be any security threat at the manor and that I had been able to begin to interact with Alex. I did not inform her or Lucas of my thoughts or feelings when I was with Alex, feeling it was best to keep these private. I was about to inform Lucas and Katherine of my reconnaissance plans for the evening when Alex returned.

"That was quick!" Katherine commented, obviously surprised by Alex's return.

"I expected to have to pry the phone from your hand after you had fallen asleep," Lucas added.

Alex smiled sarcastically and returned to his seat. "I am planning on talking to her later on the computer if you must know," he stated looking quickly at me before returning to his meal. I couldn't tell why, but this made me feel uncomfortable. I remained silent for the rest of dinner and excused myself straight after dessert informing them that I was retiring to my room for the night to get rest for my first day.

"We will need to leave by 8:00am tomorrow to make sure we are there in plenty of time for your first day." Alex informed me.

"Ok. I will meet you in the hall then," I replied and left the dining room.

I returned to my room and changed into black pants, a black v-neck sweater and black boots. I tied my hair back into a pony tail. I walked over to my equipment bag that had been placed on the floor in the cupboard, untouched and retrieved my hunting knife, placing it into a custom made holder on my belt. The knife had been a gift from John when I had finished my protector training. William and I each had one. They were a matching pair of ornate hunting knives that had been John's fathers; mine with an ebony handle, William's with an ivory handle. They fitted together to make a double bladed knife if necessary, but were just as effective in the hand of a vampire on their own. I never knew what became of William's but mine travelled with me on every mission.

I went to the window in my bedroom and cut the alarm. I opened it slowly, careful not to make any noise and quickly slipped out and descended down the manor wall. I made my way quickly across the lawn and into the garage where I was met by Alistair. He handed me the keys to my black BMW. I slid into the leather seat and started the engine. The motor was whisper quiet and powerful. I drove slowly through the estate grounds, careful not to alert Alex to the presence of a car leaving. I noted that the gauges gave off an eerie blue colour in the night. In addition to the standard gauges, there were also screens that displayed vision from the cameras that were placed around the exterior of the car, a heat sensor vision and an audio visual link up to Lucas's study. The windows had been replaced with tinted bullet proof glass and the shell of the car was armoured. I had requested that Lucas make arrangements for my car to be garaged here in case the need to travel arose. These security measures were necessary to protect whatever detail was in my charge and also me. There was currently a price on my head of $5,000,000 set by the Acelades family after my last altercation with their protection squad.

Once I was out of the estate grounds, I opened the car up on the highway, enjoying the feeling of speeding through the night into the unknown. My head always felt clearer when I was travelling fast. I had missed my car whilst I was on assignment in Europe. Swerving in between the light traffic, I made it to the school in no time. I parked my car behind a tree at the front of the Creswick Academy, gates hiding it from view. I jumped the gates in a single leap landing noiselessly on the gravel driveway inside. I stopped for a moment to take in my surroundings I noticed that Creswick Academy was made up of several different buildings, some of which were connected by covered walkaways. The architecture was gothic and the front building, which I assumed to be the administration building, had stained glass windows depicting various flowers that were found in the surrounding gardens.

I spent the next two hours investigating the grounds to get a feel for any possible security threats or weaknesses in the school's lay out that could allow for an Acelades assault. Provided that Alex classes and mine were near each other when we were separated, I felt confident that I could be by his side within 30 seconds. I ventured into the forest surrounding the school grounds and quickly found a deer to feed on, taking it down quickly and allowing the blood to rejuvenate my body. I returned to my car and checked my appearance in the rear view mirror to ensure no trace of my feeding remained. Pulling the car out from behind the tree, I headed back to the manor, allowing the speed to calm my nerves.

# ~4~

I rose early the next morning. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I looked out the window at the rising sun. The day would be clear once the sun had burnt off the morning fog, which was now covering the grounds. I showered and began readying myself for my first day at Creswick Academy. Whilst most myths about vampires stated that they would burn in the sun, this was obviously not the truth. We were able to move in the sun the same as humans; however, it took years for our eyes to adjust to the sun's rays. In the early years, I had found it difficult to tolerate the brightness of the sun and had avoided it as much as possible, coming out only at night. Otherwise, I required special glasses to dim the sun during the day. Nowadays, new vampires were able to have specialised contact lenses to assist them. Over time our eyes would adjust until we no longer felt the burning of the sun any more than we had when we were human.

Entering my wardrobe, I looked at my new uniform. It was comprised of a blue and burgundy plaid skirt with box pleats that came to my knees, a white blouse, burgundy vest and blue blazer. The outfit was completed by black Mary Jane shoes and opaque stockings. I looked at myself in the mirror and judged myself to look the part of a seventeen year old school girl. Returning to the bathroom, I fixed my hair, pinning it back from my face. I applied light makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes. Returning to the wardrobe, I picked up my new black satchel and looked inside to see the new text books and school supplies I would need to pull off the role of new school student.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was now 7:00am. I sat on the lounge in my room and went through my new identity to ensure that it was clear in my head. I was Grace Kennedy from Ireland and I had transferred here after receiving a scholarship to attend Creswick. I was staying with Lucas Sempre and his family as he was an old family friend of my grandfather. My cover had never been blown on a mission, but I always liked to rehearse it to make sure it stayed that way, especially on this mission, when my new identity was also being given to my mark. I heard a knock at the door and Lucas announced himself. I invited him to enter and he made his way over to the lounge where I was seated.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," I replied.

"I received your report and you're right, I don't agree with your recommendations about Alex but I will ensure that Stephan makes himself available to you the moment he returns. Are you prepared for today?" Lucas asked.

"As much as I can be I guess. I did some reconnaissance work at Creswick last night. I can make it to Alex within 30 seconds of any attack, provided that we are no more than 15 classrooms away from each other. This could only occur if he is taking Gym whilst I'm in language class. If this happens, I will simply ask to change classes." I informed Lucas.

"I appreciate you taking this assignment so seriously Grace. I know it must be difficult for you to be in this house with its memories and now to be reminded of John every time you look at Alex." Lucas stared at me to gauge my response.

"It's my job Lucas. I take every assignment seriously. If I don't, then people die. You know this, that's why you asked for me. What is your real reason for coming here today?" I was sure that Lucas had something more to discuss with me.

Lucas looked at me for a moment and sighed. "You know me too well, or perhaps you have just become a master at reading people," Lucas started. "I am concerned about you Grace and I just want to make sure that you are up to this assignment. I would hate to lose our best squad member because I allowed her to be worked too hard." Lucas looked worried and I could tell that he would not allow me to dismiss his concerns.

"Lucas, I have been honest with you since you requested my presence at your home. I have completed my decade service, but I feel confident that I can complete this new assignment. I am able to feed regularly here and that is helping. I am also able to have frequent rest and I am not engaged in battle. You do not need to worry about me. I will complete this assignment as though I was fresh from a break. Then, I will disappear for a while. Allow my body to recuperate completely before returning to duty." I stated this smiling at Lucas's fatherly concern.

With this, Lucas nodded at me, accepting my response and rose to leave the room. He stopped briefly at the door, placing a photo of William and I on the side table before leaving the room closing the door behind him. I recognised the photo as one that was taken on our first visit at the manor. I could not believe that Lucas had kept it all this time. I moved the photo to my bedside table and grabbed my satchel. I could hear Alex leaving his room; he was talking on the phone to Olivia. I waited until he had made his way down the stairs, allowing him some privacy for his conversation. It was bad enough that I could hear every conversation occurring in the manor, I could at least provide him some false privacy.

Extra sensitivity was a trait that most vampires had and I would not be surprised if Lucas, Katherine and all of the staff members could hear Alex talking on the phone when he was in the room next to them. My hearing had developed above the normal level and I could hear every conversation occurring in the manor and in fact, every conversation that occurred on the estate grounds if I tried. I blocked out other people's conversations most of the time only monitoring the dull murmurs for any threats that I could distinguish. Alex should be no different, but I did need to monitor him more closely so I allowed myself to check in on his conversations every now and then to make sure that he wasn't planning anything risky. Their conversation this morning consisted of Olivia updating Alex on her movements last evening in excruciating detail. Alex seemed to be enjoying it. I did not think I would ever understand young love.

I walked down the stairs and met Alex in the hall. He was just finishing his conversation and smiled at me as I entered the hall. "Nice uniform," he greeted me smiling as he snapped his phone shut and put it in his pocket.

"Urgh!" I replied. "I have never had to wear a uniform before."

"Don't they have uniforms in Ireland?" Alex asked looking confused.

"Um," I stalled. Damn it my first mistake. I slipped up thinking that I had never worn a uniform I had no idea if they wore uniforms in Ireland. "I didn't wear a uniform at my school," I added as I shrugged trying to act nonchalantly.

"Cool! Well at least your uniform looks good on you. Wait until you see some of the other girls." Alex looked me up and down and smiled as he caught my eye.

Clearing my throat and looking away I answered "Well, we should head off."

"Yeah. We don't want to be late on your first day," Alex agreed as he headed to the door holding it open for me as I walked outside. I saw his car waiting out the front with Alistair standing next to it. He handed the keys to Alex and opened my door allowing me to climb into Alex's midnight blue Mercedes.

We drove to Creswick with the radio playing in a comfortable silence. The ride to school was much slower than the one I had made last night. Alex's slow driving allowed his scent to permeate the car, making the air intoxicating and almost impossible to resist. I could feel my incisors lengthening as Alex's inviting scent gave me a preview to what his blood would taste like. I rolled the window down as Alex pulled into the school driveway and found a spot near the administration building. The parking lot was beginning to fill up with luxury cars from Mercedes to Alfa Romeos. It was clear that there was a great deal of wealth here at Creswick and despite Alex's early comment the students at Creswick were beautiful people. All of the girls were perfectly manicured and looked as if they stepped out of a magazine and the boys had over styled hair and designer sneakers. I took a deep breath and sat back in my seat, I could feel the poison rising in my teeth as I watched them laughing and walking into the school. Alex walked around and opened my car door, leaning down to smile at me.

"How about I walk you to the office?" Alex offered mistaking my efforts to control my urges for nerves. I smiled at Alex as I got out of the car and grabbed my bag.

"Thanks that would be great," I replied.

Alex and I walked towards the Administration building, earning glances from the students we passed. I could hear the murmurs about the new girl, a possible sister of Alex, his girlfriend from England, a cousin. How amusing, I thought, to be the source of such intrigue by just arriving at the school. Imagine if they really knew anything about me. We entered the building and I walked up to the counter.

"Hi I'm Grace Kennedy I'm supposed to be starting today," I said. The administration lady looked up from her paperwork annoyed and surveyed me then allowed her attention to be drawn to Alex, who remained in the room leaning against the wall. She returned her gaze to the pile of papers sitting in front of her, shuffling through them until she found the bundle bearing my name.

"Miss Kennedy. A late starter I see," she commented looking over her glasses at me disapprovingly. "Here is your class schedule and a map. I assume that Mr Sempre has given you all of the books he purchased for you prior to your late arrival?"

"Yes he did," I replied swallowing hard. I had the urge to lean over the counter and slam this middle aged woman's head into the table, sitting there with her disapproval when she had no idea of my reasons for 'starting late'. Taking the papers from her, I turned to leave and rolled my eyes at Alex on my way out.

Once outside, I reviewed my schedule and was relieved to see that I had English with Alex first up. He was excited at this prospect and took pride in showing me around campus. For my part, I played along pretending as though I had not seen the campus before. When we reached the English classroom, Alex held the door open and led me to a set of desks near the window. I wished it were open to clear the air but unfortunately there was no relief. Thankfully, Alex sat down and offered me the seat behind him. At least I was able to sit back from him, lessening the tension and his scent to some extent. Next to Alex sat a dark looking boy with black hair that fell into his eyes and a moody look on his face. His sweater was oversized and he was sketching into a notebook that was already covered in various drawings. He looked up and smiled at Alex as he sat down.

"Hey man, how you going?" he nodded at Alex.

"Alright. You?" Alex replied.

"Good. Who's your friend?" he asked looking in my direction.

"This is Grace. She's staying with my uncle."

"Cool. I'm Daniel" He introduced himself holding his hand out to me.

"Nice to meet you," I replied shaking his hand briefly before taking my seat.

"This is Lauren." Daniel pointed to the girl sitting behind him. She looked up at me and smiled. Lauren was a petite girl with curly auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had brown eyes and light skin sprinkled with freckles.

"Hi Lauren." I said.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Lauren replied.

The teacher walked in and I turned to face the front of the classroom happy not to have to answer any questions about why I had started at Creswick just now. The lesson went quickly and I spent most of it surveying the other students looking for any hint that anyone of them may have been a vampire, but there was none to be found. At the sound of the bell, I checked my schedule and found that I had biology and Alex had math. We organised to meet up in the cafeteria for lunch and Alex gave me detailed instructions of how to get to my next class.

I headed across the school to the biology lab and took a seat at the back of the classroom, near the exit, in case I needed to leave in a hurry. The buzz of conversation was beginning to blend together and created a dull ache in my head. Nearly every conversation centred on my arrival and my connection to Alex. I hoped that the novelty of my arrival would wear off soon, but at least the overwhelming blood lust was receding. The further away from Alex I became the less his scent intoxicated me. It was a strange phenomenon I had never experienced before. At least this would help me track him if I needed to and that could be useful in the future.

I spent most of the biology lesson profiling my fellow classmates into their respective groups and watched their interactions with amusement. I noticed that the group of four boys sitting to my right looked over to me frequently. Listening in on their conversation, it appeared that the one sitting closest to me was going to make it his mission to take me to the Fire and Ice Ball, whatever that was. This was not an event I was looking forward to. As the lesson drew to a close, I prepared myself for the inevitable. Packing up my belongings I made my way out of the door as he sidled up next to me, with a dopey look on his face.

"Hey, I'm Tristan," he started.

"Grace," I replied, walking past him to the door, hoping he would pick up my cue.

"So, you're new huh," he attempted following me out of the door.

"Looks that way." I returned, continuing to walk towards the cafeteria, scanning the crowd for Alex.

"Where are you from?" Tristan asked moving in front of me, blocking my path.

"Ireland." I responded, trying my best to make it clear to Tristan that I was not interested in standing around talking. I spotted Alex at the entrance to the cafeteria looking at the interaction between Tristan and me.

Tristan looked as though he was about to say something when I cut him off.

"Listen, I have people waiting for me so if you don't mind?" I said motioning for him to move out of my way.

"Oh. Ok." Tristan replied looking disappointed. I ducked past Tristan and made my way over to Alex.

"Making friends already I see," he greeted me smugly.

"Not exactly," I replied looking back at Tristan who was staring darkly at Alex.

Alex, Lauren, Daniel and I headed into the cafeteria where they got their lunch and I was able to pass on having lunch due to my encounter with Tristan causing me to lose my appetite. I wondered how long I could go until I was forced to eat some of the revolting food that was on offer. The smell alone was nauseating and I could only imagine that attempting to stomach it was going to be a task. I spent the rest of lunch surveying the students in the cafeteria and answering questions from Lauren and Daniel about my reasons for coming to Creswick. From what I could gain, they appeared to be a couple and had been for sometime now. Alex had become friends with them when he started at Creswick due to their similar tastes in music and movies.

During lunch, I noticed that Tristan and his table of friends appeared to be watching our table at intermittent intervals spending most of their time staring at me. I smiled in spite of myself thinking about what could happen if I did take Tristan up on his yet to be asked offer. He would just as likely end up dead if he caught me at a weak moment. It was hard enough trying to keep myself in check with Alex constantly raising a new sense of hunger in me which was confusing enough without adding the temptation of human blood to the mix. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I attempted to rejoin the conversation that Alex, Lauren and Daniel were currently engaged in but they were debating the latest album of a band I did not know so I simply sat back and listened to the conversation for the rest of the lunch period.

The rest of the day's classes consisted of French and History, both of which I had with Alex. The day passed fairly quickly with most of my attention directed at assessing both students and staff for any possible threat they might pose to Alex. My lack of attention to the class prompted my history teacher to call on me to give a brief summary of the Bubonic Plague outbreak in England. She suspected I had not been listening to her and she was right. However, thankfully I had lived in England at the time, and was able to provide an answer which she reluctantly accepted before moving on with the rest of the lesson. Alex smiled at me and I could barely control the urge to taste his blood. Returning his smile weakly, I turned away to look out the window and return my body to its normal state. I would need to feed again tonight. I put it down to the fact that I was not used to being around so many humans.

Finally, the bell rang for the end of the day. Alex and I walked to his car with Lauren and Daniel, who had parked near us. We said our goodbyes and Alex and I got into our car and drove out of Creswick Academy. Once we were outside Alex turned to me smiling and said "Well congratulations, you made it through your first day." I looked at Alex and laughed. As we turned onto the freeway, I put my window down and allowed the cold air to rush against my face, taking in all of the smells that surrounded me and diluting Alex's. He turned up the volume and began singing to a song on the radio. We drove home in a comfortable silence, Alex singing at the top of his lungs and me allowing the world to flash past.

Alex pulled into the driveway and Alistair was waiting to collect the car. He opened my door and I stepped out grabbing my bag from the back seat. We made our way up the front steps where Michael greeted us.

"Miss Olivia is on the phone for you." he stated to Alex.

"Of course," Alex said shaking his head as if briefly confused "She always calls when I get home." He said to me explaining the reason for her call. I nodded and he began to walk to the stairs stopping at the bottom to turn to me. "I'll be doing my homework in my room after I speak with Liv if you want to join me in say 30 minutes?" he asked.

"Sure." I replied.

Once Alex had gone up the stairs I turned to Michael "I expect Lucas and Katherine are in the library waiting for me?" I asked.

"You are correct Miss Grace. Miss Katherine has been wearing down the carpet for the last hour," Michael replied raising an eyebrow.

I made my way down to the library and knocked briefly before entering. Lucas was seated behind his desk completing some paperwork and Katherine was standing by the fire place apparently watching the door for my arrival. I nodded to them both and made my way to the sofas we had occupied during our last meeting. Set out on the table was a crystal goblet and a pitcher of blood. I filled the goblet and drained it within seconds. I refilled my glass and sat it down next to me.

"There does not appear to be any threat at the school and I could not detect any scent of a vampire, other than those in this house, between here and Creswick Academy." I stated. I observed the relief on Lucas and Katherine faces' as I informed them of the news.

"From the conversations I monitored today it does not appear that anyone at the school suspects anything of Alex, other than he is a transfer from London due to his family relocating. No one spoke about the Acelades or Sempre family and apart from discussing Alex's transfer and my arrival at the school, there does not appear to be any unwarranted attention being paid to Alex." I completed my report and again drained my goblet of its contents.

"So he should be safe?" Katherine asked seeking reassurance.

"I can't foresee any threat to him at the school and I will be there with him every day until he turns 18, so he is as safe as he can be," I replied.

With Alex's safety guaranteed, Lucas turned his attentions to me. "And what about you?" he stated "How did you cope today? I see the hunger is back." I looked at Lucas and saw the concern in his eyes.

"Today took a greater toll than I expected," I conceded. "Who knew my arrival would cause such an expanse of conversation, but I am sure it will calm down. I am able to feed regularly so it won't be a problem," I stated hoping to alleviate some of Lucas's concern to no avail.

"I know what I am doing Lucas." I continued. "You wanted me for this assignment and I will complete it as required. You need to stop worrying about me. I am trained for this and there is nothing that I can't handle." I looked at Lucas sternly and he nodded understanding that I did not wish to be questioned about my health and wellbeing anymore.

"So, what is the plan for the next three months?" Lucas asked changing the topic swiftly.

"I will continue to attend school with Alex and any other events as required. If I identify any threats, I will forward these on to you immediately. I will monitor the surrounding areas for any new vampire activity and I expect that the staff will also be on the look out for any changes. Hopefully, I will just continue in a protection detail capacity until Alex turns 18, if anything changes then we will have to revise our plan." I concluded.

Lucas and Katherine both agreed with my overview and I left the library. I started up the stairs to Alex's room listening to him finishing his conversation with Olivia. I waited outside the door until I heard them finish then knocked.

"Come in," Alex called out.

"Hi, ready for a fun filled afternoon of homework?" I joked as I entered Alex's room. I walked over to the lounge area which was similar to the one in my room, only with deep red upholstery covering the sofa and arm chairs. Taking a seat on the arm chair opposite Alex I took out my books and placed them on the table. I noticed that there were two sandwiches and sodas sitting on the table. Alex noticed me looking at them.

"I thought perhaps your appetite might have returned since lunch so I got Sienna to make us a snack," he stated.

"Thanks," I replied forcing a smile to my face as I picked up a sandwich and took a bite. It tasted like dirt and ash. I swallowed it as quickly as I could and placed the remainder of the sandwich on the plate. The next two hours were spent with Alex completing his homework and me pretending to take the same amount of time to finish work I actually had done in 15 minutes. I watched Alex as he studied. He furrowed his brow and bit on his left bottom lip when he was concentrating. He smiled to himself when he found the answer he was looking for and had a habit of twisting his pen in his hand aimlessly when his mind began to wander.

When the bell rang for dinner, both Alex and I jumped slightly startled. Alex had been concentrating on a math problem and I had become absorbed in watching him work. Smiling at each other with mild embarrassment, I returned my books to my bag and made my way to the door. I returned my bag to my room and changed quickly before dinner into jeans and an aqua blouse. I hurried down the stairs and met Alex in the hall.

"Wow!" Alex said looking me up and down.

"What?" I asked running my hands down my outfit suddenly self conscious.

"Uh nothing," Alex replied his face turning a shade of red I was fast becoming familiar with. "You just got changed really fast."

"Oh yeah, well, I used to sleep in every morning," I replied as I stepped past him into the dining room holding my breath as I passed. I felt as though I was losing control. I was never self conscious and I certainly didn't allow myself to spend hours on end watching humans. I needed to focus on the job at hand and get through this next three months so that I could return to my retreat in Ireland away from people and allow my body to rest.

Katherine and Lucas were already seated at the table when I entered with Alex in tow. Dinner progressed without incident. Katherine and Lucas asked us questions about our day at school and Katherine spoke about her conversation with Stephan who was hoping to return from his business trip in New York this weekend. I managed to eat most of the roast beef I was served and was excused from eating dessert, voicing a dislike for cheesecake. When dinner was complete, Lucas retired to his library to complete some work and Katherine stated she was going to watch her favourite English serials and complete her embroidery in the parlour. I was about to excuse myself for the evening and hunt, when Alex invited me to watch television in his room. Katherine smiled at me as she left, obviously happy that Alex was finally warming to me. I didn't think it appropriate to refuse the offer plus, I was actually looking forward to the prospect of getting to spend some more time with Alex. I found him intriguing.

Alex and I spent the rest of the evening watching various crime shows, sharing the sofa in his room. I found myself willing to experience the unpleasant sensation of poison in my mouth to spend time with Alex. He had a comfortable air about him as he sat back on the sofa with his feet up on the table. His arm bushed against mine as we sat on the lounge and a bolt of lightening ran through my body. I could feel myself holding my breath and my body become alert. Alex's heart rate had increased and I noticed his cheeks blush. We both continued to look straight ahead, focusing on the screen. Although breathing was not necessary, it was a comfortable habit and I soon realised I was still holding my breath and quickly exhaled. Alex shifted his body on the sofa and I became very aware of his presence around me. It had been a long time since I'd been this close to a human. I could feel my body urging me to taste his blood. Alex settled himself on the lounge with his knees just lightly touching mine. I could feel the electricity running through my body, like a circuit. I forced myself to move my legs and curled them under me on the lounge to ensure there was a space between Alex and me.I found myself staring at Alex, watching his face change as he watched the screen. He caught me staring and smiled. I swallowed a mouthful of poison and reminded myself that I was the one who needed to be in control. I turned away and focused on the screen, willing my body to relax.

Alex eventually fell asleep on the sofa and I slipped out of his room through the balcony, landing on the ground silently. I needed to feed and quickly to rid myself of the poison that had built up whilst I was with Alex. Entering the forest, I quickly picked up on the scent of a pack of wolves then dismissed them just as quickly. I was not in the mood for a chase. Instead, I followed the trail of some deer located near the edge of the forest. I took down three of the deer before they realised there was an enemy within their midst. I took another as they began to scatter. I felt the poison recede in my body as the blood flowed through my veins.

Leaning up against a rock face, I allowed myself to enjoy the feeling of my latest hunt. I was usually required to feed every 2-3 days due to my special diet and my higher than normal need for blood, but daily feeding was not something I had encountered since my first days of being a vampire. I felt weak having to give into my hunger so often and I could not shake the feeling that Alex was the cause. Of course, I knew rationally that being around humans so often would cause an increase in hunger, but that did not seem to account for my behaviour. The constant thoughts of tasting Alex's blood were new to me and I was not comfortable with their appearance in my life. I vowed to try harder to stop these thoughts and increase my feeding if necessary to morning and evening.

# ~5~

I awoke with a start after having the dream again. There had been an addition tonight. A new scene in the dream, they had come for me. I had felt them taking my blood and my body was writhing in pain as I tried to pull away. After reassuring myself of where I was, I threw myself back down into the pillows on my bed, praying for more sleep but knowing I had to get ready for school. Looking at the clock, I saw it was already 8:00am. I dressed quickly and threw my make up in my bag. It would have to be done in the car I didn't have time to do it now. I rushed from the room to find Alex waiting for me in the hall.

"Good morning sleepy head. I was beginning to think you were going to ditch on your second day," Alex greeted me, the smiling fading as he took a closer look at me. "No offence but you look terrible."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically. "Not all of us got a head start on our beauty sleep by falling asleep on the couch last night."

Alex shrugged and opened the front door smiling at me. I walked outside and the sun began to burn my eyes. I was momentarily startled. This had not happened to me in a long time I would need to feed tonight to ensure this didn't happen again. I quickly fished out a pair of sunglasses and got into the cool shade of the car with its dark tinted windows. Alex got in the driver's seat and looked over at me in my oversized sunglasses.

"Yup much better," he commented. "Way to swap that not enough sleep look with a very hung over look." Laughing he started the car.

"Shut up!" I replied lamely, resting my head back on the seat and rubbing my temples. I lost myself in thoughts about the dream. It had been many years since I had remembered the event in full and it unsettled me. I had grown accustomed to the old dream and this new addition was unwanted. I did not need any more motivation to hate the Acelades family and constantly reminding me of my reason for hating them would only make me reckless and even more dangerous.

"Grace! Hello, earth to Grace!" Alex was vainly trying to get my attention.

"What? Sorry, Alex I was somewhere else completely." I replied, forcing myself to concentrate.

"I was just saying are you sure you are alright to go to school today? You really don't look well." Alex looked at me with a concerned expression. I felt my stomach flip at this show of concern. How sweet that he should worry. I smiled at Alex and shook my head.

"Honestly, I'm fine." I replied "I just stayed up too late last night that's all and my body is still adjusting to the new time zone. I'll be fine." With that, I flipped down the mirror on the passenger side and spent the rest of the car ride attempting to make myself appear less ghastly with the array of make up and hair styling tools contained in my handbag. By the time Alex had parked the car, I still looked pale, but at least I was unlikely to scare anyone away.

We were met at the car by Lauren and Daniel who were eagerly discussing the Fire and Ice Ball that was to occur at the school this Saturday. Apparently, it was the event of the year, but I was still unclear on what it actually was. From what I could glean from the conversation, it was a dance of sorts where everyone dressed up in formal wear resembling fire and ice. It was a tradition at the school going back over 100 years. Lauren was very excited as only seniors were invited to attend the ball and this was her year. She had already purchased her dress and spent the best part of study period explaining it to me in great detail. It appeared that she was going to be the ice part of the fire and ice combination and her floor length dress was ivory satin with an ice blue chiffon overlay embroidered and thousands of crystals sewn on it in snowflake designs.

I had never been so thankful that Alex had a girlfriend on another continent and I clung to the hope that he would therefore not want to attend this event. Dancing and social etiquette had not been my strong point when I was a lady in society I doubted it had increased with time. Lauren, on the other hand, had other ideas about Alex's and my attendance at the event.

"Oh my God! It is so lucky that you started when you did because now you can go with Alex to the dance!" Lauren rejoiced over lunch later that day in the cafeteria.

"I don't think so Lauren," I replied looking to Alex for support. His face did not appear to show the same lack of enthusiasm for the dance as I had hoped.

"Yeah, Lauren I don't think it's such a good idea." Alex chimed in half heartedly.

"I'm sure Olivia wouldn't mind Alex. I mean it's just a dance and besides it's not as if there is anything between you and Grace. You're basically family." Lauren continued, determined not to be dissuaded from her dreams of all of us attending the Fire and Ice Ball together.

"No! There is nothing between us!" Alex answered a little too quickly, a slight blushed rising on his face. The words stung me for a reason I could not understand. It was not that I wanted Alex to like me, but the harshness of his response was still a blow.

"Just leave it Lauren." Daniel finally entered the conversation looking suspiciously from Alex to me. I looked at Alex but he refused to meet my gaze. Instead, he appeared focused on his lunch. Lauren became distracted and the conversation soon moved on to television shows including some of those I had watched last night with Alex. I was glad for the change of topic, but Alex's response to Lauren's questions about the dance still bothered me. I was sure it was simple vanity. There had been a time when every man in my village would have fought to take me to a dance but reflecting on the way I looked now, I doubted that would still be the case.

After lunch, I had History with Alex in the east side of the campus. We said our goodbyes to Lauren and Daniel and headed to class. Alex was quiet on the way and appeared caught up in his own thoughts. I knew that I should try and see what was wrong, but my head was still pounding from the dream last night. I felt exhausted. I was happy just to sit in the quiet and wait for this day to be over. I noticed Alex staring at me from time to time as we walked but his expression was undiscernible. We reached the classroom and Alex held the door open for me. As I walked into the classroom, I brushed past him sending a tingling sensation through my body. I immediately felt the poison rising in my teeth and his smell consumed me. My vision went black and I felt myself sway. The next thing I knew, Alex had grabbed me, holding me tight in his arms. The feeling of this was both ecstasy and agony. My senses returned with heightened acuity and I was suddenly aware of my closeness to Alex and the danger this posed in my current state. I stepped away from Alex who was looking at me with deep concern and smiled appreciatively at him as I walked across the classroom and took my seat. I was thankful that we were the first to arrive and prayed that others would arrive soon. I was less likely to act impulsively with an audience.

Alex rushed over to me and knelt beside my desk looking up at me.

"Grace, are you ok?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm fine I guess. I just didn't eat enough at lunch," I replied trying to think of a human explanation for my behaviour.

"I think you should see a nurse. You haven't looked good all day" he continued

"Alex. Seriously I'm fine. I just had a bad night sleep and didn't eat enough." That part was true. Obviously, I would need to increase my feeding schedule to morning and night.

"I'm going to get you some juice or something." Alex said standing up and rushing from the classroom. I didn't argue. I was glad to have a few moments alone to get myself under control. Feeling the poison recede, I concentrated on hearing every conversation in the hallway, then the school then the surrounding areas. Focusing on this, allowed my body to return to its normal state and directed my energy back into protection mode. I could hear Alex asking the cafeteria ladies for juice and rushing through the halls to bring it to me. I smiled in spite of myself. The thought of this poor kid trying to look after me in his human ways when my sole job now was to look after him against an evil he could not even imagine. Alex returned to the classroom and placed three different kinds of juice in front of me.

"I didn't know which one you would like," he explained searching my face.

"Thanks," I said reaching for the one closet to me. They would all taste like dirt but I had to keep up the façade of being human. I took a deep swallow from the bottle draining almost half of its contents. Alex appeared satisfied with this and took his seat next to me.

"Drink the rest of it," he encouraged and I complied with his request. Other students had begun to filter in and the class was nearly full. I removed my books from my bag and readied myself for class, preparing to ignore Alex's looks of concern for the entire lesson. The teacher entered and began the lesson. It was the bubonic plague again. I pretended to be listening intently throughout the lesson, even taking notes. From the corner of my eye, I could see Alex looking over at me frequently and at one point he pushed the second bottle of juice towards me. Not wanting to make a scene and most of all not wanting him to try and take me to the nurse or worse home, I drank the second bottle of juice.

At the end of the lesson, Alex stood next to my desk waiting for me to pack up my belongings. I had biology next and whilst I wasn't looking forward to another hour with Tristan, the break from Alex would do me good. I looked at Alex who still hadn't moved.

"I have biology." I informed him.

"I know," he replied. "I'm going to walk you there."

"No Alex. I'm fine seriously." I argued.

"Well, it's either I walk you to biology or I take you to the nurse your choice," he grinned at me.

"Fine." I growled, secretly touched by his concern but worried about his protective feelings. These would not serve him well if events turned sour closer to his birthday.

We walked to biology amid the hustle of students making their way to various classes. As Alex attempted to steer me through the mass of students and I felt myself rebelling and attempting to take back control over the situation. I was feeling stronger and I hated the feeling that Alex was in control. I stepped away from him and slipped in front so that I was now leading the way, cutting through the groups of students who had gathered to talk in between class. I could hear Alex sigh behind me, unimpressed that I would not allow him to take care of me. He did not allow me to get more than a step in front of him and I could feel his presence hovering behind me with his breath on the back of my neck. The poison was flooding my mouth and I swallowed hard to clear it. I could not reach biology soon enough. As soon we reached the laboratory, I turned to face Alex.

"Thanks for walking me to class," I said to Alex turning to enter the classroom.

"Grace," Alex called to gain my attention before I slipped into class.

"Yes," I replied reluctantly turning to face him again.

"I'll meet you here after class and walk you to the car." he stated firmly.

I saw no point in arguing with him after the way I had acted before. Any normal person would be concerned. I nodded at him and quickly ducked into the classroom. Relief was immediate.Having only a wall between Alex and I was enough to allow my body to relax, the poison began to recede and my muscles relaxed. I could not understand what it was about Alex that made me feel like this but I needed to get it under control. I had heard of other protectors who developed strange reactions to their targets, including sharing thoughts and an emotional bond, but never like I was experiencing. I knew it must be because Alex was human that this reaction was different but it didn't matter. Whenever this occurred for other protectors, the assignment almost always failed. I could not allow this to happen. I would just need to desensitise myself to Alex and that meant spending even more time with him.

I took my seat and removed my books looking every part the proper student. It appeared today's lesson would be about cell reproduction and consisted of a lengthy and dull lecture from Mr Johns, our biology teacher, accompanied by slides which I was fairly sure came from the 1970's. I constantly checked in on conversations in the school to make sure that Alex was safe, but spent most of the lecture staring out the window into the school grounds. This idle daydreaming was interrupted by the sound of the bell signalling the end of my second day at Creswick Academy. My daydreaming, however, had left me open to Tristan. He appeared at my desk before I could arm myself for his presence. I looked up at him and noticed the dopey grin he wore on his face, so sure of himself. Looking past him, I noticed that students were packing up their belongings and I took the opportunity to duck under the bench and retrieve my bag, giving me a few seconds to ready myself. Placing my bag on the table, I turned to Tristan.

"Hey," he started leaning on the bench.

"Hi," I replied and commenced packing up the books I had not touched the entire lesson.

"So how are you settling in?" he asked

"Fine thanks." I attempted to make my responses reflect my disinterest in this conversation. Tristan did not pick up on the cues. I stood up from my chair and began to make my way to the door with Tristan following me closely. Most of the students had left the classroom by now and Tristan turned in front of me. I found it infuriating having to move at a slow human pace. This was the second time in two days I had been forced to allow Tristan to block my exit.

"So, I'm guessing you've heard about the Fire and Ice Ball?" Tristan asked. Here it comes I thought bracing myself for the inevitable.

"Yes, I have." I replied nonchalantly

"Are you planning on going?" Tristan continued eagerly trying to find out if I had already been asked.

"Probably not," I replied leaving myself an opportunity to attend if Alex changed his mind, still hoping that he wouldn't. What I didn't realise was that Tristan saw this as an opening, an invitation almost, for him to ask me. Taking a deep breath, Tristan finally got to the point.

"Would you like to go the Fire and Ice Ball with me?" Tristan asked quickly looking at me, hopefully.

"I don't think so Tristan but thanks for the offer." I replied as kindly as possible.

"But why not?" Tristan asked, not understanding why someone would not want to go with him and hoping that he could change my mind. Just at that point, the door opened and Alex was there looking from Tristan to me.

"Grace, are you ok?" he asked, his voice full of concern and something else that I couldn't identify.

"Oh, I get it." Tristan spat looking at Alex darkly as he turned from the room, barging past Alex on his way out.

I leant against the side of the bench, glad that it was finally over. I rubbed my temples again as the pain returned. Alex rushed to my side, grabbing my arms and staring intently. A current shocked through me at his touch and it was almost impossible to concentrate. I could feel myself becoming overpowered but this time I fought it. I pushed the feelings back, keeping them separate so they wouldn't overpower me. When I found myself able to do this, I could actually enjoy the feeling.

"Grace?" Alex said quietly looking up at me as if I might break.

"I'm fine Alex, really. Tristan just threw me off that's all," I replied pushing myself up from the bench and out of his grasp. "Let's go home," I said as I walked from the room.

"Ok." Alex acquiesced although obviously not satisfied with my response but hesitant to push me too far in my current state. We walked to the car in silence. I felt Alex looking at me as we walked. I ignored him until we were in the car driving home. Normally, I would find driving this slowly infuriating but now I needed the time to convince Alex not to speak with Lucas about my episode today.

"Alex," I said leaning forward to turn down the music. Alex had used the music to fill the uncomfortable silence between us. "You're not going to tell Lucas about what happened today are you?" I asked

"Why?" Alex replied.

"He would only worry and then he would call my grandfather and he would worry. He already has so much to deal with since my parents died, I just don't want to give him anything else to worry about." I was surprised how easily this lie came out. I felt bad lying to Alex but it was for the best. If Lucas heard about what was happening, he would again question if I should be on this assignment and I knew that I was the best at what I did. Alex needed me for this assignment.

Alex regarded me for a moment and finally agreed. "Ok, but on one condition." Alex stated.

"What's the condition?" I asked suspiciously.

"You have to let me know if you start feeling sick again before you pass out. I can't be around to catch you all the time," Alex replied loftily, a grin spreading across his face. I knew I had him at that point and relaxed.

"Sure thing," I replied returning his smile.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened between you and Tristan today or are you going to leave me to make up my own stories?" Alex looked at me still grinning.

"Urgh!" I replied "He asked me to the Fire and Ice Ball."

"What did you say?" Alex asked quickly. I noticed an edge of anticipation to his voice.

"I said no of course. I don't really want to spend any more time than necessary at school, especially not with Tristan." I replied.

"Oh," Alex said his face a mixture of disappointment and relief neither of which I could understand. "I'm not going either," he added.

I let out a sigh and sat back in the chair. My head was throbbing and I could not wait to feed again. I wondered if I could hunt before sundown if I went into the forest deep enough. I found myself rubbing my temples, a reaction left over from when I was human. It didn't relieve the pain, but the action in itself was soothing.

Alex looked at me briefly before taking the next exit off the freeway. This was not our exit and I looked at him questioningly. I had not surveyed this area and I did not want to face any other vampires today.

"Where are we going?" I asked when it appeared obvious that he was not going to offer the information.

"You look hungry," he replied. "And from what I've seen you don't really like what they serve at the manor so I thought I'd take you somewhere for some real food." I looked around and saw a diner up ahead on the corner. Alex pulled into the driveway and parked the car. I looked at him wondering how he would know this place when he had not been here that much longer than me and surely Katherine and Lucas had not allowed him out on his own.

Alex saw the puzzled look on my face and answered my unasked question. "I used to come here when I spent summers with Grandad. It was my favourite place." he shrugged. I found it hard to picture Lucas taking Alex to this quaint little diner and pretending to eat its wholesome American food. It just didn't fit with the refined and distinguished Lucas I knew. He must really love his grandson. Alex opened my door and led me into the diner. The waitress looked up from the counter and motioned for us to sit anywhere. The diner was mostly empty, expect for some truck drivers who were sitting at the counter drinking coffee. Alex guided me to a booth whose window looked out into the car park. He handed me a menu which I took, already knowing that anything I ate would taste like dirt and I'd end up choking it back up later.

I looked around the diner whilst Alex surveyed the menu. It was attempting to pull off a 1950's theme with shiny red vinyl booths and silver tables. Memorabilia covered the walls depicting Elvis, Buddy Holly, All America boys and girls and Coca-Cola. The bright fluorescent lights made my skin appear even more pale than normal. I looked at the waitress who hadn't moved from the counter yet to take our order. She was wearing a red and white stripped dress with her frizzy blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She looked to be in her early fifties and definitely wore too much makeup. She appeared more concerned with the truckers at the counter than Alex and I.

Alex coughed loudly to get her attention and she sighed deeply before making her way over to take our order. She arrived at the table and positioned herself so that she was facing Alex and blocking me. I had to give her credit for trying but I highly doubted that Alex would be impressed by her charms.

"You ready to order hun?" she asked.

"Yes. Thankyou," Alex replied then directing his eyes to me "Grace what would you like?" The waitress appeared put off by his chivalry in allowing me to order first and after a quick glance in my direction she returned to facing Alex.

"Um, I'll just have whatever you're having," I replied.

Alex nodded and ordered burgers, fries and sodas for us before dismissing the waitress. He looked at me smiling from across the table and I could feel my stomach churn. I could not understand how this could be happening to me. Alex sat back in the booth and rested his hands folded in his lap.

"So," Alex started cautiously "If the Fire and Ice Ball wasn't being held at school would you want to go?" He looked at me, trying to gauge me response. I was thrown by his question thinking we had resolved the issue in the car.

"Probably not," I replied honestly. "Getting dressed up and dancing is not really my thing."

"How do you know unless you try?" Alex asked, not convinced.

"Believe me. I have been to these types of events before and they are unbearably dull, filled with bad music, cheap food and you end up feeling like you wasted a lot of time getting ready for nothing." I was sure that if the Fire and Ice Ball was anything like the dances I used to go to as a girl, I would be right.

"Wow!" Alex said surprised by my outburst. Luckily our food arrived and Alex was quickly distracted from anymore talk of the Fire and Ice Ball. When we finished Alex paid for our meals. I had managed to move most of mine around the plate to make it appear I had eaten more than I had. We spent the car ride home chatting about our favourite TV shows, music and movies. I attempted to keep the conversation light and mostly agreed with Alex's choices as I had very limited exposure to modern entertainment apart from the music I had heard in Alex's car and the shows we had watched together. But those I had enjoyed.

When we arrived home, Alistair was waiting outside for us as usual. I suspected he listened for Alex's engine and moved quickly to the drive for our arrival. We continued talking as we walked up the stairs and into the hall when we were greeted by Michael who looked from Alex to me quickly, before addressing Alex.

"Master Sempre, Miss Olivia called for you this afternoon and requested that you call her immediately upon your arrival home." he relayed, raising an eyebrow as he turned to me before leaving the room.

"Oh God," Alex groaned. "I completely forgot about our phone call. She is going to be so mad at me." Alex turned to me looking torn.

"I should really call her back she'll be going to bed soon and there will be hell to pay if she doesn't hear from me. You'll study with me later?" he asked, pleading a little toward the end.

"Sure." I shrugged trying not to be bothered by the fact he was cutting our afternoon short to speak with Olivia. I decided to take the opportunity to hunt before I spent more time with him alone. We made our way up the stairs, both hesitating briefly before leaving to go to our rooms.

Once in my room, I quickly changed into my black running suit and sneakers. I made my way back down the stairs silently and was soon in the forest. I ran quickly through the tress until I was deep in the forest where it was dark and quiet. The setting sun was blocked out by the trees' canopy. I stood still, with my eyes closed, allowing the sounds and scents of the forest to surround me. I located a sleeping bear about three miles due north of where I was standing and started to make my way towards it. The animal never heard my descent. I stalked up behind it and attacked lethally, draining the bear of its blood so quickly that when the animal woke it was already too weak to fight. I ensured it did not feel pain and that it simply drifted into eternal slumber. Feeding helped to reduce the pain in my head and used up the poison that had accumulated throughout the day. My body felt warm as the animals blood ran through me.

As I walked back to the manor, I recalled the days when I would hunt with William. We used our trips as an adventure into the wild. When I was turned, William had been a vampire for some time and had become accustomed to drinking human blood. But, when he saw the repulsion in my eyes, he vowed only to drink animal blood from that point on. I was fairly sure that he slipped sometimes when we were not together, but he always felt justified in his choices; choosing to feed on murderers, rapists and other deviants in our society. Our hunting trips had led us into unknown territory. When human, our mother had discouraged us from entering the forest for fear that we would get hurt or injured and no one would find us. Our new invincibility meant that we no longer had this worry. We would go for weeks at a time trawling the forest, stalking our prey and enjoying the hunt. I had not hunted in this way since William had died. Part of me missed this, but another part realised that the hunt was only fun because William was there. When I fed now, I fed to remain strong, to complete my assignments and hopefully one day come face to face with William's killers.

I jogged along the outskirts of the estate to make my way back to the manor, not wanting to be seen by Alex if he happened to look out his window. Even if he did see me, he would no doubt think I had simply gone for a run given my attire and my athletic physique. He had to think I did some activity to remain in shape. As I came closer to the manor, I listened in to Alex's conversation. He was still on the phone with Olivia and she was displeased by his absence this afternoon. Alex was trying to explain why he hadn't been home when she called, but his explanation that he was taking can of me only made Olivia more irate. I could here the frustration in Alex's voice and smiled to myself. I felt guilty being happy about their romantic troubles but I couldn't help but feel smug that Olivia was jealous of me. It had been a long time since I had been the object of jealousy and envy and I had quite forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Not wanting to add more fuel to the fire, I bypassed Alex's room and headed straight to mine.

I decided to take a long hot shower whilst I waited for Alex to finish. I allowed the hot water to run over me, washing away a day full of unusual behaviour. I permitted myself to use various scrubs and washes to pamper my body, leaving me smelling like a mixture of tropical fruits. I completed the process by lathering myself with rich luxurious body lotions and powders which left my skin soft and supple. I walked into my cupboard, wearing only my bra and panties, allowing myself to take time in selecting my outfit. I finally decided on a pair of cream cotton pants and a deep blue blouse with a scoop neck and lace detail. I completed the outfit with brown ballet slippers. I hated to admit that I was enjoying my new outfit choices but it was true. It had been a long time since I had spent time coordinating outfits.

As I dressed I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Despite being raised as a lady in the 1700's I had an athletic physique from years of training. I had the perfect hourglass figure that was accentuated by my breasts and hips, making me appear shapely. My attention was then drawn to the scar that ran the width of my stomach on a diagonal slant. The jagged scar was silvery against my pale skin. I ran my fingers along my scar. I attempted to hide my scar whenever possible, even from myself. It was a product of my making and reminded me of the horror and pain that accompanied my transformation. My face darkened as I recalled that night. I was interrupted from my memory by the sound of Alex coming toward my room. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair giving it a tousled appearance. I waited for Alex to knock on my door before making my way from my wardrobe to the door slowly pacing my movements to human speed.

I opened the door and saw Alex standing there looking broody and irritated. He too had changed and was wearing a pair of relaxed, distressed denims, an ice blue v neck sweater and cream sneakers. In his hand, were his various books ready to complete our homework. His face lightened when he saw me and I felt his heart rate increase. His eyes looked me up and down before a smile grew on his face. I felt my stomach churn and began to feel nervous. I stepped out of the doorway to allow him to enter and walked over to my lounge area, where I had placed my satchel, after returning from school. I sat on the sofa, slipping off my shoes and curling my feet underneath me. I leaned over and pulled out my books. I felt Alex standing near me and looked up to see him hesitating standing between the arm chair and the sofa unsure of where to sit. Eventually he decided to sit next to me on the sofa and placed his book on the table.

Although I already knew how things had gone with Olivia, I thought it rude not to ask, seeing as though Alex had no idea about my extra sensitive hearing.

"How's Olivia?" I asked trying to keep my tone casual.

"Frustrating!" he replied through gritted teeth before focusing on his homework. After a few minutes, I followed suit not sure of what else to do. We worked for the next hour in silence. I attempted to slow down my rate of work so that I matched his. Occasionally, I would find myself staring at Alex, while he worked with a look of deep concentration on his face. I was sure to look away before he caught me but at times I could feel his eyes on me while I worked. The tension in the air was thick. I could feel the poison dripping from my fangs and every fibre in my body wanted to taste his blood, despite feeding only an hour earlier. I was conscious of the heat coming from Alex as he sat next to me on the sofa. My body froze every time he moved or shifted, as I struggled to keep my body in check. His scent enveloped me. It was spicy and masculine.

I had finished my homework now and I was about to begin packing up when Alex suddenly leaned across me, his face coming within inches of mine so that I could feel his breath. Our knees touched and I could feel his heat burning me through the rough denim of his pants. His arm rubbed against mine and I could feel the softness of his sweater and his heat on my bare skin. My body was surging with heat from his touch and I looked into his eyes, feeling myself battling for control

"Can I...ah Can I borrow your um... this?" Alex stammered out holding my Biology book in his hand. I moved my eyes briefly from his to the book and back again.

"Sure," I replied breathlessly as Alex remained unmoved in front of me. I could feel his heart racing and his breathing was short and shallow. I could feel his body shifting ever so slightly, coming closer to mine his face now no more than an inch away. I was in an epic battle for control. My mind was screaming at me to run, while my body was pleading for me not to move. I didn't know how much longer I could control myself but I didn't have the strength to leave. Alex was staring into my eyes intently; his face displayed his hesitation, but also his need. I remained motionless not trusting myself to move towards him but not stopping him either. As Alex closed the final gap between us, the dinner bell sounded sending both of us jumping. Flustered, I jumped up and crossed the room too quickly. I turned and looked at Alex, who appeared as flustered as me.

"Um I guess we should go to dinner," I stated running my hand through my hair trying to calm myself. "You can borrow that book tonight if you need it," I continued.

"Yeah, ah thanks that'd be great," Alex replied a pale blush still on his cheeks and his heart rate yet to return to normal. He gathered his books and walked towards the doorway where I was standing. He hesitated as he walked past me, his body again only inches from mine. I looked into his eyes which where burning. He started to say something, but stopped. Instead, he smiled and left the room. Once gone, I shut the door and slid down the wall until I was seated on the ground. My head was swimming and my stomach was churning. How could I have let myself get that close? I knew how dangerous it was to get that close to a human especially in my current state, but I didn't care. I replayed the incident in my mind and found myself imagining where we would be right now if the bell hadn't rung. The poison in my mouth surged and my body ached to be touched by his again, until my thoughts turned dark and I saw the killer in me taking control. I couldn't let that happen. Not to anyone and especially not to Alex. I thought of Katherine and of Lucas I would not do this to them. I steeled myself to the fact that I needed to put some distance between Alex and me. I would protect him of course, but I could never allow myself to come so close to losing control again.

# ~6~

Alex, Katherine and Lucas were already seated when I arrived for dinner. I looked down, ensuring that I did not meet Alex's stare, even though I could feel his eyes burning into me. Katherine and Lucas thankfully did not pick up on the tension and continued talking about their days' as though nothing had changed.

I focused my attentions on Katherine and Lucas, asking questions about their day, much to their surprise. Alex remained silent for most of dinner until we were served dessert. Only then did the conversation turn to our days.

"So Alex," Lucas began. "How is Grace fitting in to Creswick?" I cringed at this question. I knew why Lucas had asked it, to gauge my effectiveness of fitting in, but given the days events, I was concerned about Alex's response. I looked at Alex silently pleading for him not to mention my passing out at school or what had happened this afternoon. Alex met my eyes and seemed to understand my desperation.

"Great. You'd think she'd been there her whole life," Alex replied smiling. I thought Alex laid that on a bit thick but I was glad he had played along. I started to relax when I realised Alex wasn't quite finished.

"I mean apart from refusing to go to the Fire and Ice Ball, even after Tristan asked her to be his date, I think she is fitting in quite nicely." Alex finished, smiling at me smugly. I could not believe he had just done that. I had no idea why he would find it necessary to inform Lucas and Katherine that I didn't want to go to a stupid school dance. I didn't have to wait long however, to find out the reason why.

"Oh," Katherine sighed, the disappointment evident in her voice "The Fire and Ice Ball is the event of the year at Creswick. I remember when I went. It was a magical evening filled with dancing and music. The great hall was transformed into a wonderland." Katherine reminisced wistfully.

"Well, she won't be moved," Alex chimed. I glared at him darkly but he just continued to smile at me from across the table.

"Why don't you want to go dear?" Katherine asked me, honestly unable to understand why a girl would not want to go to a dance. I held my real thoughts back, feeling that it would not be appropriate in this circumstance, and turned to Katherine.

"I just don't really fancy Tristan, that's all," I stated through gritted teeth.

"Well, I'm sure he is not the only boy left who you could go to the dance with?" Katherine asked her question directed to both Alex and I. I tried not to be insulted by her comment as I could detect no malice on her face or in her tone. Of course there were other boys and realistically I could have any boy I wanted from Creswick if I put my mind to it, but the fact was I did not want to go. I could not believe that Alex was making such a big deal about this.

"Oh, don't worry about it Mom," Alex replied, his tone filled with a smugness that could only come from having a plan. I looked at Alex suspiciously, a sense of foreboding settled in my stomach. "I don't have a date to the Fire and Ice Ball either so I guess Grace and I will be spending Saturday night at home together." he finished with a sigh. If I hadn't been so angry, I would have laughed at his over acting.

"Well that's perfect!" Katherine cried excitedly. "You two can go together." My face must have conveyed the shock I felt at this suggestion. Of course, to Katherine it was the perfect solution. Her son got to experience a normal high school event, with the full protection of the most dangerous killer in our race.

"What a wonderful idea!" Alex agreed his tone full of mock surprise "I can't believe I hadn't thought of that." I looked at Alex outrageously. Today at school he had been on my side for not going to the dance together and now he had turned against me and was doing everything he could to get me there. Alex just smiled at me, obviously quite pleased with the night's events. I looked at Lucas for support but he only shrugged his shoulders with an amused look on his face.

Alex began asking Katherine inane questions about when she had attended the Fire and Ice Ball, completely ignoring my stare through which I was trying to bore holes into his skull.

"Alex?" I said lowly through gritted teeth. Alex turned to me mid sentence, and then looked to Katherine and Lucas.

"I'm sorry Grace," he said "that was rude of me I just got so caught up talking about the Ball I never gave Lucas the chance to ask how you thought you were fitting in to Creswick. Did you want to tell him about your day?" he finished smiling sweetly at me.

I looked at him shocked. I could not believe that he was going to use that over me. I had honestly believed that he would keep my behaviour a secret and it now seemed clear that he would, providing I went with him to the Fire and Ice Ball. I glared at him before turning to Katherine and Lucas.

"My day was fine. I'm settling into Creswick but you know how it is just trying to understand how they play the game there." I said directing my last comment to Alex who did not appear to be able to take the smile from his face.

I excused myself from the table while Alex and Katherine were still talking about the Fire and Ice Ball. Alex looked bored but now that Katherine had found something she thought he was interested in, she wouldn't be deterred. Good, I thought as I left. I hope she keeps him there all night. Katherine had informed me that she would purchase something for me to wear tomorrow, while I was at school. Great, I didn't even get to pick out my own outfit. I understood her reasons for this. It was not as if I could leave Alex at home and go shopping but if I was going to have to go to this stupid thing, I would have at least liked to have picked out my own dress.

I returned again to my black running suit and exited the house via my balcony, jumping from the rail and landing softly on the ground. I didn't trust myself to pass by Alex on the way out in case I tore his head off for the stunt he pulled at dinner. Or worse we had another moment like in my room this afternoon. I was all keyed up and couldn't find a good outlet for my energy, so I ran laps around the perimeter of the estate, carefully keeping tuned into the conversations that were occurring around the manor to ensure there was no danger. A small part of me wished that something would happen to give me an outlet to channel my anger but I knew that was not the smart way to look at it. I had been running for about three hours when I heard my name being called. I stopped dead and looked around me but could not find the source. I listened more carefully and realised it was Alex's voice who had spoken my name. I kept still and zoned in on his voice.

"Grace, Grace what am I going to do about you?" he was asking to no one in particular, apparently.

"Nothing, that's what I am going to do," he answered himself firmly. "I am with Olivia and that's that I just need to get over it."

I felt guilty listening in on a conversation that was obviously not meant for me to hear but at the same time I could not help but be excited that Alex had feelings towards me. Alex was clearly having the same conversation with himself that I had had earlier tonight, whilst in my room. Part of me was relieved that he had come to the same conclusion but another part, which at this point seemed larger and more dominant, was disappointed. I stopped myself as my mind began to wander into possibilities. I had to remain in control. There was no way that anything could happen between Alex and I and I wouldn't let it. There were rules against this type of behaviour and they were for the safety of the protector as much as they were for those they protected. I just needed to get through these next few months and then I could put an ocean's distance between Alex and I. I was sure that as soon as I had distance, these feelings would go away. I could do this, I could be strong. This was not the hardest assignment I had faced and I would not let it bring me down.

I resumed running and ran until my body did not feel as though it could go on. I dragged myself back to the manor and up the stairs; confident that by now Alex would be long asleep. In my room, I did not bother changing and fell straight into bed. I had a deep sleep, unfettered by disturbing dreams.

I rose early the next morning. The run last night had allowed me to sleep solidly and I felt rested. I fed again, returning to the manor just after 7:00am. I was headed up the stairs as Alex exited his room. There was nowhere that I could turn. He had seen me coming up the stairs so I braced myself and continued up to the top of the landing where he stood staring at me.

"You run?" he said more of a statement then a question.

"Yup I run," I said and started to make my way down the hall.

"Hey listen," Alex called running after me. I stopped and turned to face him. "I'm sorry about last night. It wasn't fair of me. I just... I don't know, I thought we might have fun together at the Fire and Ice thing but I don't want you to have to go if you don't want. I'll let mom know this morning that we aren't going," Alex said looking at me hopefully.

I looked at Alex. I knew he desperately wanted to go to this ball and I also knew how happy it would make Katherine. But mostly now, I knew how much I wanted to go with Alex and how much I enjoyed feeling wanted. I knew it wasn't right but looking at Alex, I knew there was nothing else I could do. I took a deep breath filling my lungs with his scent and met his intense gaze.

"Don't worry about it, Alex. We'll go to the ball. It will make your mom happy and besides it's been a while since I've had an occasion to wear a dress." I replied smiling.

Alex's face lit up, his smile beaming. "Great!" he said and looked to be coming closer to me for a hug.

"Yeah well, I'll see you after breakfast." I stated quickly stepping back and opening my door. Alex looked at me suspiciously, his body betraying the awkwardness of his half completed attempt. "I asked the kitchen to pack me something because I wanted to have a run," I said hoping that Sienna would hear that and have something waiting for me. With that I stepped into my room quickly shutting the door. From inside I heard Alex let out a quiet "Yes!" as he walked towards the stairs.

I showered and dressed in my uniform. My body felt warm from the constant supply of fresh blood it was receiving. Looking in the mirror, I noticed green and topaz flecks had returned to my eyes. I stood staring into the mirror for a long period of time. It had been a long time since my eyes had shown their previous colour. Even during my last retreat, my eyes had failed to regain the same amount of colour they were now displaying. I smiled at my appearance. I had begun to regain some of the beauty I had when I was human. How happy William would have been. He always said that his biggest regret about my turning was that I had lost some of my beauty. It was true. After our parents were killed, a part of my soul was taken over by blackness. After William, my soul was consumed. I no longer cared about my appearance. There was no one who cared how I looked as long as I completed my assignments. But now, Alex cared. He cared if I looked tired or sick and not because he wanted me to be beautiful but because he cared about my well-being.

I sat on the sofa in my room to gather my thoughts. I needed to find a way to put an end to this infatuation of Alex's. It wasn't right for me to be enjoying this attention. I had a job to do and I needed to focus on it. Once my three months was up, I would leave this place and never see Alex again. It wouldn't help him if I allowed him to develop feelings towards me. Lord knows it would only get us both into trouble if I had to defend him against an Acelades attack. I remembered the last time I fought with someone who let their feelings get in the way. William and I had tracked five Acelades assassins throughout Europe and finally confronted them in a snow drift outside a small Russian village. I knew from the moment I saw the woman that she and her party were the ones we had been searching for, the ones who had killed our parents. She stared at me with her cold, calculating eyes, her lips curled up in a snarl as she appraised William and me. She called out in Italian to the others in her party. I could not understand the words but I knew she was calling them to action.

I looked at William, his face had hardened and blackness consumed his eyes. He was no longer my brother but a man consumed by hate and rage. I knew that William had suffered terribly at the hands of the Acelades during his transformation and I could only imagine what he must be feeling.

"We need to kill them all!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"I know," I replied placing my hand on his arm and looking into his eyes. "We will. I will follow your lead."

William and I removed our knives from their sheaths and walked towards the group. They started to disperse in an attempt to circle us but William was too quick. He lunged at the man to his left. The man charged 100 meters into the snow. William took off after him. Two men followed him, one I remembered from the night I was transformed. I felt my stomach tighten. I knew William could take them; he was the strongest protector I knew. His rage made him dangerous, I only hoped that he would be able to keep his emotions under control and fight as we had been taught. I did not have time to focus on him for long as the two remaining members of the party came towards me.

"So we meet again," sneered the woman whose voice thick with an Italian accent.

"This time it will be your blood spilt." I replied as I watched her and her male counterpart separate. I knew that they would attempt to rush me from opposite sides.

"Oh I don't think so," she stated. "I did so enjoy it when it was yours last time."

"Francesca, do let us get on with it." The male interrupted his accent was different but I could not place it. His voice was closer to me than I had expected. I turned quickly lunging towards him. His reflexes were slower than mine and I managed to land a blow to his chest. He stumbled backwards. I guessed more in surprise than actual pain but it gave me an opening. I rushed towards him pouncing on him with all my might. I landed two more blows before I was pulled off him by Francesca. She tossed me across the snow drift like a rag doll, my body crashing into the trunk of a tree. I pushed myself up and ran towards the pair. Their fighting skills far exceeded any that I had faced from other Acelades protectors. They must be ancients, who had perfected their craft over many centuries.

The battle was bloody. I landed as many blows as I sustained. Francesca and the man circled me, each taking turns to lash out against me in an attempt to take me out. The fury in me kept up my rage. I was attacking the male when Francesca grabbed me, pinning my arms behind my back.

"Take her" Francesca ordered. He lunged at me, baring his fangs, his eyes full of wrath. I leaned back into Francesca and sprang off the ground, landing my feet either side of his head. In a split second I tightened my legs around his head and twisted to the right. I felt his neck snap and twisted again to the left ripping his head from his body. I threw his head as his body fell to the ground. Francesca let out a small cry and I took this momentary lapse to struggle free from her stone grip. I turned to face her, my knife in one hand wiping back my hair with the other.

"Now it's your turn!" I spat, readying myself for our clash. She lunged towards me and I stepped to the side, landing a blow to her back before she had time to recover. She swung her leg around and landed a kick into my side knocking me to the ground. I landed on my back and my knife slipped from my hand. Francesca pounced towards me and I rolled away just in time to miss the full onslaught of her landing. I pushed myself up and met Francesca's gaze. I saw her eyes travel towards my knife that was quickly becoming buried in the snow. She knew I was unarmed and I could see the confidence in her grow. She lunged towards me, her arms outstretched, knives directed at my chest. I looked to my left and saw a tree less than one meter away. I moved quickly to the side, running up the trunk of the tree I jumped landing on Francesca's back. My hands grasped her head and tore it from her body. She fell to the ground, taking me with her.

I ran and retrieved my knife using its handle to spark a fallen tree branch. I set their bodies and their heads alight and ran into the direction I had seen William go. I could hear the sounds of battle as I made my way through the constantly increasing snow fall.

"I can see a fire. They must have finished her!" I heard one of the men yell.

"No!" William released a strangled cry.

I ran towards the sound of their voices with all my speed.

"William!" I screamed. "I am coming for you!"

I came to where they were fighting. I could see that William had landed heavy blows against all three but had been unable to finish them. I joined William's side, ready to fight. The three men leered at me, the one I remembered licking his lips as though I was a meal he would enjoy. I rushed at him knocking him to the ground and just like that, the temporary rest was over. The battle raged again. These men were stronger than those I had just killed, even weakened by their injuries. They were incredibly fast and appeared to be made of steel. I focused on taking down the one I had seen before. He would pay for what he did to my family and to me. The scar across my stomach tingled in the memory of when he had made it. I lunged towards him with my knife and he countered with a swift right hook. I dodged and swung out my leg to knock him down but he was faster and grabbed my leg twisting it hard, forcing me off balance. I landed on the ground and he was on top of me before I knew what had occurred. His weight was crushing my chest and I knew that I would die.

"William!" I cried. I heard him rush towards me and the action gave me a brief moment to act. With all my might, I swung my arm and sliced through his neck with the knife. His head and body fell in opposite directions and I leapt up to meet William. I saw one of the men chasing him and the body of the other laying on the ground near the edge of the woods. I heard a noise behind me and turned to see four figures coming through the snow at a lightening pace. They reached us in no time. Two of them grabbed my hands and feet and plunged a knife into my abdomen. The other two headed towards William. He looked at me with fear in his eyes.

"William, you need to fight. Don't worry about me, just protect yourself!" I yelled, struggling to get free. I could see the battle raging in William's eyes. His instinct was to protect me but his training told him to save himself. His instinct won out and William rushed towards me. This lapse in judgement gave the Acelades protectors the opportunity to grab him, knocking him back hard with a swift blow to the head. I let out a scream and struggled against their grip.

"Leave her," one of the men snarled, his face hidden by the hood of his coat. I could only see his eyes. They were emerald green surrounded by red. I would always remember those eyes. The men holding me began to bind my arms and legs. They threw me to the ground, the one holding my legs landing a hard kick into my spine. I grimaced with pain, refusing to let a scream escape. The other man grabbed my shoulder and rolled me onto my back. He removed his knife and plunged it into my abdomen again, running it along the old scar. I looked to William who was struggling helplessly against his captors.

"This time, we're not leaving her for you to find." My assailant laughed, looking at William.

"The wolves will enjoy her." the other man said, as the both walked away from me toward William. The pain consumed me. I held William's gaze for as long as I could until the pain caused me to black out. That was the last time I saw William alive.

I shook my head and was back in my room at the manor. I would never go through that again. I would not be the reason for the death of another innocent person. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and shrugged my shoulders, tilting my head from side to side to stretch my muscles. Remembering my last battle with William had caused the sadness buried deep within me to come to the surface. I swallowed hard, forcing the tears back down. I knew one day I would have the opportunity to face the men who took William from me and on that day I would avenge his murder and find my peace. I retrieved my bag and headed down the stairs with a new resolve. I would protect Alex. I would complete my mission and I would not allow myself to become distracted.

Alex was waiting in the hall for me when I reached the bottom of the stairs. Sienna was with him holding a brown paper bag smiling at me.

"Your breakfast, Miss Grace." she said.

'Thank-you Sienna," I replied taking the bag from her hand. I turned to Alex who was resting up against the wall. He wore grey pants, a pale blue shirt and a burgundy sweater. His navy blazer was slung over his bag that was resting at his feet.

"Let's go," I said to him as I walked past and headed towards the door. Alex appeared surprised by my abrupt greeting. He grabbed his bag and quickly followed me. I was almost at the passenger door when Alex reached my side. He reached out and opened my car door. As he leant over me my head filled with his scent and I felt the poison building up in my fangs, the urge to taste his blood was very strong. I swallowed hard and turned my head away from him as I stepped into the car. Once inside I exhaled heavily trying to clear my head before Alex got into the car. Alex looked at me strangely as he got into the car. I am sure my bi-polar moods were causing him whiplash but I knew it was for his own good. I needed to keep my focus and discourage him from developing any stronger feelings towards me, as well as keeping my own in check. I was suddenly very glad for the breakfast Sienna had packed me. It provided me with an excuse to limit our interactions all the way to school.

When we arrived at school, Lauren and Daniel were already waiting by their car. Lauren waved at us as we pulled in and I prepared myself for the inevitable over reaction that would ensue when she found out we were going to the Fire and Ice Ball. I waited for Alex to open my door and as I stepped out I came face to face with him. He gently placed his hand on my arm again, sending a voltage surge through my body. I tried to keep my reactions neutral and met his gaze.

"Grace, are you sure we're ok?" Alex whispered his eyes full of concern and worry. I felt a rush of sympathy for him I knew how irrational I was being but Alex didn't know what was at stake here.

"We're fine Alex," I replied reassuringly carefully slipping my arm away from his hold. "Now let's go make Lauren's day and tell her we will be joining them on Saturday night," I continued with as much enthusiasm as possible.

I could see relief wash over Alex and a smile began to creep across his face. We walked together over to Lauren and Daniel. I kept a little more distance between Alex and I to dilute his scent, allowing me to focus more on my surroundings. It was ironic to me that Katherine and Lucas were so worried about the Acelades threat, when the trained killer they had hired thirsted after Alex's blood. I smiled as we approached Lauren and Daniel. Lauren was rambling on about their outfits for Saturday night, trying to convince Daniel that he would not be wearing his favourite sneakers with his suit. I could see the grin on Daniel's face. He was clearly enjoying riling her up and the more flushed she became the harder he stuck at it.

"Grace, please tell Daniel that there is no way he can wear his old sneakers to the Fire and Ice Ball on Saturday Night!" Lauren greeted me, glad to have some female back up.

"Daniel, there is no way you can wear your old sneakers to the Fire and Ice Ball on Saturday night," I said to him smiling "You really need to buy some new ones to wear maybe with red laces!" I finished, laughing.

Daniel and Alex both fell to the ground in hysterics at the murderous look that came across Lauren's face. I looked at her and shrugged before Daniel regained some composure.

"Come on babe," he said consolingly to Lauren placing his arm around her. "You know we are just kidding with you. I will wear whatever you want me to as long as it makes you happy." Lauren seemed consoled by this and rested her head against his shoulder as we started to walk up to the school.

"I wish you would change your mind Grace," Lauren said as we walked. "The four of us would have a really good time together."

"Well Lauren," I said with a dramatic pause to gain her attention. "You should really consider Alex to be your lucky charm, because he has convinced me to accompany him on Saturday night."

At this, Lauren let out a high pitch squeal of excitement and threw her arms around me. I looked helplessly at Alex and Daniel who were standing back watching the event unfold. I found it strange that having Lauren this close to me did not give me the same reaction as when Alex was nearby. I could smell her scent and whilst it was pleasant, I did not feel the urges I did when Alex touched me. Finally, Lauren let go and stared from me to Alex with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh my God! We are going to have the best time!" she said, her words rushing out so quickly it was hard to tell when one word finished and the other began. I could see Daniel nudging Alex in the ribs and a faint blush crawl onto Alex's face. As we began walking back up to school, Lauren switched into organiser mode listing things off on her fingers. "So, you need to get a dress, shoes, bag, book in to get your hair done hmm maybe my hair dresser can fit you in. I am going at 2:00pm. I will call her when we are on lunch. You will need to get your nails done. What about a pedicure?"

"What about a what?" I replied feeling suddenly very overwhelmed by the whole event. Flashes of attending dances many centuries ago started filling my head and I did not treasure the thought of going through all of that hassle again. Thank god corsets were not longer in fashion.

"A pedicure," Lauren restated looking at me incredulously. "You know... to make your feet look good?"

"Um, I don't think so. I really don't think I need any of that. Alex's mom is buying me a dress and accessories today and I will just do my own hair, I always have." I replied.

"You cannot do your own hair!" Lauren replied looking shocked. "This is not just a high school dance Grace, it's a ball."

"I know Lauren," I sighed. "I have been to a lot of balls and I have done my hair for every single one of them. Trust me, I learnt it from my mom."

"Ok," Lauren conceded, suspiciously. My guess was that if I called her hair dressers tonight there would be an appointment made for me on Saturday just in case.

We reached the school buildings and parted ways to head to class. I walked with Daniel, as my gym class and his science lab were in the same direction. We walked in silence and I could feel Daniel looking at me. He started to say something several times but stopped himself.

"So, you and Alex are going to the ball," he finally said.

"Looks that way," I replied.

"Alex said he kind of forced you into it." Daniel said. I could see what was happening here. Alex was afraid that my weird mood had to do with the stunt he pulled last night and he'd sent Daniel to check it out. I knew I had every right to be angry and annoyed with him but I wasn't. As much as I was trying to deny it, I was actually looking forward to going with him.

"Yeah, he did, but it's cool. We'll all have a good time together." I said emphasising the all.

"For sure!" Daniel said obviously satisfied with my response.

The rest of the day went quickly. It was a blur of Lauren's obsessive talk about the Fire and Ice Ball, avoiding the stares of Tristan and his friends and trying to keep my distance from Alex without making him suspicious. By the time the day was ending, I was edgy and ready to feed. Thankfully, Katherine was home when we arrived saving me from an afternoon alone with Alex in his room. I was trying to stick to my earlier resolve but I knew being alone with him could easily make me forget that, especially in my current state. Katherine was surrounded by packages when we entered her parlour. Michael announced our entry and Katherine looked up distractedly. She greeted us with a smile and motioned for us to come in and sit on the lounges. Alex selected the chaise and I sat opposite him in a rocking chair, curling my legs up under me. I looked at Alex, raising my eyebrows and glancing at all of the bags. He returned my look shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"Gee mom, is there any thing left at the stores?" he teased.

"Hmm... a few things but I could always go back and get them if you like," Katherine replied. She was in her element surrounded by her new purchases and making preparations for a grand ball.

"Ok. Let's get this over with. Show me what you bought for me to wear," Alex said trying to sound casual about it but his body language betrayed his excitement.

"Well, I decided that you would be the ice part of the duo and Grace would be the fire," She winked at me. "So I bought you a navy Armani pinstripe suit and an ice blue Marc Jacobs shirt." Katherine waved her hand towards the suit and shirt that were hanging on the coat stand next to her. Alex nodded and walked over to inspect the items more closely. He appeared pleased with his mother's selection and took the suit and shirt off the coat rack. Alex disappeared behind a screen that was in the far right corner of the room. I saw his school uniform being thrown over the top of the screen. I looked away from that direction and caught Katherine's eye. She smiled at me and I could see her eyes processing the scene in front of her. I felt uncomfortable sitting there under Katherine's stare. I didn't want her jumping to conclusions and thinking there was anything going on between Alex and me, when I wasn't even sure what was going on. I needed to distract her and quickly.

"So Katherine, what else did you buy?" I said looking at the substantial number of bags that still surrounded her.

"Well," she started, her attention immediately diverted back to her shopping accomplishment "I also got this gorgeous navy silk tie with silver snowflake embroidery on it and these matching snowflake cuff links." She held the items out for me to inspect. The tie was stunning. The snowflakes looked like they were falling down the tie and there was a small collection of them at the bottom.

"They're great," I replied stretching out my arm to hand them back to her.

"I know I just fell in love with them. Would you mind running them over to Alex so he can put them on while I find the jewellery I bought for you? I want to see his whole outfit." Katherine said with her head buried in a large Saks Fifth Avenue bag.

I got up from the rocking chair and walked towards the screen. I was nervous at the thought of being near Alex when he was in a state of undress. I tried to make my footsteps loud so he would hear my approach but the carpet absorbed most of the noise. I reached the edge of the screen and cleared my throat.

"Um Alex, your mom wanted you to try these on as well," I said holding the tie and cufflinks in my outstretched arm, so much for trying to keep my distance from him. Alex stuck his head around the screen and I could see his bare chest. I felt a rush of poison flooding my mouth and butterflies raging in my stomach. He smiled at me and grabbed the items before vanishing behind the screen again. I stood there for a moment, collecting myself, before returning to where Katherine was with an ever increasing pile of purchases stacking up in front of her.

"You have no idea how much fun it was to shop for you again," Katherine said smiling at me. The again she mouthed, obviously not wanting Alex to know she was responsible for my current wardrobe as well. "I mean, men's clothes are great but there is so much more variety for women and I just love dress shopping. Although I fear, I may have gone a little overboard," she conceded looking at the bags surrounding her.

I smiled at her knowing full well that she did not plan on returning any of the items she had purchased and, given the opportunity again, she would indulge just as much. Katherine was every part a lady and had no real concept of how irrelevant these purchases were in the grand scheme of things. To her, this ball and our attendance were the most important things on her mind. I could appreciate Katherine's outlook on life, for I had been much the same when I was human.

"Well, come on then, the suspense is killing me." I joked "What did you buy for me to wear?" I said with far more enthusiasm then I felt. Katherine was so excited and I didn't want to ruin her fun by being ungrateful or uncaring.

Katherine smiled at me and pointed to a black dress bag that was hanging on the coat hook opposite to where Alex's clothes had been hanging. I walked over to the bag and Katherine followed. I removed the bag to reveal one of the most stunning dresses I had ever seen. The dress was scarlet satin that became a deep claret towards the bottom. I looked at Katherine stunned and her face filled with obvious joy.

"Do you like it?" she asked. "I know it's a bit dramatic but how often do you get to dress up?" I understood what Katherine meant. Being a protector was not a glamorous job and, apart from my recent return to school, I could not remember the last time I had worn a skirt let alone a ball gown.

"It's beautiful," I assured Katherine, unable to take my eyes away from the dress. Katherine returned with a pair of scarlet satin pumps that matched the dress perfectly. In her other hand, she a stunning ruby necklace that looked like it had flames running along each side of the centre pendant. The pendant was a mixture of rubies and diamonds intertwined together to look like they were two flames meeting.

"Try the dress on with these," Katherine said with the excitement in her voice like that of a girl with a new Barbie.

"Sure," I replied, taking the dress from the rack and the shoes and necklace from Katherine. I walked to a door in the side of the room. It led to a smaller powder room.

The dress looked even more amazing on that it did on the hanger. It was figure hugging along my torso and flowed out slightly from the hips, falling softly to the ground. The top of the dress had a sweet heart neckline and thin capped sleeves that added elegance to the dress. The shoes were a perfect fit. I rarely got the opportunity to wear heels and I admired the way they elongated my legs. The necklace sat perfectly across my collar bone. I looked in the mirror and hardly recognised myself. I looked feminine and elegant.

I opened the door and stepped back into the parlour. Alex had his back to me when I entered. Katherine was fixing his tie and she smiled at me.

"It's definitely dramatic," she gushed. "You will definitely set the ball on fire."

Alex turned around to face me and his mouth literally fell open.

"Wow!" he blurted. If I had been able to blush, I am sure I would have. Instead I did a small courtesy and walked towards them. Katherine was glowing, looking at her fashion accomplishments.

'You two look fantastic. You're going to be the talk of the ball!" Katherine cried clapping, her hands together with pleasure. We spent the next half hour being primed and preened by Katherine whist she gave us tips and suggestions about our outfits. Alex and I allowed her this indulgence. It was great to see her so joyful and completely enjoying the time she was spending with her son. Eventually, Martha announced that dinner would be served in 30 minutes and Katherine allowed us to head up to our rooms to change. Alex and I chatted about our day and what homework we had on the way to our rooms. I lied, feigning that I had none, any excuse not to have to spend any more time alone with him than absolutely necessary.

# ~7~

Dinner went by in a flash. Katherine occupied most of the conversation babbling to Lucas about our new outfits for the ball and her other purchases. Lucas had always been indulgent with Katherine and sat listening to her recount of the day. For the most, part Alex and I were silent during dinner, only answering the few questions that Lucas asked us in response to Katherine's story. Alex grinned at me and rolled his eyes in response to Katherine's gushing. His smile sent butterflies racing in my stomach.

After dinner, I excused myself to my room. Changing quickly into my sweats, I exited the house using the servants exit. It felt good to be outside and running. The cool air cleared my head. I could smell the fresh pine from the forest mixed with the smell of the cherry blossoms and apple blossoms from the drive. I could feel the leaves and discarded sticks crunching under my feet as I pounded around the estate. I kept my pace even as I ran around the estate grounds.

After my second lap, I could feel myself beginning to unwind. My muscles were relaxing and I was getting into a pattern. I allowed my mind to clear and focused only on the sounds my feet made as they landed on the ground. John had always said that running was the most important tool a protector had and I knew from experience that he was right. Running made sure that I kept up my speed and stamina. I ran most days, even when I wasn't working. It had become part of my routine and it always reminded me of training with John. I had fond memories of running with John. I had learnt more about being a protector during those runs than when I had been actually training.

I was feeling at peace as I ran along the southern wall of the estate reminiscing about my training sessions with John. One day, I hoped to be able to tell Alex about his father. I knew that he would enjoy these stories. John was a magnificent man. He deserved to be remembered that way. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted. I could feel a change in the atmosphere that could only come from the presence of another vampire. I stopped and listened. I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. Lucas was in his study and Katherine and Alex were talking to Stephan. He was telling them that he would be gone for at least a week. The vampire was nearby and I was not sure if it was friend or foe but at this point I didn't care. It was then I heard it.

"I don't think an Acelades has ever been this close to the Sempre manor before," the male voice gloated.

"Being close means nothing if we get caught. Now shut up or they will hear us!" replied a second male voice.

That was all I needed. My body was flooded with adrenaline as I made my way back to the manor. I was approximately 3 miles away and running at top speed. I was on the lawn of the manor in 45 seconds. Hesitating for a moment, I assessed the situation. I could see the lights on in the manor however, Alex's room was darkened. Fear gripped my stomach as I ran into the house through the servants exit. Sienna was in the kitchen as I entered.

"Close the doors tell the others to lock this place down!" I ordered her as I continued through.

"But Miss, Miss," she called after me

"What?" I replied whipping around irritated by her interruption

"Ms Katherine and Master Alex are outside with Mr Stephan," she stuttered, clearly afraid of me in my current state.

I didn't answer her but continued through the house. Surely, even Katherine could not be that stupid. I was at the front door in a flash and threw it open. There stood Katherine and Alex, watching a black sedan that was travelling down the drive .Scanning the area, I identified that the sedan contained two vampires but did not sense a threat. I could sense others but could not place them.

"Katherine, Alex!" I yelled. They both jumped as they turned around to where I was standing on the porch. Katherine's face fell as she saw me and I leapt down the steps in a single bound. Lucas had appeared in the doorway and was watching us.

"You need to get inside now!" I ordered, grabbing Katherine and Alex by the arm and directing them towards the door.

"Grace, wait," Alex said shrugging my arm from his.

"Alex, now!" I replied, looking at Katherine for support.

"Come on Alex." Katherine seconded my order.

'Why?" he replied. Katherine looked at me, her eyes pleading with me to keep up their façade. I didn't have time for this ridiculous experiment but I also did not want to disobey Lucas.

"There are wolves. I saw them when I was running. They came after me and they may come for you if you are out here like sitting ducks," I said to Alex, looking in his eyes to make him believe me. Alex nodded and I turned to Katherine and shot her a dark look. We made it inside the house and I went straight to the kitchen, leaving Katherine, Lucas and a rather astounded Alex in the hall. All the staff except George had assembled in the kitchen, hearing the commotion.

"The Acelades are here. Sienna, Louise, Martha, I need you to shut this house down. Check every door, window and fireplace to ensure there is no way they can get in. Michael, I want you with Lucas, Katherine and Alex. Alistair you're with me. George will meet us outside." I said without waiting for questions I made my way out the servant exit and over to the garage where George was waiting as I knew he would be.

George was standing next to the door when Alistair and I arrived. He had gathered weapons for us to use. I took two guns filled with silver bullets, they wouldn't kill a vampire but they would hurt like hell and provide us with an opportunity to go in for the kill. Alistair and George loaded up and were waiting for my order.

"Alright. There are at least two unknown vampires in the area. We need to track them down, get information if we can and destroy them. We need to stick together and search the area. We will start with the perimeter and then head out to the forest. If we hear from anyone at the house, our main priority is to get back there immediately. Don't wait for an order just run. Alex is our number one priority. He needs to be protected no matter what. Lucas is second, Katherine third!" I didn't wait for a response but headed towards the estate wall.

My senses were alert and focused as I scanned the area. I could hear Alistair and George flanking me as we searched the estate. The night was quiet and we worked hard to keep our steps light to limit the noise. None of us said a word and we focused on finding the vampires who were threatening our charges. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, I felt at ease. This was what I did best, hunting down threats and eliminating the Acelades. My body was ready for a fight. I could feel the adrenaline pulsing through me and I was on edge.

We made our way around the perimeter of the estate but could find no trace of the intruders. I leapt over the wall in a single bound. Alistair and George took only seconds longer to scale it. As I stood taking in the forest, I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up. The vampires were close. I signalled for Alistair and George to head to the right whilst I went to the left. We stalked through the forest, scanning into the darkness. My vampire sight allowed me to see far into the forest, even in the darkness of the night. I knew they were nearby and I listened intently for any noise to give away their position. The deeper we went into the forest the more rough the terrain. I hoped that Alistair and George would be able to keep up. It was unlikely that I would need their help to kill the intruders but I did not want them getting hurt if they found them first. Alistair and George were strong but they lacked proper training and could easily make a mistake.

I heard a rustle of leaves to my left and came to halt. I could hear something breathing and concentrated to pinpoint its location. There was a small whimper and a gurgling sound. I slowly made my way towards the noise, careful not to make a sound that could announce my entrance. At last, I came upon the vampire. He was leaning over a body feeding. I could tell from the appearance of the human that he was most likely homeless. His clothes were worn and dirty and his skin showed signs of constant exposure to the elements and a lack of bathing. I felt a wave of nausea hit me. No matter how many times I came across a vampire feeding, I always had the same reaction. I could remember when I was that food source and the pain that seared me during that experience. The revulsion was soon transformed into blind anger. This intruder would pay for breaching my security and taking a human life on my ground.

I walked into the small space where the vampire was feeding. He was so engrossed he didn't notice my arrival. I took a quick look around and noticed all of the belongings. It was clear that this human lived in the forest. There were pots and pans, an old tent and other items collected over the years to maintain his existence. This poor soul, he deserved more.

"Not a smart idea hanging around for a meal," I remarked. The vampire spun around, his eyes locked on mine. I could see the blood spill down his chin and a frenzied look in his eyes. He would be strong after just feeding but his thoughts would be distracted by his blood lust. He bared his fangs and lunged towards me, throwing the human to the ground like discarded trash. I could tell from his crumpled body that he was dead. I blocked the vampire's attempt and responded with a blow to his chest that sent him flying into a nearby tree. I didn't give him the opportunity to recover leaping towards him. Landing on top of him, my knees straddled his chest. I slammed my knife through his shoulder pinning him to the ground.

"Why did you come here?" I snarled. He laughed at me in return and attempted to sit up. I slammed his head into the ground. Alistair and George had arrived and were standing behind me, ready to attack in case another vampire was nearby.

"I will ask you again. Why did you come here?" I asked, my voice slightly louder as I fought my anger.

"They said you were a fiery one," he laughed testing my patience. I grabbed his arm and snapped it in two obtaining a scream for my actions.

"You will tell me what I want to know!" I growled picking up his other arm.

"Ok. Ok. The cape. Benedict wanted his cape back!" the vampire pleaded. I was disgusted how poorly they trained their fighters that they would give up so easily.

"Well, I guess your boss is going to be disappointed because that house is a fortress" I replied smugly.

"We have our ways," he spat back.

"What does that mean?" I snapped thrown by his bravado. Was I missing something? Why had he stopped to feed on the estate grounds? Was he really that stupid or was he a decoy? The vampire didn't respond at first and just smiled at me.

"Things are not always what they seem. Scarlet will get her mate and you will be punished," he said with a sense of foreboding.

"That was your biggest mistake," I replied. "You underestimated me and you allowed your troops to leave you here as bait."

With a single twist, I snapped his head and separated it from his body. I turned back to George and Alistair. George was already lighting a small branch to set the body alight and Alistair was dragging the man's body over towards me. I stood for a moment, assessing the situation. I knew there were no more intruder vampires in the area but it still didn't make sense that they would leave one here as bait. I knew that there was something more to this than I was seeing but right now I knew that Alex was safe. I took the branch from George and set the bodies alight. We made our way back through the forest in silence. When we arrived at the estate wall, George collected the guns we were carrying. He headed towards the garage to replace the weaponry. Alistair looked at me for directions. I nodded for him to make his way up to Alex's room. I knew Alex was safe but I still wanted a guard on him at least until I was sure the manor was safe.

I made my way towards the manor, my fury building with every step. I entered the door and found Michael at the ready.

"It's done. You can step down." I offered no further explanation as I made my way towards the library. Arriving at the door, I didn't bother to knock. Lucas was sitting in the arm chair whilst Katherine was pacing in front of the fire place. They both looked worried. Lucas held his better that Katherine. She appeared completely distraught, her faced stained with tears. Both were searching my face for an answer.

"One dead, the other or others could not be found. They are no longer in the area. One human was murdered by the vampire. We disposed of him with the other," I reported, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

"Oh thank god!" Katherine cried walking towards me, her arms out stretched. I held up my hand focusing on Lucas.

"Where is Benedict's cape?" I asked. Lucas stood up and walked over to his desk, removing the cape from his top draw. I sighed in relief. Their attempt had failed. I still needed to figure out what they were up to but whatever it was, they hadn't succeeded this time. Knowing this, my control slipped. I turned on Katherine.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I exploded.

"What ...I?" Katherine stammered looking startled.

"You heard me. Of all of the idiotic and irresponsible things, you have Alex outside, unguarded at night!" I continued.

"We were saying goodbye to Stephan. He turned up unexpectedly. I was going to call you straight away but I just wanted us to spend some time together before you had to interrogate him. Then he said he had to go back to New York on business so we went out to say goodbye like we always do when he goes away on business," she fumbled in a small, pathetic voice.

"You have no idea about the real world Katherine and you put your son directly in harms way tonight. If anything had happened, it would have been on your head. And why? All to protect this fake image of a perfect family. You spend your days worrying about dresses and balls when there is a war going on. Lucas may indulge your tendencies but I have neither the time nor the inclination to. If you ever place Alex in danger like this again, the Acelades will be the least of your worries. I will come after you myself!" I shouted.

"Grace," Lucas stated softly, interrupting my tirade. I looked at Lucas who had made his way over and was standing between Katherine and I. She was wringing her hands, tear streaming down her face. I expected that I was the first person to ever raise my voice to her. Katherine walked towards Lucas seeking comfort but he held his distance.

"I apologise for my daughter. You are correct. I have indulged her. I understand your anger. I know how seriously you take your assignments and you have been more than accommodating with regards to protecting our story," Lucas spoke softly but the anger in his voice was clear. I was only unsure if it was directed at me or Katherine. Taking a deep breath it was only then that I realised how keyed up I had become. My muscles were tight and filled with adrenaline. The breath soothed me a little and Katherine appeared to take this as a sign that the danger was over.

"I would never intentionally put my son in danger Grace," she spoke cautiously. I shot her a dark look.

"I know you don't believe me. I have never had to confront something like this before. I am not part of your world. My main focus has always been my family," she continued, taking my lack of response as an indication that I wanted her to continue.

"Katherine, I couldn't care less about your reasons," I said levelly. "I stand by my earlier comments. If you put my assignment at risk again, it may be the last thing you do."

"I understand," Katherine said looking towards Lucas, the fear evident in her voice.

"Grace, I will ask you to continue with this assignment. I assure you neither Katherine nor I will risk it again," Lucas stated firmly.

"I trust that this will be the case. This threat obviously increases the security needs. They were unsuccessful in breaching the measures in the house. They were after the cape and left empty handed. So, while Alex is in the house, he is able to roam freely. Outside of the manor is a different story. Under no circumstances is Alex to leave the manor without me. I will accompany him on all excursions even when he is on the grounds," I stated. Katherine and Lucas both nodded their agreement.

"Now as for tonight, I am sure that Alex will have questions about my actions," I said.

"Yes," Lucas replied. "We sent Alex up to his room after we came inside. He wanted to know where you had gone and I informed him you were telling George about the wolves so that he could hunt them."

"That's a plausible story," I agreed "I suppose we can just inform him that Sienna and Martha made me stay in the kitchen and have some tea and cake after such a shock and that will explain my absence until now."

"Perfect," Katherine joined the conversation. "Alex will believe that. You know how mothering Martha can be."

"Well, with that settled, I will take my leave. It has been a long night and I want to be rested for tomorrow." With that, I turned from Lucas and Katherine and left the library. I slowly made my way up the stairs, keeping my steps silent. I did not feel like explaining myself to Alex tonight. He could wait until the morning or else speak to Katherine or Lucas. I reached the landing of the staircase and saw Alistair standing guard outside Alex's room. Motioning for him to follow me, I made my way down the hall to my bedroom.

"The house was not breached, the cape is still in Lucas's study," I informed him.

"Thank god," he replied.

"Therefore, it will not be necessary for you to keep guard any longer." I continued.

"If you need anything else please let me know," Alistair offered.

"I will," I replied. As he turned to the door I called after him, "And Alistair?"

"Yes," he said mildly surprised.

"Thank you for your help tonight." I nodded.

Once he had left the room, I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. I felt exhausted. I slowly removed my running clothes that now stank of smoke and death. Slipping into my nightgown, I felt the weariness of my body forcing me into bed. I pulled back the covers and lay down. A knock at the door jerked me back into consciousness. Momentarily disorientated, I looked around the room. Surely it was not morning already. I felt as thought I had just fallen asleep. I looked at the clock and saw it was only 11:30pm. My visitor knocked again.

"Just a minute," I called out, reaching for my robe. It was black satin and matched my nightgown. It had fuchsia tiger lilies embroidered on the back. Hurrying into my robe, I briefly looked at my appearance in the mirror. I looked far better than I felt. The night's events had brought some colour to my checks. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair whilst I walked over to the door. As I approached, Alex's scent spilled through the door. Damn it, I thought, I should have just ignored the knocking. Lucas would have waited until morning to see me.

I opened the door to see Alex looking very sheepish and being held around the collar by George. I looked at both of them, raising my eyebrow for an explanation.

"Sorry to disturb you lass but I was making my way up to tell you that I'd shot that wolf you was worried about and I found Alex peeping through the lock in your door there," George said gruffly, clearly unhappy with Alex's audacity to spy on me.

"Well, thank you for letting me know George. I feel much safer in the house knowing they are gone," I replied sweetly to George trying to convey my gratitude towards him. I knew that he had come to check on me and the thought of that made my heart swell. He reminded me of my own father. I turned to Alex who was beginning to look a little uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"Did you need something Alex?" I asked him innocently.

"I...ah...I was...ah...I just wanted to come and make sure you were ok? You were acting really freaked out by those wolves," he finally managed to stammer out.

George looked at me and I nodded slightly. "Well lass, I'll be off then. Come and see me if you find any more wolves." he said and started to make his way down the hall.

"I will make sure I do and thank you again George," I said. George bowed his head slightly in return and made his way down the stairs. I turned to Alex who was still standing in my door way fidgeting. He was dressed in brown and latte striped flannelette pants and had a white t-shirt on with a brown lion printed across his chest.

"Well, I suppose you can come in," I sighed moving aside to let Alex into my room. I tightened my robe closed as I walked over to the lounge and sat on the armchair closet to my bed. Alex sat on the lounge nearest me.

"So are you ok?" Alex asked his voice thick with concern.

"I'm fine. I just don't like wolves," I replied shrugging. Alex did not appear convinced by my response so I continued. "When I lived in Ireland we had horses and one night we heard the horses making a terrible racket. My father and I ran out to the stables to see what was causing the commotion and we saw that a wolf had gotten into the stable and had attacked one of the horses. It was badly injured and we had to put it down." This part of the story was actually true. Wolves had gotten into our stables when I was still alive and living with my parents. It had just happened nearly 200 hundred years ago.

"That must have been awful," Alex consoled me. He reached out and put his hand on my leg. My body surged with emotions as if Alex had struck a match. I tried to remain calm and looked at him.

"It's ok. It was a long time ago but I just didn't want the same thing happening again, especially not to you... or Katherine." I added her name at the end when I realised the intensity I had used to convey my message. This event had certainly not helped me to keep my distance from Alex. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Alex did not remove his hand from my leg and appeared content to sit and watch me. Eventually I broke the silence.

"It's getting late and we have school tomorrow," I said with as much strength as I could. I really did not want Alex to go but I knew that him staying was not good for either of us.

"Oh yeah," Alex replied disappointedly "I, ah, guess I better let you get some sleep."

"Will I meet you down stairs in the morning?" I asked, as I made my way over to the door. I wanted to make sure Alex wasn't planning on leaving the house before school.

"For sure," he smiled "You're not going for a run tomorrow?"

"I don't think so," I responded. "I think I'll give the forest a few days to settle down." We were standing in the doorway. I could feel the heat radiating off Alex's body and his scent was thick and heady. He paused in the doorway, unwilling to end our meeting.

"Well goodnight." He stalled.

"Night." I breathed trying to keep my urges at bay. Before I could react Alex leaned in and kissed me softly on the check.

"Sweet dreams Grace," he whispered in my ear before walking quickly down the hall and into his room. I stood there for a few moments processing what had just happened. My skin burned from his kiss and I still felt encased in his scent. I leaned against the doorway and exhaled deeply. My hand unconsciously made its way up to me check where Alex had kissed me and a smile crept across my face. I shoved this aside. I was here to do a job and if tonight had taught me anything, it was that I needed to be vigilant and focused. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I returned to bed. The exhaustion I had felt earlier was gone. I lay in bed unable to stop the thoughts racing through my mind. I replayed the events of the night including Alex's visit to my room. I felt a surge of excitement through my body as I remembered him placing his hand on my leg and when he kissed my cheek.

For a moment I allowed myself to imagine what it would have been like to be engaged in a real courtship. I knew that was the intent of my parents in the summer of their untimely demise. They wished for me to meet a man who could take care of me but more importantly, one that I loved. They had been lucky enough to marry for love and were not the sort to force me into a marriage of convenience or fortune. I remembered my mother recounting the dances that she used to attend, just hoping that my father would be there. They had courted each other for almost two years before my mother's parents consented to the marriage. William and I came soon after, only three years apart in age and the product of the great love my parents had for each other. The memory of my parents love saddened me. They had been gone for so long that I rarely missed them now but at times like this, I was reminded that I was all alone in the world. They were never afforded the opportunity to see William or I settled with a partner and have the sound of their grandchildren's laughter filling the halls.

I tried to imagine what they would say if they could see me now. They would most likely disapprove of my behaviour, allowing a gentleman into my room unaccompanied and at night. Mother would have said it was scandalous in front of Father, then come to my room later for all of the details. Father would have acted disappointed but gained all the information from Mother when she returned. William of course would have congratulated Alex on his conquest and baited me for eternity about my social faux pas. But they were not here to comment on my actions and nor was I the same young lady who they had raised. I was now a cold blooded killer. I had killed tonight and I would no doubt kill again before this assignment was completed. No longer was I looking for a man to be my husband and have a family. Alex was not a potential husband, he was a protection detail. His feelings and actions were just a complication to my work. I had simply underestimated the impact that our close proximity would have on us both. For Alex, he was confusing the compliance I afforded him and our similarities for attraction. As for me I had underestimated what being so close to a human would do to me, given my chosen diet.

Tonight had shown me that I was still very much on assignment and there could be no room for error. Any slip could result in Alex's death or mine. I could use Alex's fondness for me to my advantage. It would provide a good cover for my close proximity to him and provided that it did not endanger his relationship with Olivia when I left, he would be no worse off then before I had arrived. As for me, I would need to organise with Martha to have blood brought to my room twice daily. I could no longer afford to go hunting, even whilst Alex was at the house. With this decision made, I felt myself beginning to relax. Soon, I could sense my eye lids becoming heavy and I fell into a deep sleep.

# ~8~

I woke anxiously in the morning. Despite my resolution last night, I worried about how Katherine would act this morning and more importantly what Alex would do after his visit to my room last night. I took a long hot shower and attempted to work out the knots in my muscles. The fight last night had not been hard but the ensuing argument and late night kiss had caused my muscles to become tight and unwilling. Eventually, I turned off the water and wrapped myself in my robe. Making my way to the wardrobe, I dressed in my school uniform and returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready. The bathroom was misty and smelt of jasmine and musk. I stood for a moment inhaling the scents that filled the air. They reminded me of my Mother and the expensive French perfumes my Father used to buy her on his trips. I was not surprised that I had chosen these scents, given my current anxious state. It did not matter that I was a vampire, I always returned to the human comforts when I felt uneasy.

Standing in front of the mirror, I took time in applying my makeup. I wanted to make sure I looked my best for Alex when I met him for breakfast this morning. I tried to convince myself that it was merely to use his affections to my advantage in his protection but I was not sure that was true. Secretly, I enjoyed the attention I was receiving. It had been many years since I had received compliments and been the object of men's affection. The loss of my parents and William, coupled with becoming a protector, had hardened me. Part of me wished to return to my former beauty and turn heads when I walked into a room but I knew this was no longer possible or advisable. My job now required me to be discrete and my changed appearance helped with this task. In a crowd, people tended to avoid me or fail to recognise me. My demeanour and appearance were usually neither inviting nor approachable. Looking into the mirror now I was surprised by my appearance. Small flecks of topaz and green had increased in my eyes. They were still mostly black but I could notice the subtle difference that gave my eyes some depth and life. My skin was still very pale but it appeared the hue had changed from a sickly translucence to an alabaster. I studied my skin, trying to ascertain if these changes had actually occurred or if my mind was playing tricks on me. The closer I looked, the more sure I was of the change. My skin was now highlighted by eyes and lips instead of being sharply contrasted by them.

I carefully pinned back my hair, making sure that the curls fell softly around my face. My dark brown hair shone as the light from the window touched it. Framing my face, it complemented the alabaster tone of my skin and brought out the topaz in my eyes. I was still standing in front of the mirror admiring myself when I heard the familiar whoosh of Alex's door opening. I had been monitoring his movements all morning and had already noticed he did not make his usual morning call to Olivia nor did he check his emails. I tried not to be happy about this but my emotions got the better of me. Reasoning that it would be necessary to ensure that his relationship was salvageable when I left, I made a mental note to encourage at least some contact between Alex and Olivia whilst I was here.

Quickly grabbing my satchel on the way through, I left my bedroom and met Alex at the landing of the stairs. I watched him as I approached; his eyes gazed over my body and returned to my face. A smile crept across his face and a faint blush rose to his cheeks. I wondered briefly if he had noticed the difference in my appearance. Alex leant against the wall whilst he waited for me to walk down the hall. He was trying to appear nonchalant but his constant running of his fingers through his hair gave him away. I could hear his pulse quicken as I came closer and felt a small smile touch my lips. His scent reached me first. I hesitated briefly, allowing myself to adapt to his presence and quell the poison that threatened to rise. I doubted if Alex's human eyes would have noticed my hesitation as I continued towards him. His scent was like fire, warming my blood, causing both pleasure and pain to pulse through my body.

"Good morning," Alex said hesitantly waiting to judge my response. Clearly he felt awkward about last night and was not sure what to do.

"Morning," I replied brightly, hoping that Alex would not bring up his late night visit to my room. I did not want the whole house knowing what had occurred. "How did you sleep?" I asked as I started to make my way down the stairs.

"Um...pretty good. You?" Alex appeared confused by my cheery response. He had clearly been expecting a reaction from me about last night.

"Not too bad I suppose. I was exhausted." I finished thoughtfully as we made our way into the dining room. Katherine and Lucas were already seated when we arrived. Katherine looked up at me briefly and returned to her paper.

"Good morning Lucas, Katherine," I said lightly taking a seat next to Katherine. She looked at me concerned and I smiled at her, trying to convey my intention to make nice. The four of us made polite conversation about our days ahead and how we had slept, carefully avoiding any mention of the events that had occurred the night before. Finally, Lucas cleared his throat to gain our attention.

"Alex," he spoke softly and kindly. "I trust that you want to talk about what happened last night?"

Alex immediately looked at me with fear in his eyes. I met his gaze and felt a rush of empathy and protection towards him. I knew he thought Lucas meant his late night trip to my room and was sure that he was concerned that his grandfather would disapprove.

"Actually Lucas, I already explained everything to Alex this morning on our way to breakfast. I told him about how a wolf had gotten into our stables back home and killed one of my horses and that now I'm a little crazy when I see them." My words tumbled out in my rush, to quell Alex's fear and prevent him from saying anything about his late night visit.

The relief showed in Alex's eyes immediately. Lucas gave me a quick nod which I took to meant he approved of my story and that he and Katherine would endorse it if Alex had any more questions.

"Well I'm glad that's all sorted," Katherine piped in. "We certainly wouldn't want you thinking that you were living with a crazy person Alex." Clearly, Katherine was not over the tongue lashing I had given her last night. She gave me a sidewards glance and I pretended to ignore her.

"I wouldn't have thought she was crazy anyway Mom," Alex said valiantly trying to protect me as I had him.

"It's ok Alex," I said. "Your Mom just wants to make sure that you're not worried I'm going to run us off the road or anything on the way to school. Although with the speed you drive, you'd have to have the reflexes of a turtle not to be able to steer clear," I teased trying to move the conversation away from the events of last night.

"Well, seeing as though I drive so slowly, we best leave for school now to make sure we make it by lunch time." Alex returned smiling.

We said our quick goodbyes to Lucas and Katherine. I gave Katherine a hard stare as we left the room. I had certainly not forgiven her for her actions last night and her jokes this morning were not buying her any favours either. I picked up my satchel from the hall stand and noticed that it felt heaver than before. Looking inside, I saw a flask had been placed in my bag. I smiled and whispered thanks to Martha low enough that Alex wouldn't hear. Having the flask made me feel more confident about the day ahead. I was already hungry, having expended energy last night hunting and killing the invaders and I had not been able to feed this morning as I would have liked.

As usual, Alistair met us at the car and moved around to open my door. Alex was walking beside me and I saw a smirk appear on his face. He rounded, me stopping me at the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" I asked as I became momentarily confused by his close proximity. His eyes were sparkling in the sun and his golden hair shone.

"You got a licence?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, tempted to add from which country and century would you like but I refrained.

"Well then, Miss Speed Demon, you can drive to school today." Alex said smugly as he made his way to the passenger side of the car. Alistair looked at me with concern in his eyes. He has seen me drive and I was sure he was concerned that Alex would have some questions after I took the wheel. I smiled and shrugged at Alistair.

"You heard the man," I commented then lower only for Alistair's ears. "Don't worry; I know how to drive like a human." I winked at him as I slid into the car. Once I was behind the wheel, I made some adjustments to the mirrors to give the impression that I would use them during my driving and looked at Alex.

"You'd better make sure you have your seat belt on Ms Daisy. This isn't going to be a horse and cart run." I laughed, surprising myself with my flirtatious nature. Alex looked at me smiling and gestured for me to go forward. I eased my foot onto the accelerator and felt the engine respond. Alex's car was not as powerful as mine but it was still a very smooth ride. I ensured that I remained conscious of the speed limit and attempted to appear as human as possible while I was driving. Even with all that, we still made it to school much earlier than when Alex drove. I killed the ignition and handed him the keys.

"Seriously, if you want to sleep in tomorrow, I am happy to drive again." I smiled as Alex took the keys from me with a look of mock panic on his face.

"Are you sure we are still in the present? I think maybe we crossed the time space continuum with your driving," he countered as he opened the door. I laughed at him, shaking my head as I exited the car. I looked to my left and saw Tristan standing under a tree staring at Alex and me. His face was like thunder, despite being surrounded by several cheerleaders and his football team. I didn't like his reaction and knew that this was not over. Tristan was a boy used to getting his way and I had been a cause of embarrassment to him. I could only imagine what he would be like when he saw Alex and I at the Fire and Ice ball.

"It looks like your boyfriend's not very happy." Alex interrupted my thoughts nodding towards Tristan.

"Shut up," I replied. "It's not my fault that other girls are too stupid to turn him down. Failure is good for the soul it builds character."

"Oh really," Alex laughed. "I don't see character when I look at Tristan. Hate maybe but not character." I rolled my eyes at Alex as I started walking up to the school. He was right though there certainly was hate in Tristan's eyes. I just hoped that dark looks were all that he had in mind. I really didn't need anything else to contend with at the moment.

I sat on the retaining wall built next to the stairs whilst Alex leaned against it, waiting for Lauren and Daniel. Even though my back was turned, I could still feel Tristan's eyes burning into it. I tried to distract myself by asking Alex about Olivia. Alex shifted uncomfortably when I brought up the subject.

"Um, she's ok I guess. It's been kind of hectic the last couple of days so I haven't really gotten to talk to her but her email said she was fine," he replied sheepishly not really knowing where to look.

"Well, that's good. It must be difficult to do a relationship long distance. I bet you can't wait until you can head back to England." I continued, trying to gauge Alex's thoughts about the future.

"Yeah. It is hard but I am liking it here," he said honestly looking in my eyes, "I mean being with my grandfather and everything," he added quickly a blush rising to his cheeks.

"What about your Dad?" I asked, realising that with everything that had happened I had again missed the opportunity to meet Stephan, the man who pretended to be Alex's father. My stomach churned at having to be complicit in this lie. John was my mentor and I felt I was betraying him not telling his son the truth.

"What about my Dad?" Alex replied looking confused.

"You must miss him when he is away on business?" I wanted to get a feel for Stephan's role in the family.

"Of course. I mean you would miss your Dad if he was away on business?" Alex answered catching himself as he did.

"I'm sorry Grace. I didn't mean that. Of course you miss your Father. I can't even imagine what it must be like." He apologised, touching my arm with his hand as he looked into my eyes. My skin burned where he touched me and butterflies danced in my stomach.

"It's fine," I replied, shaking my head to clear it. I didn't want to become distracted I needed more information. "So, does your dad travel often?" I continued.

"Yes. More so now then before, he is trying to close a deal in New York. So hopefully, once that's done, he will be home. You haven't met him yet have you?" Alex asked.

"No, I haven't had the pleasure," I replied honestly. I was looking forward to meeting the man who thought he could fill John's shoes. I doubted that he would meet my expectations but I was still interested in who Stephan really was.

"He's great. You'll really like him. He always lets me do the stuff that Mom won't let me do," Alex continued with affection in his voice. I couldn't help but wonder what Alex's life would have been like if John was still alive. I knew for sure that I would not be here now. John would have been able to protect Alex. I felt a deep sadness within my heart for John and all the others I had lost in my time. I was momentarily absorbed in a deep grief when Lauren and Daniel arrived.

"Hey there!" Daniel greeted us warmly.

"Grace, you have to tell me all about your dress and Alex's suit. I want to know everything. Did you bring pictures?" Lauren disregarded greetings for more important topics.

"Please tell me you brought photos," Daniel pleaded "She has been carrying on like this the whole way here."

Alex and I smiled as we stood up to walk into school with them.

"You're out of luck, sorry. We didn't take any pictures but I am sure I remember what Alex and I are wearing so I can give you a very detailed description that should take up most of the morning," I replied teasingly but I could tell from Lauren's expression she took me seriously. This was going to be a long morning. I began describing my outfit as we walked to English, frequently interrupted by the gushes and cries of Lauren. As I expected, the questions about our outfits continued as Lauren and I endured our math class. I was beginning to think that trigonometry would be a relief from Lauren's incessant questions, when she caught me by surprise.

"So are you and Alex like a thing?" she asked bluntly.

"No!" I replied a little louder than I intended causing the heads of the students around us to turn.

"Oh." Lauren sounded disappointed. Obviously she was hoping for some gossip. "I just thought that since you were going to the dance together you must at least like each other. I mean I know that Alex has a girlfriend and all but really she's in England how is that going to work?" I shrugged in reply, hoping that she would stop talking about Alex and me this way. It made me uncomfortable to think that people thought of us that way. I knew it was ridiculous but I was not the sort of person to intentionally court a man who was already dating someone else. Beside the fact that I would hardly agree to date someone I had known for less than a week. I knew it was old fashioned of me, especially in this day and age but I was a lady of the 1700's at heart and some beliefs did not wavier over time.

"Oh my gosh. I just realised I don't even know if you have a boyfriend back home. I mean, you know sometimes long distance relationships can work. I guess I just need to see Daniel everyday I'm needy like that," Lauren's attempt to overcompensate for her possible faux pas made me laugh.

"Lauren, relax," I said slowly "I don't have a boyfriend in Ireland or anywhere else for that matter. I agree with you. I don't think long distance relationships last especially, not at 17. But honestly, Alex and I are just friends. I mean we haven't even known each other a week."

"Hmm... Daniel and I started dating after we had known each other 3 days. I guess sometimes you just know." She smiled obviously recalling her meeting Daniel in her mind. I decided to seize the opportunity to distract her.

"So, when did you guys meet?" I asked sincerely. Lauren spent the rest of morning recounting their first meeting when Daniel moved in next door 5 years ago. We met Daniel at the doors to the cafeteria and he smiled at me sympathetically.

"I am surprised you haven't given up the will to live after experiencing a Lauren inquisition," he remarked carelessly. He threw his arm around Lauren and brought her closer to him so he could kiss the top of her head. She scowled at him briefly before a smile returned to her face.

"It was fine. Lauren was actually just telling me about how the two of you first met," I replied, not wanting to hurt Lauren's feelings. I knew she was excited to have a girlfriend to talk to about these things. I felt bad knowing that I would leave without explanation one day and hoped that she would not be too distressed.

"Oh, was she just." Daniel's eyes sparkled as he looked at Lauren. "I bet she made herself sound like the fair maiden being hunted by the knight from next door. Don't be fooled. She was the one bringing welcome cakes and soups and casseroles over to my house all day when we were moving."

"That's not how I remember it Mr Do you have a ladder we can borrow? Do you have a hammer we can borrow? Do you know where the nearest store is? Really, it was pathetic. I think you spent more of the day at my house than your own," Lauren countered. It was obvious that this conversation was a regular occurrence and no one ever admitted to their role in their courtship.

Alex joined us as we waited in line for lunch. My anxiety eased as soon as I saw him. I felt better when he was nearby, especially after the attack last night. I had been constantly scanning the area all morning to ensure that there were no vampires nearby but that did little to quell my fears of another attack. I did not think that even the Acelades would be so arrogant as to attack at a human school in the middle of the day however, I did not want to take any chances. I knew that I could not change my class schedule without raising suspicion, so for now, I simply relied on my heightened senses to link me to Alex when I could not be with him.

"How was gym?" I asked already knowing that his team had won their soccer match thanks mostly to his goal scoring abilities.

"It was ok," he replied. Alex was not one to boast about his win and I liked that about him. I guess it was another thing we had in common. Despite my perfect record for protection duty, I never let other protectors feel inadequate when we worked together. "I see you survived math with Lauren?" he smiled smugly.

"It wasn't that bad," I replied. "It was fun to talk about my dress."

"I'm sure you didn't do yourself justice when you described it to her," Alex said loud enough for Lauren and Daniel to hear. As he walked past me to the register he whispered softly, "You looked amazing." I was grateful that I couldn't blush as he paid for our lunches. I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear his comment or if my sensitive hearing had picked up on a comment meant only for himself. Looking into Alex's eyes, I was fairly sure he did not mean for me to hear him. I averted my eyes and involved myself in the conversation Lauren and Daniel were having about their plans for spring vacation.

I picked at my food during lunch excusing myself towards the end and headed for the bathrooms. Once inside, I retrieved my flask and drained its contents greedily. I stood with my eyes closed momentarily, allowing the blood to flow through my system and rejuvenate me. It was only a small amount of blood, but it was enough to recharge me for the rest of the school day. I would consume more when I returned to the manor. I returned quickly to Alex, not wanting to leave him alone for long. I was thankful our afternoon would be spent together in geography and French. It would also mean that I could walk Alex to the car and check for any danger. Alex was waiting for me when I returned. He had my bag slung over his shoulder and was resting against the table, staring in my direction. Lauren and Daniel had already left for their class.

"You ready?" he asked, standing to greet me.

"As ready as you can be for geography,' I replied not having to fake my disinterest. "Let me take that." I reached for my bag but Alex was already walking towards the door.

"It's ok. You hardly ate any lunch and I don't want a repeat of the other day," he joked keeping his hand firmly over the strap of my bag.

"What, you don't like playing the hero?" I teased back enjoying the banter.

"Oh, it's not that. I just want to make sure that you're not plotting some mystery illness to get out of the ball this weekend," he replied. I could tell he was only half joking as he stopped, opening the door for me.

"Well then, perhaps I should let you carry my bag for the rest of the week." I flashed him a smile as I passed through the door. His scent swamped me as I passed him in such close quarters. I felt momentarily light headed but I shut down my breathing to stop myself losing control. I didn't restart breathing until we were seated in geography. A walkway separating our desks provided me much needed breathing space.

I spent most of the geography class searching the area for any vampires and trying to figure out what the Acelades wanted last night. It was a frustrating hour and at the end, I was no closer to finding the elusive answer than I was at the beginning. It made no sense to me that the Acelades would break into the manor for Benedict's cape and not take Alex when he was standing out in the open air. I knew I was missing something and the anger burned in me. I hated that the Acelades were planning something that I knew nothing about. Their plan would become obvious eventually and I only hoped that I would be able to stop it in time. The Sempre family did not need another loss at the hands of the Acelades.

The sound of the bell brought me back into my geography class. I was glad I hadn't been called upon to answer any questions because I did not have the faintest idea what we had learnt about in class. French was more of the same. By now, I was fluent in all European languages, so my mind was free to wander without concern. I allowed myself to sit closer to Alex, reasoning that it was due to my concerns about security. Our French rooms were the most vulnerable to attack. They had large windows that overlooked a small field leading into dense bushland. If a strike attack was their goal, this would be the room they would try. I highly doubted that even the Acelades would attempt an attack in broad daylight but it was not unheard of in our world. Humans normally passed off these attacks as random acts of violence to assuage their fears and other vampires moved in quickly to eliminate the threats to our way of life. Still, it could happen.

I was deep in thought when Mr Geardman called upon me. His grasp of the French language was elementary at best and his over pronunciation of each syllable did not help. Annoyed that he had interrupted my division of strategy, I answered too quickly without thought to my reply. He had asked me to describe myself in French, obviously observing my lack of interest for the topic and hoping to embarrass me into paying more attention. I replied in impeccable French, giving the class a succinct summary of my supposed self. To say that Mr Geardman was astonished was putting it mildly. He had expected a stop and stuttering two sentences followed by the discharge of one of his disapproving looks. Briefly, caught up in the sense of satisfaction I gained from this surprise, I asked Mr Geardman in French, if he would like me to continue. He shook his head and turned to the class telling them to turn to their partners and practice.

I looked at Alex whose smile was spread wide across his face.

"You enjoyed that didn't you?" he asked barely able to contain his laughter as Mr Geardman sat disheartened at his desk.

"I am sure I don't know what you are talking about," I replied innocently.

"Where did you learn to speak French anyway?" he asked.

"My mom," I lied. "She lived there for a while when she was growing up."

The rest of the lesson went without complaint and I had a feeling that Mr Geardman would be reluctant to call upon me in class again. The bell sounded and Alex and I made our way to the car, Alex again carrying my bag. When we reached it, Alex went to hand me the keys.

"I'm not in a rush to get home and start homework so you'd better drive," I said refusing the keys and making my way to the passenger side. I was tired and hungry and did not have the energy to focus on driving like a human. I hoped that Martha had taken blood to my room for me to feed as soon as I returned home. Alex laughed as he came around and opened my car door. Lauren and Daniel waved at us as they headed towards our car.

"Good. We caught you," Daniel sounded pleased. "Lauren and I are planning on going to the movies tonight. Did you want to come?"

"Come on, it'll be fun. I have been dying to have another girl to come and see romantic comedies with me and Alex you can keep Daniel company." Lauren begged.

Alex looked at me and shrugged, clearly leaving the decision up to me.

"Sure," I replied with more enthusiasm than I felt, "Sounds great." In reality, it was a protection nightmare. We would be outside at night, unarmed and Alex had no idea about the danger he was in. On top of that, I was not looking forward to sitting next to Alex in a darkened cinema given my current weakness. I wondered in vain if Katherine would refuse to allow us to attend a late night function on a school night but knowing her indulgent tendencies and her desire to keep Alex human, I doubted it.

We made plans to meet at 8:00pm outside the theatre and headed home. Alex was obviously excited to be getting out of the manor at night. I guessed that before I had arrived, Lucas and Katherine had not encouraged such activities. I tried to be enthusiastic but my stomach was churning. As usual, Alistair was waiting for us when we arrived home. He was standing on the top step talking with Michael. I could tell instantly that something was wrong by their huddled conversation and concerned look. Their expressions changed as Alex came into view. Michael was already opening the door for Alex when I reached the top of the stairs.

"Mr Lucas would like to see you in the library." Michael directed his comment towards me.

"Certainly," I replied tensely, failing to keep the anxiety from my voice.

# ~9~

I immediately started making my way to the library. I heard Michael engaging Alex in conversation about their cricket team, obviously trying to distract from him from the mood of the house. I reached the door of the library quickly and gave a brief knock before entering. Lucas was by the fireplace staring into its flames. On Lucas's desk there was a box lying open. I walked over and looked inside to see the source of stress and concern. The box was addressed to Katherine and appeared to have arrived today by messenger. Inside, laid an antique knife, it had a citron handle with filigree carvings and a smooth blade. I recognised the knife immediately. It was John's. Lifting the knife from the box, I turned over the handle to see the etchings he had made to signify each duty he had safely completed. Under the knife, there was a card. The white paper was thick and inlaid with a gold border. I opened the card and read its contents.

Katherine,

I believe that this now belongs to you. Please accept it as a reminder that we always achieve our aim. Relinquish the boy and there will be no further bloodshed. Continue to have him guarded and we will wage war. You do not want your son to end up as your other half did. If you give him to us willingly we will spare his life.

Benedict.

I replaced the card in the box and held the knife for a moment longer. I knew I needed to focus on my assignment but seeing John's knife again brought back memories of our time spent training together and the assignments we had completed. I knew that John would have wanted me to focus on Alex solely. Reminiscing would do little to protect Alex and right now, that was the best gift I could give John. Reluctantly, I replaced the knife in the box and walked over to Lucas.

"When did this arrive?" I asked.

"Katherine called me just after noon and stated that she had received a package. She thought it was from Stephan and opened it. As soon as she saw the knife, she called me. Katherine gave John that knife when she was just a young girl, as a token of her affection, after he completed an assignment when he was her charge. As you can imagine she is very distressed and has resigned herself to bed." Lucas informed me of this wearily.

"Was she expecting a package from Stephan?" I asked, trying to understand why she would let a delivery person onto the premises. Clearly, my conversation last night did little to correct her behaviour. Distress or no distress, I would be speaking with her again today.

"Not to my knowledge." Lucas appeared confused by my focus on Katherine's movements.

"Lucas, may I speak freely?" I asked not sure if Lucas would want to hear my thoughts given his current worried state.

"Of course Grace. I defer to you completely on these matters." Lucas granted me permission.

"This has gone too far. I have accepted that Katherine is not accustomed to my way of life and she acts out of a desire to project the image of a perfect family but she is risking everyone through her actions. Last night she put Alex directly at risk, she disregarded my request to interview Stephan immediately upon his return to the manor. Now today, she allows an unknown person to enter the manor premises without expectation and accepts a package from an unknown source. It is not only Alex who is placed at risk by her actions but this entire family. You have good staff here Lucas and I know that you consider them family. So does Benedict. Please do not fool yourself into thinking that the Acelades will only come after Alex. He is their main target but given the opportunity they would annihilate everything you have here. I know that you of all people know the power of the Acelades and you do not want to lose the only family you have left." I attempted to keep the emotion out of my voice and paused to assess Lucas's reaction.

"I appreciate your candour Grace and I feel that you have more to say to me," Lucas replied.

"I am concerned about my ability to complete this assignment when Katherine appears to be set on interfering, whether intentional or not. I know it is not her first instinct to question the actions and intent of others but if she is not able to follow simple procedures we have put in place to protect her son, then we may be forced to discuss more intrusive measures. I have tried to accommodate you and Katherine but I will not risk Alex's life or my reputation. She needs to be brought into line Lucas and given my current feelings, it would be better done by you." I completed my sentence through gritted teeth.

"I accept your statements Grace and can only offer my promise that I will address this with Katherine. Clearly, my censure last night was not enough but believe me when I say she will adopt your recommendations," Lucas offered firmly.

"Thank you Lucas," I said quietly pausing for a moment. "Now, let us discuss this new development," I said, changing the focus of our conversation.

"What do you make of it?" Lucas asked.

"It is clear that Benedict has chosen Katherine as the weakest member of this family. He seeks to use her to gain access to Alex. I doubt Benedict honestly believes that Katherine would give up her son however, she may move him given this latest threat. That would provide the Acelades the best opportunity to strike when we are out in public and vulnerable." I concluded.

"I have come to the same conclusion Grace. No one, not even Benedict in his arrogance, could ever think a mother would give up her child so easily," Lucas agreed.

"Benedict obviously thought that he would succeed last night. The failure of his team to penetrate the manor and retrieve his cape or whatever their real purpose was has obviously caused him to act out. Benedict has never been the most rational person and uses the emotions of other people to achieve his aims. I am aware that I am telling you nothing you do not already know Lucas," I surmised.

"I appreciate your insights none the less Grace. You are an expert in this field and I want your opinions on how to proceed." Lucas sought my action plan. I paused for a moment and returned to the heat of the fire. The flames licked the hearth and provided an intriguing display. I found myself drawn to them during times of stress and allowed myself to become lost for a moment, while I formulated my plan.

"Clearly, Benedict and Scarlet want Alex moved. It is my belief that he is safest when he is here. I have conducted the necessary reconnaissance on this area and we know that the staff here are willing to risk personal injury and death to protect you and your family. Alex has an established routine here and his actions are predictable. If he were moved to another environment, his routine would be destroyed and his movements unpredictable. A further disruption would also leave questions that neither you nor Katherine are willing to answer." I stopped briefly to allow Lucas to process my assertions. He nodded, permitting me to continue.

"The new precautions endorsed last night must remain in place. Alex is not to travel outside without my protection. He may continue to move around the manor unguarded, however, I will need to engage in closer supervision of his conversations and interaction with the outside world. I am sure that Katherine will not agree with this invasion, so it may be best to leave her in her desired ignorance," I continued.

"We are clearly frustrating the efforts of Acelades. They would be well aware that time is short for them to fulfil the prophecy. If we can continue this high level of security, I strongly believe that they will not succeed. There are a few tasks I would like completed to increase my level of confidence in this assignment," I admitted, honestly knowing that Lucas would provide for the fulfilment of any of my requests.

"Tell me what you require and I will make it occur." Lucas stated this with a permissive wave of his hand before it returned to its previous position rubbing his temples.

"We are most vulnerable when we are travelling to and from school. I would like to drive my car, starting tonight. It has more security features and I have more confidence in my driving capabilities during an incident than in Alex's. I also want more information about Stephan. I find it unreasonable that his supposed son is in mortal danger and he feels that his business is more important than his son's protection." I could feel the poisonous edge to my words as I spoke of Stephan.

"Allow me to interrupt you Grace. I agree that you need more information on Stephan and I will clear your access to the Council archives with Marius. As to his absence from the home, I must make a confession of my involvement in this process. I asked Stephan to engage in business during your arrival to allow you to have time to adjust to life at the manor and for you to deal with the revelations that Alex is John's son. Stephan was already uncomfortable in my home. We have never really seen eye to eye on matters and he was more than happy to leave the home. Stephan is different from us. I know that perhaps I should have informed you of this on your arrival, however, Katherine does not know about our differences. She seeks to have her family cohesive and this would cause her no end of distress." Lucas's voice was soft but firm.

"When you say he is different from us, what does that mean?" I asked.

"Stephan was not born a vampire. He was, however, born a hunter. Stephan was a sniper in the Italian army and was fatally injured during the Second World War. Prior to being injured, Stephan had waged a bloody battle against his opponent, no matter the context. Stephan grew up in a hunting family and is very much a predator. He does not have the civilised manners of our family and lacks the graces that many social situations require. He does love my daughter, of that I am certain. He is very protective of Katherine and Alex even, if he does at times term them as his possessions. He is a ruthless businessman and in his short life he has acquired substantial wealth. This is where he is most comfortable. I do not think he would have accommodated your entrance into our home well. Stephan does not like to take orders from anyone, especially not a female. I am sure you have met others like this before, I think for the time being it is best not to have him present at the manor. He would act as he felt was best and this may not be commensurate with your assessment of the situation. It would undoubtedly end in disagreement and frankly I would fear for Stephan's safety if he came up against you." Lucas finished with a smirk creeping across his face. I looked at Lucas and accepted his omissions. I knew that above all, Lucas tried to protect his family and I was for all intents and purposes, his family. He was already concerned about my health and did not want to burden me with more information than necessary.

"That does clear the situation up some." I returned his smile. "And you are right to have feared for his safety, I am not known for my compromising skills." Lucas laughed and moved over to the lounge, collecting a goblet of blood as he went. I joined him and drained the goblet at once.

"Tell me Grace, how is Alex? I fear I do not get to spend as much time with him as I would like," Lucas confessed and all at once he was a caring grandfather.

"He is well, Lucas. He appears to like his school very much and has established some relationships there. I do not detect any unbearable sadness in him. I know that he misses his Olivia but I do not think she is his other half. As I am sure you already know, if she was, he would not still be here regardless of whether or not he knows about our mating process," I reported to Lucas.

"It makes me happy to know that he is settling in well here. I am sure you must find befriending him tedious; however I have noticed he has become quite fond of you. You must be completing your assignment admirably. He is not a boy who takes to liking easily." Lucas complemented me. I could feel my breath quicken as he spoke of Alex's fondness for me and tried to minimise my visible response.

"Nothing about my assignment is tedious Lucas. Whilst I do not cherish the fact that I must complete high school at my age, I am happy to do so to protect Alex. This assignment has given me an insight into a world I would not otherwise be exposed to, so for that I am grateful. It can only assist me to integrate into the world for future assignments. The accommodations here are far more exquisite than in my previous assignments." I directed the conversation away from Alex's feelings towards me.

"I would be quite distressed if you received better accommodations elsewhere. I do pride myself on my hospitality," Lucas replied laughing softly. It was good to hear lightness in his tone and manner. Lucas carried the weight of the Vampire Council and the vampire world for that matter. He was without equal in his power, even to Benedict Acelades. It seemed that in recent years, his load was only increasing. We were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. I removed the goblets from the table and returned to my chair, the speed of my movements tousling my hair. I self consciously tidied it. Alex was waiting at the door. I could smell his scent even through the heavy oak of the door. I smiled as Lucas went to the door to welcome him. I had never seen Lucas answer a door before. I could hear whispering at the door and picked up on the conversation immediately.

"I, just ah... wanted to check and make sure everything was ok. You know Grace's grandfather is old and when you summoned her I thought maybe something had happened." Alex whispered nervously, not wanting me to overhear his concerns. My heart swelled at the depth of his worry for me.

"Everything is fine my wonderful grandson," Lucas replied, pride evident in his voice. More loudly now he stated, "Please Alex, come and join us. I am sure Grace is bored with an old man like me and is merely humouring me by remaining."

I raised an eyebrow at Lucas as he walked past me and returned to his arm chair. I was immediately thankful that I had chosen the other arm chair and not the sofa as I was sure Alex would have chosen to sit with me. I was not sure I could control my reactions to a level that Lucas would not observe. Lucas winked at me as he took his seat. Alex looked at me intently as he took his seat.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your ride to school today Alex," I stated smugly, preparing my story for the presence of my 'new' car.

"I think my heart rate has just about returned to normal, why?" He eyed me suspiciously. Lucas was sitting back in his chair, watching the exchange with a smile on his face. He could tell I was planning an explanation and would be ready to provide support.

"Well," I paused for effect leaning forward. "The reason your grandfather wanted to see me involves transportation." I teased, not really providing him an answer. I enjoyed this banter with Alex. It was easy and took my mind off the concerning events of this afternoon.

"Grandfather," Alex looked towards Lucas with mock fear on his face. "Please tell me she is joking. I am not sure my body can take another ride at mach 5." Lucas laughed, shrugging his shoulders and waving for me to continue.

"My grandfather had a present delivered for me today. A car. Apparently, he has been watching a little too much TV and thinks that America is a gangland. So, he had certain security functions put in place but regardless I now have wheels." I smiled at Alex.

"Maybe he hasn't been watching too much TV but he has seen you drive and that's why he thinks you need the security features," Alex responded sarcastically. I laughed in spite of myself and shook my head.

"And I was just about to invite you to check it out with me seeing as though I haven't even seen it yet. Lucas told Alistair to bring it around so I could take it for a test drive. But now I'm not so sure I want your company," I sighed, looking away from Alex, hoping that Alistair was listening.

"Sure you don't want me to come?" Alex replied refusing to feel guilty. "You would love nothing more than to show off your new car and if I don't come, who else do you have?" Alex asked, daring me to find someone.

I glared at Alex who pretended to be shocked by my contempt. My eyes strayed to Lucas, who appeared to be watching this interplay quite closely. I became immediately self conscious and wanted to be away from Lucas.

"Come on then," I said to Alex and tilted my head towards the door. I smiled and nodded at Lucas as Alex called out a salutation over his shoulder.

Alistair was waiting next to my car when we arrived. Alex let out a whistle when he saw my car purring gently on the driveway. Alistair had clearly taken the time to clean it since I had arrived and it was looking incredible. I didn't realise how much I had missed my car until I realised that I would now get to drive it everyday. The car was one of the few luxuries I allowed myself when I was working. I knew that it provided protection for me and my charges but it was also state of the art in every way. I slid into the leather driver's seat and flashed a smile at Alistair. If he had been worried this morning about my driving, he was now terrified. Alex climbed into the passenger seat and took in his surroundings. Thankfully most of the security features mimicked normal car functions. Provided Alex didn't mess around with the dials, we wouldn't face too much danger. The bullet proof glass might pose some questions but I was becoming quite a skilled story teller by now. I was sure I could find a plausible explanation.

I eased up on the brake and lowered my foot on the accelerator. The car responded instantly and pulled away from the drive. I drove the car slowly and sensibly around the circle once before pulling up back beside Alistair. I cut the engine and stepped from the car.

"Thanks Alistair," I smiled, handing him the keys and heading up to the stairs.

"That's it?" Alex asked, scrambling up the stairs behind me.

"For now," I replied. I didn't want to spend anymore time outside than absolutely necessary. I was still hoping that Katherine and Lucas would not permit us to attend the movies tonight but I did not like my chances. Lucas had complete faith in my ability to protect Alex. Katherine was unlikely to deny Alex anything he desired. I didn't hesitate in the hall and continued up the stairs with Alex in tow.

"Did you want to study?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," I replied. My emotions were torn. I wanted to spend time alone with Alex and at the same time wanted to gain some distance from him.

"I'll just grab my books," Alex said already heading into his room. I was grateful to be studying in my room. His scent permeated every fibre of his room and given my current hunger it may be more than I could bear.

I continued to my room, leaving the door open, knowing that Alex would follow. I went straight into the bathroom and surveyed my appearance. I made some minor touches, adding lip gloss and re pinning a couple of sections in my hair. I took a deep breath and drained the pitcher of blood Martha had kindly left in my bathroom, without using a glass. Taking a final glance I ensured there was no blood remaining on my lips. Entering the bedroom I saw Alex was already sitting on the lounge and unpacking his bag. I crossed the room making sure that I stepped heavily so my presence was known. Alex looked up and smiled, I was encompassed by his scent. Intentionally taking an arm chair, I started to remove books from my satchel, ignoring Alex's confused look at my decision not to sit next to him.

"So I saw mom while you were with granddad," Alex started and I gained my attention. "She said its fine for us to go tonight so that's good. I'll even let you drive," Alex said in a teasing voice, clearly happy about our night's plans.

"Great," I replied with false enthusiasm. We studied for the rest of the afternoon, making small talk about our various classes and homework. Finally, when the appropriate amount of time had passed, I excused myself, claiming that I wanted to freshen up before dinner and going out. Alex happily packed up his belongings, pleased that I shared his enthusiasm for our outing. I took a long hot shower trying to work out the knots that appeared to have taken up permanent residence in my back. Under the guise of stress relief, I used strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner and vanilla body polish. Eventually, I turned off the water and stepped from the shower and wrapped myself in a robe. There was a soft knock at bathroom door and I knew Martha was standing outside with another pitcher of blood. I granted her entry and she quietly entered the bathroom, placing the pitcher on the small table to the left of the vanity.

"Thank you Martha," I said grateful that she was so thoughtful of my needs.

"You're welcome Grace. I know it's not my place and I'm sure it is of no significance to you but you look better now that you've been here a while, almost like the first time I saw you." Martha commented, her eyes appraising my appearance.

"Whilst I appreciate your compliment, Martha, you are correct. My appearance has little to do with my ability to complete my job and is therefore insignificant." I replied, trying to sound convincing.

"None the less, I know Alex appreciates it and that can only help you." She smiled knowingly, as she left the room closing the door behind her.

I quickly drained the four goblets of blood the pitcher held and returned to the vanity. I carefully applied my makeup, using soft greens on my eyes to pick up the green and topaz flecks. I applied a clear gloss to my lips that were a deep scarlet from my recent intake of blood. I decided to add a soft blush to my cheeks in the hopes of making my appearance less pale. Looking at my reflection, I was pleased with the results. I could have passed for human and looked much like I had when I was alive. Next, I worked on my hair, styling it so it fell in soft layers around my face. Still in my robe, I walked into the closet to select my outfit. I needed an outfit that I could fight in if it became necessary. But I knew that if I met Alex dressed in all black, he would have a lot of questions. Finally, I settled on a pair of dark denims, a charcoal scoop neck cashmere sweater and a cream silk and lace camisole. I completed my outfit with my black heeled boots and a black trench coat. I looked at myself in the mirror and was satisfied with my appearance. I transferred my purse and phone into a small black, patent leather clutch as the bell for dinner sounded.

Alex was waiting for me on the landing, dressed in blue denims and a wheat coloured wool sweater over a white collared shirt. He had a soft, dark brown leather jacket slung over his arm. It matched his shoes. He smiled at me, his eyes roaming over my body as I approached. I could feel my emotions pulsing as I came closer to him. His scent was musky and spicy. It burnt down my throat as I inhaled. My teeth were dripping with poison and I could imagine myself leading Alex into his room, carefully opening his shirt and lowering my head to his neck.

"Hey," Alex interrupted my fantasy.

"Ready?" I asked swallowing hard. I felt embarrassed by my lack of self control. I couldn't believe that I could so easily give into fantasy. I had never taken human blood before and I found it disconcerting that I was constantly imagining taking Alex's blood. His scent was so enticing. I could focus on little else but his taste and being close to him. It was a sacrament to take each others blood and was said to be more erotic than sex.

"We'll have dinner first. We don't have to meet Lauren and Daniel until 8:00pm," Alex said.

"Of course," I replied as I headed down the stairs. Katherine was still in bed and did not join us for dinner. Lucas was already seated when we arrived and welcomed us into the room. Martha and Sienna served risotto and salad for dinner, much to the delight of Alex.

"So, where are you headed tonight?" Lucas asked observing our outfits.

"We are going to see a movie with some of our friends from school," Alex replied.

"That sounds nice. I expect you to take care of Grace while you are out and have her back at a respectable time. I promised her grandfather I would take care of her," Lucas warned Alex. However, I could see the sparkle in his eye as he looked at me.

"Of course," Alex ensured, taking his grandfather seriously.

After dinner Alex and I collected our coats from the hall closet where Michael had hung them on our way to dinner. Alex held the door open for me as I walked out into the night. I hesitated on the landing, scanning the area. I didn't detect the presence of any unknown vampires in the area and continued down the steps. Alex and I were greeted by Alistair, who was standing next to my car in his dark overcoat.

"I guess I'm driving." I smiled at Alex.

"If I'd known that, I wouldn't have eaten so much dinner," he replied sarcastically.

"Shut up and get in," I said as I took the keys from Alistair. I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Alex looked at me from the passenger seat and smiled. I turned up the volume on the stereo and allowed the music to flow through me. It was a band I wasn't familiar with but Alex seemed to know them and sang along with their songs. I enjoyed the rhythm of the music. It was so different from the music I had grown up with. But as with most things, I had learned to adapt as time moved on and I could appreciate the beauty of the modern world.

We drove down the highway through light traffic. I was conscious of the speed limit and tried my best to keep the car within range. I constantly scanned the area for any vampires or threats. Without thinking, I drove straight to the cinema and parked the car. Alex looked at me a little confused.

"How did you know how to get here?" he asked looking around.

"Oh... I drove past here on the way from the airport. I've always been good with direction." I tried to explain cursing myself for not realising that I should have asked for direction.

"Okay," Alex shrugged, already exiting the car. I took a deep breath and sat back into my seat. Keeping up this façade was a constant challenge, even the smallest slip made an impact. I wondered if Katherine was incorrect about Alex's lack of interest in his surroundings or if he just paid extra attention to me. Part of me hoped that he was just noticing me, even though I knew I shouldn't. Alex opened my door and held out his hand to help me from the car. I gave him my hand and my skin burned with sensation at his touch. Stepping out of the car I came face to face with him, our bodies brushing up against each other. My entire body was tingling and I could feel the electricity bouncing between us. My breath caught in my throat as my face was inches from Alex's. His eyes were staring into mine, they were black and hungry. He didn't move away from my body and he kept hold of my hand. I was enveloped by his scent and it burned as it entered my throat. I could hear his heart beating rapidly and his breath was shallow and sharp. I couldn't tell how long we stood there, only inches from each other but I was entranced. I knew that I needed to pull away but I didn't have the strength. My teeth were filled with poison and I could feel my body craving his blood.

"Alex. Grace!" Lauren shouted, waving at us from the front of the cinema. The spell was broken and I turned to Lauren and Daniel who were standing near the ticket stand. Alex continued to hold my hand and was staring at me. I cleared my throat and pulled my hand from his hand.

"Come on," I said. My voice was raspy and I needed to get away from Alex to clear my head. I walked towards Lauren and Daniel, not waiting for Alex to recover. The cool air against my skin cleared my mind and allowed me to regain my focus. I stopped a few steps from Alex not wanting to allow too much space between us. Alex followed me and we soon met up with Daniel and Lauren. After our tickets were purchased, we went into the cinema. Alex and Daniel went to the concession stand whilst Lauren and I found seats.

"You and Alex looked like you were getting close when we arrived," Lauren said, raising an eyebrow as we walked down the aisle.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied with as much confidence as possible, avoiding her eyes and taking a seat.

"Well, I saw the way he was looking at you. And believe me he knows what I am talking about!" She continued and sat next to me, leaving a seat either side for the boys when they returned. Alex and Daniel came in a short time later. Daniel handed Lauren a box of skittles and soda. She repaid him with a kiss on the cheek, squealing with delight at him purchasing her favourite. Alex sat next to me, his arms loaded with goods. I smiled at him as he grinned sheepishly, shrugging.

"I didn't know what you'd like," he said, taking his seat and showing me the assortment of treats he had bought. I felt a rush of warmth towards Alex who simply wanted to make me happy. I wanted to say something but I was aware that Lauren would be monitoring our every word. Thankfully, the cinema became dark and the movie started. Trying to be kind, I took a soda and a box of some sort of ghastly sugar filled substance from Alex. I saw him smile at me through the dark. I was highly aware of Alex sitting next to me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body as he moved next to me in the chair. I held my hands tightly around the box of candy I'd taken from Alex. I forced myself to concentrate on my surroundings and to scan for any threats. No matter how hard I tried, my focus kept being drawn to Alex. I could almost taste the scent of him whirling around me. Despite being a few inches apart, I could almost feel Alex against my skin. It caused a tingling sensation. I tried to control my breathing and keep my body rigid. I reprimanded myself for allowing Alex to have this affect on me. It was uncharacteristic of me to lose my sense of control especially, when I wasn't even engaged in battle. I closed my eyes and gathered my strength.

Eventually, the movie ended and I was able to release my grip from the box of candy that was now a crushed mess. I quickly disposed of it under my seat so Alex, Lauren and Daniel wouldn't see the evidence. The lights came on and although I could still feel Alex next to me, the tingling sensation was gone. I seized the opportunity to move from my seat and rested my thighs against the seat in front of me, allowing me to face the other three.

"So, what did you think of the movie?" I asked, hoping that their answers would provide me with a synopsis of the movie. I had no idea what it was about.

"I loved it," Lauren gushed. "It was so romantic. Two lovers torn apart by fate and misfortune but still swear to be together forever."

"I liked the fight scenes. You can never have too many guns!" Daniel joined in. I looked at Alex who was staring at me but had not answered my question.

"Alex? What did you think?" I asked again, thankful that I couldn't blush. With the intensity of his stare, I was sure I would have.

"Yeah it was good," he replied quickly. "Fight scenes are good." Daniel then jumped in with his detailed analysis of the fight which Alex appeared very interested in. I couldn't help but feel his interest in the fight scenes was disingenuous and he was really just trying to avoid giving his real opinion on the movie. Then again, I couldn't talk. I had just sat through it for two hours and could not even name any of the characters. We made our way to the car after saying our goodbyes to Daniel and Lauren. I moved slightly more quickly than I should to ensure that I reached my car door first, opening it before Alex could offer. I did not want a repeat of earlier tonight. I had the strength to protect Alex from the Acelades but I was starting to doubt if I could protect him from myself.

I was in my seat before Alex reached the car. He looked at me with slight confusion. He climbed into his seat but didn't comment. I started the car and edged out into traffic. Being out on the freeway cleared my mind. I focused on driving and attempted to maintain the façade of being human, staying within 10 miles of the speed limit. We made it home quickly. I directed Alistair to meet us at the manor entrance in a low whisper as we turned off the freeway. Alex did not appear to hear my whisper and was staring out into the night. I wasted no time driving fast up the gravel drive. I did not want Alex to be outside on the grounds any longer than absolutely necessary. The manor wall had already been penetrated twice in the last 24 hours. I shuddered to think what the third might bring. Alistair was waiting as asked when I pulled up the car.

"Home again," I stated simply as I shut off the engine and exited the car. Alex and I had been silent the whole way home and a tense energy existed between us. I knew that Alex wanted to talk. I could see him shifting nervously in his seat and he stumbled as he tried to match my speed exiting the car. I took the stairs quickly, knowing that Alex would be right behind me. Once inside the manor, some of my anxiety dissipated. Michael greeted us at the door and offered to have Martha make us a supper. I refused the invitation and made my way up the stairs to my room.

"Grace," Alex called out after me as I made my way down the hall to my room. I could hear the hurt and fear in his voice. I spun around immediately expecting to see an Acelades vampire. Relief washed over me when I saw Alex standing there alone.

"Yes Alex," I replied.

"Is everything ok?" he asked unsure as he started to walk towards me slowly.

"Everything's fine." I lied. Obviously, I had not hidden my behaviour as well as I had hoped.

"Are you sure? Because you seemed really distant after the movie. I haven't done anything to upset you, have I?" He looked into my eyes searching for answers.

"Of course not Alex," I replied honestly. "It's got nothing to do with you. I am just tired that's all." In truth, I was tired. Maintaining a lie on top of my other protection duties was draining. I would need to feed again tonight and tomorrow before school.

"Well, as long as you're ok," he said not sounding convinced. Alex lightly touched my arm. It felt like my skin was on fire. Warmth spread through my body like molten lava. I inhaled sharply and looked directly into Alex's eyes. His stare was intense and I felt our bodies moving closer together. Almost immediately I caught myself and pulled back, turning to open my door.

"Well, I better get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." I said quickly closing my door not waiting for his reply. Once inside, I leaned up against the door and sild down to the ground, breathing hard. My body was full of emotions I had never felt before. I had heard of other vampires becoming obsessed with human prey. I was terrified that this was happening to me. I could feel my heart racing and my breath was shallow. Even through the door, I could still taste Alex's scent when I inhaled. I knew he remained standing outside my door, probably as confused by my behaviour as I was. I remained on the floor for a few minutes until I heard Alex walking down to his room.

Slowly, I made my way across the room to the sofa where a pitcher of blood had been placed next to my laptop. On top of my laptop was a note from Lucas informing me that I had been cleared to access information about Stephan from the Vampire Council archives. I poured myself a glass and drank it quickly, refilling it again. I spent the better part of the night researching the archives for information about Stephan but there was little to be found. Most of the information concerned his various business dealings. I was unable to find any records before 1948. It appeared that in 1948, Stephan attended a vampire ball with Ms Vanessa Chelanto. He was a full fledged vampire at this time, despite never having been seen in our society before. From that time, he began to amass his considerable wealth and make friends with people in all of the right places. His friendship with John appeared tenuous. However, there were some photos of the two together. It was not until 17 years ago, when he and Katherine became involved, that the information recorded increased dramatically. None of this information was particularly useful to me; especially considering Ms Chelanto was killed in 1951 by villagers in Bulgaria. I could not believe that there was no record of his creator or his date of transformation.

Frustrated by the futility of my search, I opened my email account and found several messages from Marius. I quickly replied, providing him a sanitised update of my current assignment in case any of the other Council members gained access to this email. Logging into another account, I sent correspondence to my house staff in Ireland, my business managers and several acquaintances who lay outside of the Vampire Council. I realised as I returned the laptop to the table that my body had retuned to calm. My breathing was regulated, my heartbeat was steady and my body no longer felt overrun by emotion. I was glad that focusing on my assignment had allowed my body and emotions to focus. There was no time for losing control, not when Lucas's family was at stake. I scanned the area subconsciously as I moved about readying myself for bed.

The house staff were all on the third level expect for Alistair, Michael and George who were playing poker in the garage. Lucas was in his study feeding and going over documents for his upcoming Council meeting. Katherine was still in bed but was watching a soap opera on her television. Alex was in his room on his phone, no doubt to Olivia. I listened in on the conversation, more than professionally curious to hear its contents.

"I was at a movie." Alex sounded exasperated.

"I don't care. It's not just the movie. I've hardly heard from you all week." Olivia said sounding sulky on the other end.

"I already said I'm sorry for not calling you this afternoon but I came home and Grace got a new car so we went for a ride. Then we had plans for a movie. I thought you told me to try and enjoy my time here. It's not like you are just waiting at home for me." Alex responded, anger beginning to show in his voice.

"Oh, so you were out with Grace. It seems you've been spending a lot of time with Grace this week." She sniffed. I smiled in spite of myself. It gave me a small thrill to think that Olivia was jealous of me. I'd seen her picture in Alex's room and she was gorgeous.

"Leave off it Olivia! You don't even know her. She is new here and doesn't know anyone," Alex said sternly.

"Whatever. Maybe you would prefer it if you could spend even more time with her!" Olivia said, fury building in her voice.

"You know what Olivia. Right now I would rather be with her. At least she doesn't bitch at me!" Alex said harshly.

"Well, by all means, don't let me stop you. It'll just give me more time to 'hang out' with Matthew," Olivia spat. I didn't know who Matthew was but judging by the way that Alex drew his breath; it was obvious he was not impressed.

"You know what Olivia? I think we need a break. I am so sick of having to be at your beck and call. Why don't you just let Matthew do it for a while!" Alex hung up the phone and swore.

# ~10~

I lay there writhing in pain, unable to move from the ground. I could feel the warm blood trickling from my stomach. The cut was deep and rough. The pain unbearable. I fought the darkness that sought to envelop me. They said William would come for me. What did that mean? How could William be here and not have returned to us. I summoned all my strength and rolled over, climbing to my knees.

The fog was still dense and I couldn't make out the house but I knew I could not stay here. They might come back for me. Crawling across the ground, I bit down on the screams that attempted to escape my mouth from the pain. I could see my blood pooling on the ground and felt the sharp jolts of pain from my twisted ankle. Blood trickled down my wrist and neck from where they had fed on me. I was dazed and confused. I couldn't understand what had happened. All I knew was that I was in pain and William was near. Why would they use William as a threat?

I had only managed to crawl a few metres when my arms gave way beneath me. Tears streamed down my face and I collapsed in exhaustion. I did not know how long I lay there but it felt like hours. I could feel my life seeping from me. My body continued to throb as the blood continued to exit my wounds. All of a sudden, I knew he had come.

"William?" I called, not believing he was really alive.

"Grace? What have they done to you?" His voice was familiar but different, harsher and pained.

"William, please tell me what's happening? Where are you?" I pleaded, struggling to sit. William stood away from me, his arms pinned to his body, his fists balled. His eyes were black and his face pale and drawn.

"I can't help you Grace," William said through gritted teeth.

"William, please, I'm badly hurt. Father is out there somewhere. Please, you must help. I don't understand. William? William?" I cried out, trying to move towards him despite the incredible pain.

"Grace, you don't know what I am but I am not safe for you to be around. I have to go. I will try and find someone to save you." William replied, his voice heavy with sadness and pain. I saw him melt into the fog and disappear.

"William please, please help me. I think I am dying," I sobbed but he did not return. I lay down on the ground and waited for death to find me. I saw the blackness coming and welcomed it.

"Oh my dear, what have they done to you?" I heard him whisper as his hand touched my arm. I struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry at first but he soon came into focus, standing over me in his black cape and hat. I gasped and tried to move but pain seared through me. I cried out in a mixture of fear and pain.

"Calm yourself my dear. I do not seek to harm you. Who did this to you?" He asked kindly.

"I don't know." My voice came out as a whisper. I didn't know who he was but I trusted him.

"You have been gravely harmed my dear but, I can see you have fought hard to survive. I can help you live and seek justice on those who harmed you," he continued.

"William. They have William I must find him. He is alive and he is hurting," I managed to choke out.

"Was he with you? Did they get him too?" he stated with concern, looking around for William.

"No. He came but went. He said he could not help me. I need to find him!" I pleaded with as much conviction as I could muster.

"Calm yourself. I will do what I can to help you. Allow me to take you back to my residence and explain what I can offer you," he said politely, making it appear as though I had an option.

"Please," I replied. He lifted me into his arms.

"Who are you?" I asked, as he placed me into his carriage.

"I am Lucas Sempre. I knew your father and I will ensure you are given vengeance." He introduced himself with authority in his promise. It was then I knew that my parents were dead but William. William was still alive and I would find him. I knew Lucas would save me and I would never be the same.

My alarm shouting from across the room interrupted my dream. I woke in a start, my breath gasping. I orientated myself to the present day. It was morning. The sun was streaming into the room. It struck the crystal goblet that was placed on my bedside table. It cast a colourful display across my wall. Eventually, my breathing returned to normal. I poured myself several glasses of blood before exiting my bed.

I felt unsettled remembering that night. It had been a long time since Lucas had featured in my nightmare. Trying to distract myself, I focused my attentions on getting ready for school. I completed each task in isolation, shower, makeup and hair. Soon I felt I had regained control over my thoughts and emotions. I reached out my mind to Alex, who was still in his room walking around. I could only guess he was packing his bag. It was an awkward feeling knowing that he and Olivia had broken up yet having to pretend that I didn't know. I wondered how he was feeling today. I knew I would not have to wait long to find out. I glanced at the clock and noted the time was 7:30am. Breakfast would now be served in the dining room. I grabbed my satchel and left the room. I could hear Alex still in his room and so I knocked lightly on his door.

"Alex?" I called out softly, to no reply.

"Alex? Are you coming to breakfast?" I asked louder this time.

"What?" he called out. "Come in."

I took a deep breath, already feeling his scent burning down my throat. Opening the door I stepped in Alex's room and noticed the change immediately. All of Olivia's photos had been removed. Alex was moving around the room, collecting his scattered school items. He looked tired. He had large black circles under his eyes and his hair sticking out every which way.

"You ok?" I asked hesitantly.

"Huh," he looked distracted. "Yeah, yeah fine. Just getting ready."

"Well, you look like crap and all of Olivia's photos are gone," I said bluntly.

"You noticed that, huh," Alex stopped and turned to look at me, his eyes full of sadness and another emotion I could not distinguish. Sympathy flooded my mind. I felt terrible for Alex and worse for the role I had played in his relationship demise.

"Yup, so spill." I called Alex on his deflection.

"It just wasn't working. I mean we live on different continents. How were we supposed to keep a relationship up? We'd only been together for a short while before I left so I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Alex explained.

"Ok." I accepted his explanation. I knew he wasn't being completely honest but I could give him this much privacy considering I was listening in on all of his conversations. His mind should at least be his own.

"Well, are you coming to breakfast or do you want to stay up here and sulk?" I asked, trying to lighten the situation.

Alex looked up and saw the grin on my face. His face softened in reply and he returned my smile, following me out of the room. Alex sighed as we got near the dining room. I could only imagine it was at the thought of having to eat breakfast with Katherine and Lucas.

"Not looking forward to telling your mom and grandfather?" I asked.

"Not really. Especially when mom has been telling me all along it wouldn't work." Alex sighed again, leaning against the wall next to the door. I made a quick decision and figured that a small change in routine would not put us at too much risk.

"Ok then, we are going out for breakfast," I said to Alex before quickly darting my head into the dining room.

"Alex is taking me out for breakfast," I called out to Lucas and Katherine who looked startled. I didn't wait for their response before heading towards the front doors. Alex followed me slightly confused but looking relieved none the less. Alistair wasn't ready for us when we exited the manor but we didn't have to wait long. He quickly exited the car and looked concerned about his delay.

"Sorry for the change in plans Alistair but I appreciate you brining my car so quickly," I thanked Alistair, trying to alleviate his concerns. I knew that he hoped to become a protector one day and my recommendation would assist him greatly.

"It's probably a good thing you haven't had breakfast." I smiled at Alex as I slid into the car. A look of mock horror spread across his face until he could contain his laughter no more and chuckled as he sat in the passenger seat. I nodded at Alistair in the rear view mirror as I drove down the driveway.

Breakfast away from the manor seemed to revive Alex a little and by the time we reached the school, he was laughing as he recalled the way Tristan had looked when we arrived at school yesterday. He added that part of him wished that Tristan would be there again today. It was hard for me to believe that this last part was in jest given that Alex had just broken up with Olivia and I appeared to be the cause of this split. Pretending not to have picked up on this statement, I rebuked Alex jokingly for wishing Tristan on me. I informed him that I still had twenty four hours to come down with a serious illness that would prevent me from attending the ball.

Due to our breakfast stop, we arrived at school a little later than usual. I saw Daniel's car already parked in the lot. I pulled up next to them. They were still sitting in the car, music blaring through the closed windows. Thankfully my car was not too noticeably distinct from the others in the car park. The Kevlar plates and bullet proof glass would only be recognised by a trained eye and I highly doubted that any Creswick students had a background in security. I did a quick scan of the area before I exited the car and was satisfied that no threats were detected. The lack of vampire activity in the area, combined with the intent of Acelades to get Alex, was slightly off putting. I couldn't understand why they didn't at least have a surveillance crew in the area or at least a scout or two. I shrugged off these questions and focused on the task at hand. When the Acelades struck, I would be ready. The presence of a surveillance crew or scout would only have provided me with some amusement in the interim period and therefore could be dispensed with. That was probably the reckoning of Benedict. I was not only famous in the Sempre world; the $5,000,000 Acelades bounty on my head told me that.

"Hey there, we were beginning to think you might be ditching today," Daniel informed us as he and Lauren exited their car.

"No. Just stopped for breakfast on the way," I replied as I exited the car.

"Were you mugged on the way?" Daniel nodded towards Alex, who had also exited the car.

"I had... I had a bad night," Alex stammered.

"Are you alright?" Lauren asked raising her head from Daniel's shoulder, her eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, fine," Alex said as he turned and started his way up to the school.

Lauren looked at me questioningly. I shrugged, feigning ignorance and followed Alex up to school. I could tell that Lauren did not believe me and I was sure that she would interrogate me at the first opportunity. Almost gratefully, I made my way to biology. I easily made my way through the mill of students wandering towards their morning classes. My mind wandered as I made my way to the lab. The distraction cost me as I almost bowled over Tristan as we both attempted to enter the lab at the same time. Our bodies meet in almost full contact. Tristan was forced back as I failed to control my strength. Thankfully, my reflexes were faster than his and I managed to pull him towards me so it appeared I had borne the brunt of the collision. Tristan allowed his arms to linger around my body far longer than necessary. I fought every instinct not to body slam him away from me.

"You're blocking my way," I said finally gesturing towards the door.

"Oh. Sorry." Tristan said, not sounding at all convincing. "I just wanted to give you a chance to recover after I swept you off your feet."

Swallowing the fury I felt, I smiled at Tristan, extricated myself from his arms and walked into the classroom. I spent the remainder of the lesson snapping away pieces of the bench in an attempt to release my frustration. Tristan spent most of the lesson casting glances in my direction, until he was instructed to keep his eyes to the front of the room unless he desired detention. I made it out of the door and into the corridor before the last bell rang signalling the end of the period. I did not want another repeat with Tristan. I was not sure I had the self restraint necessary to control my reaction. As I expected the minute I entered math, Lauren started firing questions at me about Alex.

"What happened after you left movies last night?" she asked.

"Nothing, we went home and went to bed," I replied.

"And this morning?" she continued.

"I don't know. He looked like that when he came out of his room this morning so we ate breakfast out. I thought it would cheer him up but obviously not." I shrugged.

"And you're not at all concerned?" Lauren asked incredulously.

"Well. Of course it's not good and clearly something has upset him but I am sure he will tell us when he is ready. I really don't know him that well so I wouldn't like to push," I replied honestly.

"I guess," Lauren agreed half heartedly.

"I bet he had a fight with Olivia," she said a few minutes later, clearly finding Alex's current disposition more interesting than the algebra we were supposed to be focusing on.

"Possibly," I replied noncommittally.

"Hmm... well I guess we will find out at lunch anyway. Daniel spent all morning with him. No way he didn't find out," she mused. Finally the bell sounded for lunch and I was free from having to discuss the matter any further.

As we approached the cafeteria, I could see Alex and Daniel standing at the doorway with their backs towards us.

"So, she has no idea?" I heard Daniel ask.

"No. I mean she knows we broke up but I didn't tell her that it had to do with her. It's not her fault that Olivia is crazy. Besides, we have to live together. I don't want to weird her out," Alex replied. I could feel my pulse quickening and was glad that we were still far enough away for Lauren not to hear.

"Well, I am sure that she and Lauren spent the morning analysing the demise of your relationship." Daniel smiled patting Alex on the shoulder.

"I doubt it. Grace doesn't seem like the sort of girl who gossips," Alex disagreed.

"Excellent," Lauren squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Alex has obviously told him what happened."

I looked at her, raising my eyebrow.

"What? I like gossip!" She shrugged.

"Hey there." She smiled greeting Daniel and Alex who turned to meet us.

"Hello ladies," Alex greeted us.

"Lauren, Grace shall we?" Daniel said holding open the door for us.

As we collected our lunch, I could see Lauren and Daniel whispering conspiringly across the salad bar.I looked at Alex who saw them whispering and shook his head. He looked at me and smiled.

"Daniel never has been able to keep a secret from her," he said as he caught me staring.

"Oh," was all I could think of in reply.

"I'm guessing you pretended not to know and now you think that Daniel is going to rat you out?" he guessed.

"Kind of, I just don't want Lauren to be upset with me. I really like her." I replied honestly surprising myself.

"Don't worry," Alex said placing his hand on my arm sending currents of electricity through my body. My head was swimming in his scent. I felt my vision go blurry and my fangs filling with poison. Forcing my resolve to return, I focused my efforts on not smashing the bowl into pieces I held in my hands. Swallowing hard, I placed my salad on Alex's tray and walked over to the drink area. Once away from him, my head cleared even if my arm continued to tingle where his hand had been. I grabbed two sodas as Lauren came over to me.

"You've been holding out on me," Lauren stated as she grabbed a soda.

"I know, I'm sorry," I apologised.

"It's fine. I'm impressed actually. I wish I could keep a secret. Alex is lucky he can confide in you," she said.

"Well I wouldn't call it confiding," I said slightly embarrassed, looking over at Alex and Daniel who were waiting for us.

"Not yet, but he will." She smiled knowingly, walking towards the boys.

"I... ah..." Finding nothing to say, I walked towards the boys as well, feeling a little exposed.

Thankfully, after finding out the source of Alex's discontent, Lauren soon became consumed in the Fire and Ice Ball again. The rest of the day was spent listening to Lauren alternate between gushing over her plans for the ball and questioning me about mine. I managed to convince her that a hairstylist was coming to the house to prepare me for the event. She agreed not to come to the house to take me with her to her appointment. I was certain however, that after doing my own hair for almost two hundred years, I could make myself presentable for the ball.

I was feeling exhausted by the time the final bell rang and was very happy to see Alex already waiting by the car for me. He smiled at me as I approached with Lauren, still chatting, next to me.

"Hey there. Has she managed to talk you out of coming to the ball yet?" he asked nodding, towards Lauren.

"I am just trying to make sure that your date is the belle of the ball tomorrow night. Well, after me of course," Lauren replied, with a cheeky smile.

"Come here Grace. Let me get you away from that obsessed ball feign." Alex joked, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me towards him. I allowed myself to be guided because, unlike with Tristan, I liked the way it felt to be in Alex arms. My body felt like it was on fire; Alex's scent was so thick I could almost taste it. After a couple of seconds, I righted myself, stepping slightly away from Alex. But, not before I saw Daniel raise his eyebrow at Alex. The interaction was not lost on Lauren either. She smiled knowingly and looked at Daniel.

"Well, we better get home. Katherine and Lucas will worry if we're late seeing as though we bailed on breakfast this morning." I was trying to break what was fast becoming an uncomfortable moment.

"Yeah, I guess your right," Alex agreed and made his way to the passenger side door. We said our goodbyes to Lauren and Daniel, making plans to meet them tomorrow at the entrance to the ball.

As I entered the car I looked over to see Tristan standing by his car. His face was full of fury as he looked at Alex and me. Trying to pretend I didn't see him, I quickly entered the car out of his line of sight. I sat back in my seat and took a deep breath. Immediately, I knew it was a mistake. My lungs were filled with Alex's scent and it took very once of my control not to lean over and sink my teeth into his delicate throat. I fumbled trying to get the windows down to dilute his scent. Alex was looking at me. I quickly started the car and pulled out fast throwing him back in his seat. Driving faster than I should, swerving in and out of traffic I allowed the air to rush into the car. Slowly the poison receded from my mouth. I was able to take another breath. I inhaled shallowly, not sure if the scent would be diluted enough and not sure my control would hold in this tiny cabin.I could still smell Alex but it was nowhere near as strong. If I tilted my head to the side, I was able to feel the breeze from outside the car.

I knew Alex was staring at me. My driving must have been frightening him. At the very least it was not very human. That was reason enough for me to slow down. I eased my foot off the accelerator and pulled out of the fast lane.

"Sorry," I said with no further explanation.

"About what," he asked innocently. Clearly, he was going to make me explain my behaviour. Another lie to make up made me feel weary.

"That we will be home in enough time for you and Katherine to have a long talk before dinner," I replied, hoping that I could direct the attention away from me.

"Don't worry," he laughed. "I would have driven away that fast from Tristan too if I saw him looking like that."

"Yeah, well he probably thought he was in with a chance after biology today." I shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked loudly, turning in his seat to face me.

"I just meant, well, I was walking into biology today and we kind of ran into each other. He caught me as I fell backwards." I stumbled out, surprised by Alex's reaction.

"Really!" Alex spat as his hands balled into fists, his knuckles white.

"It wasn't like I meant for it to happen and neither did he," I responded, a little put off.

"I'm sure you didn't. I don't believe HE didn't mean it for a second," Alex said harshly, looking out the window. I was already regretting bringing up the topic but I certainly did not want to leave it like this.

"It doesn't even matter Alex. Truly, it was a non event. Besides, how exactly do you think Tristan meant for it to happen? Do you think he was waiting down the hall to line me up and knock me to the ground?" I asked hoping he would realise how ridiculous he sounded but also a little concerned that Tristan might have actually done so.

"Well when you put it like that," Alex said, I could see his fists releasing. "It does seem unlikely."

"Exactly. Now I would really rather not spend another minute talking about Tristan. Ugh!" I smiled at Alex, hoping he would relax.

Alex seemed to relax as we drove home but my mind was distracted. I couldn't keep testing myself like this. I needed to feed and I needed to feed properly. Being around Alex all the time was testing my self control. I needed to be up to the challenge of any threat from the Acelades. Alistair was still making his way up to the front steps when we arrived at the Manor. He looked confused, checking his watch, wondering how he was late. I exited the car quickly, not waiting for Alex to open my door.

"Don't ask," I said to Alistair as I passed him. "Meet me in my room in ten minutes," I continued in a voice low enough that Alex would not hear. He gave a short nod and entered the car as if the exchange had not happened. Alex and I walked up to the door and were greeted by Michael.

"Ms Katherine would like to see you, Master Alex," Michael informed us as he closed the door.

"I'll bet it's about this morning," Alex replied, looking helplessly at me.

"Well, she didn't ask to see me, so I think you're on your own for this one." I smiled in return and started towards the stairs.

"Gee, thanks!" Alex said laughing as he turned towards his mother's sitting room.

I quickly made my way up the stairs and into my room. Changing out of my school uniform, I selected a pair of charcoal pants and a fuchsia sweater, completing the outfit with a black silk scarf and ballet flats. I had just finished wrapping the scarf around my neck when there was a knock at the door. I made my way quickly across the room, opening the door to find Alistair waiting nervously on the other side.

"Please come in and sit down," I invited him, gesturing towards the lounge area. I seated myself in one of the arm chairs and waited for Alistair to do the same.

"I will make this brief. I need to leave the manor tonight for a short period of time. It is nothing for you to concern yourself with but I have some things I need to take care of. I will wait to leave until after Alex has gone to bed but I will need for you to guard him whilst I am gone. George will cover the exterior and you will be responsible for the interior protection. I will be available to return during this time and will not be too far away so I will hear your call should you deem my assistance necessary. If there is any sign whatsoever of another vampire or another disturbance in the area, I expect to receive that call immediately. Are we understood?" I asked.

"Of course Grace. It would be my honour to be permitted to protect Alex. Might I ask exactly where you will be and for how long you might be gone, just so that I can prepare myself fully?" Alistair quickly added his last remark in response to my shift in body posture. I was not used to being questioned. My orders were generally followed without requiring a reason but given the circumstances, I could understand Alistair's need for information. This was by far the most important protection assignment he had ever conducted and the assigned protector appeared to be relinquishing her responsibilities for a personal errand.

"Whilst not pertinent to my request for your assistance, I suppose my location may be of use for directing any distress calls. I will be in the forest of the estate and I do not expect to be hunting for more than one hour before I return. I am sure you are aware of my... let's call them unique dietary needs and given the attacks that will most likely ensue in the near future, I need to be at full strength," I replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Of course. I would expect nothing less from the great Grace Kennedy," Alistair responded.

"Greatness is not a term I neither care for nor deserve Alistair. Do not grant a person a higher rank than they deserve. We are only as good as the assignment we are currently completing. When you are a protector, you will learn that." I chided him, then stood and walked over to the pitcher of blood that had been placed on my bedside table. Alistair took this as his dismissal and left the room silently. I drank until the pitcher was drained but still did not feel satisfied. I knew that I would feel better after feeding tonight and used that knowledge to calm my muscles which were tight and twisted from the day's events.

I found Lucas in his study, dressed as usual in a suit. Today's suit was navy blue accompanied by a cream shirt; his tie, which had obviously been discarded some hours earlier, hung on the back of his chair. A pile of papers sat in front of him and he appeared deeply absorbed in their contents as I approached.

"I wish I had a personal assistant that was as good at his job as you are Grace." Lucas greeted me not looking up from his desk.

"Good afternoon Lucas. Still trying to run every facet of the business I see," I replied, taking a seat on the armchair, facing his desk.

"What can I say? Old habits die hard I'm afraid. It is rather difficult to trust managing directors these days," he admitted, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, I pity the misguided fool who attempts to cheat you, Lucas." I complemented him honestly.

"Thank you Grace. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he asked.

"I just wanted to inform you that I will be leaving the manor briefly tonight to feed in the estate forest. Alistair will run interior protection whilst George will be stationed outside. It will be late when I leave and I will make sure that Alex is asleep before I do," I informed him.

"Is that all?" Lucas asked me looking a little confused.

"Yes," I stated.

"I must admit I am a little befuddled as to why you would need to inform me of your movements but you obviously find it pertinent to the assignment. You should know that I would never disagree with a protection decision you make Grace. I hope you are not seeking approval to feed from me?" he asked.

"I just want you to be fully briefed on my plans Lucas. I know I stated that I would not leave Alex but I feel it is necessary for me to feed properly so that I have adequate strength to meet an Acelades attack," I responded.

"Well, in that case, I hope you find some good game out there." Lucas smiled kindly at me and returned to his paperwork.

It was not until much later that night that I got an opportunity to see what game I could find. I had spent the afternoon listening to Alex recount the 'things don't always work out' speech he had received from his mother. I laughed hysterically as he attempted to imitate her. Dinner was mostly occupied by Katherine's excited ramblings about the Fire and Ice Ball the next evening. After dinner, Alex and I had watched a movie with Katherine before I claimed exhaustion and took an early exit to bed. On my way I went via the kitchen where George and Martha were eating supper. I briefed George on my plans for the evening. As I looked out my window now, I could see him making his way to below Alex's window. After waiting for Alex to fall asleep, I had changed into my black running suit. Alistair was posted outside his door and George was almost in position.

I made my way quickly down the stairs of the Manor and out into the night. As I entered the forest, my body felt alive and the adrenalin was making my nerves tingle. The hunter in me had taken over and I was scouting the area for prey. It did not take long before I became aware of a pack of wolves who were watching me as I made my way through the forest. Their alpha male was closest to me on my left and appeared to pick up on my animal like hunting techniques. We stalked together through the forest for a short distance before coming across a herd of deer resting in the forest. I allowed the wolves to have them as their prize and continued on alone.

There was a heavy mist in the forest. It clung to the trees and my clothes like a damp breeze. I could feel the animals around me and waited until I could single out the one I wanted to find. I took my time approaching it to make sure I was in power. I did not want to waste time unnecessarily on a chase. The coyote was stalking its prey and was unaware of my approach, until it was too late. My attack was quick and fatal. I sunk my fangs into the beast, immobilising it with my poison. The blood flowed into my mouth and I could feel its strength and power. The muscles in my body responded and absorbed every molecule. I fed twice more whilst I was in the forest, my thirst finally satiated.

My body was better for having fresh blood. My muscles relaxed and responded more easily as I glided through the forest. The haze in my mind lifted and my senses were sharper. I ran back to the manor, enjoying how the dampness of the fog felt cool against my skin which was warm from my recent feed. I nodded at George as I leapt silently up the front steps and slid through the oak door. Alistair gave me a small nod as I passed him on the landing. He made his way upstairs to where his wife Emma was waiting. The clock in my room informed me that it was almost three. I quickly changed into my nightgown and slid into bed. Within seconds, I was asleep.

# ~11~

I rose late in the morning, enjoying the fact that my day was free. The ball was not until 7:00pm that night and I knew that Alex had no plans for leaving the house today. I would not need to be on guard the whole time. Allowing me the luxury of remaining in bed until the sun had fully risen was something I usually only did when I was on a rest period. Eventually, I pulled myself from bed and padded into the bathroom. I took a long hot shower, breathing in the floral scents of my shampoo. The water running over my body was calming and I enjoyed watching the droplets run down my arms and legs. I stepped from the shower and dried myself slowly with a thick Egyptian cotton towel. I smiled, thinking about the adjustment it would be to go back to my normal protection duties. Army cots and survival packs were a far cry from my experience of Lucas's house.

Wrapping myself in my black satin robe, I made my way to the sofa. I poured myself a glass of blood and opened my laptop. I logged into my email account and gave Marius an update on the current situation and my lack of progress on Stephan. I knew he would not share my concern but he was still my leader and required my assessment. I then replied to various other emails from protectors located throughout the world. I was not a sociable person by any stretch of the imagination and given the choice, until recently, I would have chosen a life of solitude. These emails were work related. Given the highly dangerous nature of our work it was important to keep each other up to date on new developments such as increases in the number of rouge vampires and all too often, the loss of protectors. As far as the other protectors were concerned, I was currently on a required six month rest period. I ensured that my emails reflected this assumption and routed my IP address through multiple spots around the globe so that even if I was traced, they would not locate me at Lucas's manor.

It was late morning by the time I had completed my correspondence. The sun, streaming through my windows, created a sense of warmth in the room. I finished my pitcher of blood as I watched the dust particles dancing the in air and sunlight. I was aware that Alex was in his room, playing on his computer. Lucas was in his study and the staff were moving around the house, carrying out their various chores. Through my window I could see George out in the grounds, tending to his gardens. Katherine was climbing the stairs and making her way to my room. I was filled with a sense of tension. What could she possible want from me now? Answering the door before she knocked made Katherine look slightly startled when we came face to face.

"Of course, I should have expected you to know I was coming," she remarked as I stepped aside, allowing her to enter my room.

"How can I assist you Katherine?" I asked. I remained standing, hoping that she would take that as an indication that her presence in my room was not to be long term.

"I just wanted to make sure there was nothing you needed for the ball tonight," Katherine questioned, looking a little unsure.

"I have all the necessary preparations thankyou," I replied.

"Oh... Of course," Katherine said unsure of how to proceed.

"Is there something else I can assist you with Katherine?" I wanted to return to my peaceful morning, however Katherine appeared to have something that was concerning her and it was my duty to assist her if I could.

"It's just...well... may I sit with you a moment?" she asked gesturing to my lounge area.

"Of course Katherine. You know I am at your disposal," I replied dutifully making my way to one of the arm chairs, wishing I was dressed and not still in my robe.

"I know that you are not happy with me Grace," Katherine conceded.

"My feelings have nothing to do with my assignment Katherine. I find feelings have little place in protection duties and therefore, I do not rely on them," I said honestly.

"Please, do not misunderstand me. I was not questioning your diligence or commitment. I know how dedicated you are to your work and I have only the upmost respect and gratitude for you. I suppose I just wanted to speak with you about... oh I don't know. I am not like you Grace. I am a mother and a wife. That is all I have ever wanted to be. I never fit in with the partners of other protectors. Given the choice, I would never have fallen in love with a protector. It was not my ideal situation but we don't choose our other half. They choose us. John was and is the love of my life. I care for Stephan but he knows it is not the same. I do worry about the day that he meets his other half and leaves me," Katherine admitted.

"Whilst I appreciate your candour Katherine, I am not sure how this is pertinent to my assignment or information I should be privy to." I stated unclear of where she was headed with this sudden admission.

"I just want you to understand why I do the things I do. Do you remember when you first came to our home?" she asked.

"Of course I do," I replied.

"You were a refined and proper lady. The most important things in your life were social etiquette and afternoon tea. You looked forward to finding a husband and creating a home of your own. After you became like us you changed. Do not misunderstand me, you retained all of your social graces but your priorities shifted. You wanted to rid the world of evil." Katherine recalled.

"I feel you give me too much credit Katherine. I wanted vengeance. If fighting evil was part of that, so be it. But please, do not make me more noble than I am," I corrected her.

"Whatever your intent, your focus became training, strategy and fighting. You and William were so determined. It was hard to believe that you were ever a society lady. I never made that change, Grace. I am still the lady you met all those years ago. The most important things in my life are Alex and Stephan. My life consists of parties and society events. I know how difficult it is to understand this. Believe me, John often questioned me but I am who I am," Katherine concluded.

"It is not your lifestyle that I question," I replied to Katherine. "It is your inability to follow direction."

"What?" Katherine asked, obviously a bit confused.

"I can understand you wanting to be a society lady. I do not have an issue with that life choice but, I find it difficult to comprehend that a person who has made their life around being a mother would risk the life of their only son," I said honestly.

"I'm not..." Katherine replied.

"Katherine, you appear unable to follow the simple instructions I put in place. I can understand, you wish for your life to remain the same as it has. However, the prophecy changed that and you need to do whatever necessary to protect him." I interrupted her, probably over stepping my boundaries but at this point, I really did not care.

"I am doing whatever necessary to protect him Grace. But unlike you, I am thinking beyond the next three months. I am thinking about the rest of his life," Katherine said.

"He won't have the rest of his life, at least, not the way you would like it, if the Acelades get him. I am not saying that you should put him isolation and I know you don't want him to know the truth about us but you need to work even harder if you want him to be safe. Just remember Katherine, they got to John and he was well trained and knew the risks, Alex is running blind out there," I stated, hoping that she would understand.

"I can appreciate what you are saying Grace, believe me. My father has had the same conversation with me. I will do as you wish because I know you are doing what is best for Alex under circumstances that you are not happy with. Just be patient with me Grace," she said softly.

"Patience is a virtue I am neither endowed with nor find relevant to my abilities. I will provide you with some concession, given your candid explanations, and the fact that I can see you mean the best for Alex. But do not mistake me, Katherine. Those concessions are limited. And if I find you violating a clear instruction that I have put in place, I will instruct Lucas that Alex is to be moved into isolation far away from here, until his eighteenth birthday. Do we have an agreement?" I asked, knowing that I had not really given her a choice.

"That seems reasonable," Katherine replied, a little shakily. Obviously she was not use to being given an ultimatum.

"Well, if there is nothing further, I best begin my preparations for the ball. The afternoon is now upon us and I must be ready by 6:00pm," I said standing, hoping that Katherine would take the hint that I wished to be left alone.

"Of course," she replied. She stood and made her way to the door. "I will send Sienna up with another pitcher and to assist you with whatever is necessary." And with that, she closed to door and I was once again alone.

I returned to the bathroom and sat on the upholstered stool in front of my vanity, appraising my appearance. The feed last night had served me well. My skin was more cream than translucent and there was brightness to my eyes. As I looked at my reflection, I remembered the last time I had readied myself for a ball. I was sixteen and living in Ireland at my parent's home. I was sitting in front of my vanity in a floor length pale pink dress made of satin and lace. The dress surrounded me as I sat, due to the three hoops used to support it. The corset I was wearing was highly uncomfortable but I had pleaded with my mother to allow me to wear it so that I might appear more womanly. My hair had been set in rags all day to allow it to curl and was now pinned up with curls falling down my shoulders. Applying powder to my face, then rouge and lipstick, I appraised my appearance and was happy with the result.

I was not happy however, with the reason for the ball. My parents were throwing a magnificent party for William who was to leave the next day with Benedict Acelades. He had been chosen by Benedict as his new junior and was headed to London to learn all of the business. Benedict Acelades had owned an estate home near my parents since before I was born and often spent summers there. My parents and he had become close friends. Everyone was thrilled when William was asked to join his company. I sat back in a melancholy mood, torn between my love for parties and my desire to keep William close to me. There was a knock at my door and I knew it was William.

"Come in," I said haughtily, trying my best impression of the girls I saw at parties. William opened the door and entered wearing a dashing black suit.

"It is not good manners in society to enter a lady's room," I stated, turning back to the mirror.

"Just as well you're my sister and not a lady then." William countered, taking a seat facing me on my bed.

"Sister? Not for long. Soon I shall merely be an acquaintance you remember dimly whilst you sip tea in London," I sulked.

"Oh, come here now Grace," William said, pulling me towards him by the arm. He was caught off guard by the shear volume of my dress. We ended up tumbling very ungraciously to the ground landing in a pile, laughing on the floor.

"Now See! How could I forget you?" William said, helping me up.

"I just wish you didn't have to go. I will miss you terribly William," I said, wrapping my arms around him.

"And I will miss you my dear, dear sister. But just think soon you will be able to come and visit me in London. We will attend fabulous parties and you can buy all new dresses." William consoled me.

"Until you find yourself a wife, that is. Mother said that once you marry, it will no longer be proper for me to attend your home," I said sadly.

"What utter nonsense!" William refuted. "Mother just doesn't want me to steal you away from her and pa. You know I couldn't go too long without seeing you. I promise that I will be home for Christmas and you will spend at least two months with me in the New Year." William promised.

I looked up at him and I could tell he truly meant his promises. William and I had always been close. Even when we were younger, we would invent our own language and spend entire days playing in the grounds. I hated the thought of him leaving me but I knew how excited he was to be travelling to London and working with Benedict. I also knew that if I complained enough he would stay and be miserable just for me. I could not do that to William. So, I smiled widely at him and grasped his hand.

"Well then. Now that that is settled, I think it's time for us to join the party. So many suitors so little time." I laughed as I walked towards the door with William.

"I don't think so my little one. You are far too young to be looking for a suitor. Besides, I have already put the fear of God into all of the boys in this county. You will have to travel if you want a husband." William smiled. I feigned shock and anger but could not hold it as a giggle took over me. William, my protective big brother, was always looking out for me.

A knock at the door disturbed my memory and I was glad. Remembering how I let William leave with Benedict Acelades was a constant source of pain for me. Sienna entered the bathroom and placed a large pitcher of blood on the edge of the bath pouring me a goblet. Thanking her, I drained the goblet and focused on the task at hand. Sienna evidently had more experience with modern day balls than I did so I allowed her to lead the way with regards to preparations.

Sienna seemed to enjoy getting me ready for the ball. She had brought up a selection of nail varnishes and buffers, curlers and a hair straightener. For the most part, I allowed her to take control of my preparations. She decided upon a French manicure for my fingers and claret that matched my dress and shoes for my toes. I waited out my time while they dried and soon became lost in my thoughts of William again. I remembered the morning he left. The sun had not yet risen and the fields were full of mist when Benedict arrived in his carriage. William was already waiting with his bags packed in the hall, his excitement evident on his face. I was seated on the stairs in my dressing gown and night dress. My hair was still curled from the night before and fell around my shoulders, framing my tear streaked face. One of William's handkerchiefs was scrunched in my hand as I leaned against the banister, memorising how William looked at this very moment.

"My dear sweet Grace, you should not have risen so early to wish your brother goodbye. You have barely been in bed three hours and this is not good for your health to be so saddened. It will not be long before you see me again," William said, taking a seat next to me on the stairs.

"William, did you really think that I would allow you to leave without saying a final goodbye?" I asked. William's appearance was bleary through my tears.

"Of course not, Grace. Just as you would not think that I would allow you to rise so early without being chided," he said, wrapping his arm around me so my head was resting on his shoulder.

There was a knock at the front door and William jumped up at once. Our butler Deacon opened the door to Benedict. He stood dressed in a black cape and hat. I was immediately struck with a sense of foreboding, wishing that I had insisted on William staying with me. He greeted William and me warmly, eyeing my nightwear with interest. I was too emotional to be embarrassed by my appearance and continued to hold William's arm as Deacon loaded his bags on the carriage. Benedict bid me farewell and returned to his carriage. I threw my arms around William as I choked back a sob.

"Write me as soon as you get off the ship and every day until I see you again!" I demanded of William irrationally.

"I promise my darling, darling Grace. I will soon make you the talk of London," he said kissing me on both cheeks and holding me at an arm's length for one last glance. He then quickly kissed the top of my head and hurried to the carriage, his eyes wet with tears. I managed to wait until Deacon closed the door before I fell to the ground in sobs. It took Deacon and three other house staff to get me back to my room and to me calm enough to accept a cup of tea.

That afternoon, I wrote the first of many letters to William none of which he ever received. Every day after that, I wrote him a letter telling him about my day, the news of the village and our parents. I always asked him how he was and what he was doing. Every letter became more desperate, more insistent upon a response. At first, my parents told me to be patient, that William was just settling into his new life and that he would write when he was available. But, I knew they were worried. Months passed and we heard nothing, Father attempted to contact Benedict however, no one seemed to know where he was or that he even had plans to go to London. Almost a year went by and we received no news from William. So Father set off to London to recover his son. He returned a month later down hearted and in despair. It appeared that William and Benedict had disappeared from the face of the earth.

Sienna cleared her throat, snapping me back to reality. She was holding both the curlers and a straightener in her hands, clearly uncertain of my preference.

"I think curls would be most appropriate thank you Sienna." I decided as I was walking over to pour myself a drink and offering one to Sienna. She kindly refused, attempting to keep the distaste from her face. I smiled kindly at her. "It's ok, Sienna. Most people find my lifestyle choice unusual."

Sienna placed my hair in hot curlers which thankfully took far less time to set than the curlers I was used to wearing. Whilst I was waiting for the curlers to set, I applied my makeup carefully in the mirror. I layered greys, charcoals and blacks around my eyes to give them a smoky appearance. I kept the rest of my makeup simple, with a slight blush on my cheeks and a clear gloss on my lips. My lips where already ruby as a result of my recent feed.

Satisfied that my hair had enough time to set, she commenced removing the curlers from my hair. It fell into a mass of curls around my face. Sienna slowly pinned my hair back in sections creating a dramatic style. My hair was pinned back from both sides with sections weaved into each other; highlighted by pins that had red stones to complement my dress. When she was finished, Sienna looked thrilled with herself. I appraised myself in the mirror and was sightly startled by what I saw. I looked so like the girl I once was, I almost lost myself for a moment.

"Thank you Sienna. You have done a wonderful job," I said graciously.

"You are very welcome Grace. Do you need assistance to dress?" she asked.

"No thank you Sienna. I will be fine from here," I replied, as I walked her to the door.

I stood for a moment listening in to Alex. I could hear him getting ready down the hall. He was singing to himself in the shower. I smiled to myself as I made my way to the wardrobe. I was consistently amazed at how unaware Alex was about things. Katherine, Stephan and Lucas had really done an amazing job in keeping him ignorant of their lifestyle and the danger he was in. I shook my head slightly, hoping that I would be able to keep that façade alive for him. I found my dress, shoes and jewellery had all been laid out for me in the wardrobe. I stood for a moment, admiring the beauty of these items. It was unlikely that I would have cause to wear such extravagant things again for quite some time. Dressing slowly, I took time to make the small adjustments to my dress and jewellery to make sure they sat just right. Eventually I put on my shoes and placed the few items I would need in my clutch. Finally, I opened the satchel I had taken to school all week and removed my knife. I slid up my dress and strapped my knife to the inside of my thigh. I knew there was not a high chance that I would need it tonight but I felt naked without it.

There was a quiet knock at my door and I knew immediately it would be Lucas. Taking one last look at my appearance before I left, I quickly crossed the room and answered the door. A warm smile crept across Lucas's face when he saw me.

"Ah. I knew there was a lady in there somewhere. You look breathtaking Grace." Lucas complemented me taking a small bow and holding out his hand. I smiled at the old world gesture, though I should not have been surprised. In our day, a lady was never to arrive to a gentleman caller unattended even if it was just a plutonic arrangement.

"I am full of surprises Lucas. Don't forget, blending in seamlessly is part of my job description." I replied with a small courtesy, before taking his hand.

Lucas guided me towards the stairs and I could hear Katherine fussing over Alex in the hall, clearly not impressed with the way he had his tie. We made our way down the stairs. Katherine sighed with delight when she saw me descending the stair case. Alex stared, not blinking until his eyes met Lucas' and mine. A red blush then began to crawl up his cheeks. He attempted to move forward too quickly and stumbled over his feet. They had apparently not received the message to move. I withheld my laughter and waited until he righted himself before allowing Lucas to present me.

"May I present to you Miss Grace Kennedy?" Lucas announced, with a sense of formality.

"Grace... I mean wow... you look amazing!" Alex said, his eyes moving up and down my body.

"Thank you Alex. You look very handsome," I replied.

"I thought it would be nice if Alistair drove you to the ball tonight," Katherine asked me.

"That's a wonderful idea Katherine. It would be rather difficult to drive in these heels." I admitted, pleased that Katherine had thought to have another vampire in the area, and especially given it was an evening event.

"Well, we best let these two make their way or they will be late," Lucas said, nodding to Michael to open to door.

"Well have a wonderful time tonight I am sure you will be the envy of the ball," Katherine gushed.

"Goodnight Grace, Alex. Just call us if you need anything" Lucas said directing the last part to me.

We said our goodbyes and made our way to the car where Alistair was waiting. Alex opened my door and helped me into the car. As his hand grasped my elbow, I felt my body respond to his touch and hesitated momentarily. I felt overwhelmed as the blood rushed through my body and a million butterflies flew around my stomach. I could not understand the intensity of my emotions. I had heard about the blood lust from other vampires but they had never described it like this. It was more than just a desire to feed. I sat in the car using the few moments I had alone to control myself. I had no idea how I was to stay focused all night. Alistair silently drove us to the ball that was to be held in the school auditorium. I stared out the window into the darkening sky, scanning the area as we drove, for any sign of the Acelades. I could feel Alex sitting restlessly next to me, shuffling every few seconds.

"So, are you looking forward to tonight?" I asked, trying to break the silence, my voice faltering slightly as I met his gaze.

"Yeah. It should be fun, all of us hanging out," Alex replied, his tone unsure. I was highly conscious of Alistair, in the driver's seat, able to hear our awkward interactions.

"Of course it will be. I mean, after all of the talking up Lauren did, I am expecting wonders." I smiled, trying to lighten the tense mood.

'Well, I'll tell her that you have high expectations when we arrive," he replied. The mood eased and we talked easily the rest of the way about what we thought the ball would be like and about any other dances we had been to in the past.

When we arrived, Alistair pulled the car up to the front of the auditorium and exited quickly, rounding the car to open my door. Alex looked slightly dismayed at Alistair's quick actions but I was glad for the break and the opportunity to speak with Alistair.

"I want you to stay close and stay with the car at all times. If the Acelades are going to strike at night, this would be the perfect opportunity. Regardless of what happens, I need you to get Alex to the car and back to the manor, no questions asked. You don't wait for me and do not try to help me, understood?" I asked.

"Yes, Grace." Alistair replied solemnly.

"I will call out if I need you. I don't want you to be concerned about subtlety, just come and I will make the explanations later. Alex's safety is paramount." I concluded as Alex joined us. Alistair gave me a nod and returned to the car.

Daniel and Lauren were waiting for us when arrived. Lauren looked elegant in her ivory satin and pale blue chiffon dress. I smiled seeing that Daniel had resisted the temptation to wear his sneakers. He looked very handsome in his suit. Somehow, even though everyone around us was wearing formal attire, Alex and I seemed to stand out. It wasn't the designer labels. Everyone here had those on, but there was a subtle difference. I wondered if Alex could tell the difference. He looked godlike standing next to me and I could only imagine how incredibly beautiful he would be if he decided to make the change and become a vampire. I had little time to dwell on it however, as Lauren came rushing towards us her excitement evident. Perhaps that was the difference the elegance and poise of having lived in different times or having parents whose etiquette had developed over centuries.

"Oh my God, you two look unbelievable!" Lauren exclaimed kissing us both lightly on the cheeks. Her forthright affection startled me but I recovered before Daniel leaned in and kissed my cheek, then shook Alex's hand.

"You two do scrub up alright." He smiled.

"Lauren, you look fantastic. And Daniel, apart from your shoes you look very handsome." I replied smiling at Daniel.

We walked into the ball and were soon swept up into another world. The auditorium had been transformed. Round white tables were surrounding a large dance floor. There were snow flakes hanging in vertical rows from the ceiling and ice sculptures, depicting various winter themes around the room. To complement this, there were also fires burning in large brass pots on pillars around the room and burning candles galore. Each table had a different centrepiece depicting fire or ice. We stood for a few moments absorbing the sights before being met by a waiter who took us to our table.

Arriving at our table, I saw that we were seated with two other couples who looked vaguely familiar. Alex stood beside my chair, waiting for me to take my seat. I smiled appreciatively as I sat and was immediately overcome by our closeness. Alex brushed past me as he took his seat. My skin tingled. I made sure that I censured my reactions, knowing that Lauren was ever vigilant in her monitoring of our interactions. I did not desire any questioning. Conversation flowed easily around the table and it was soon time for the Principal to open the ball. Thankfully his speech was short and the waiters soon began carrying out trays of various types of cocktail food. I was able to politely refuse the various delicacies all of which smelt like dirt to me. I claimed that I had eaten before I left home and did not want to spill anything on my dress. Lauren sympathised and was taking the same approach. Alex and Daniel made up for our lack of appetite by consuming vast amounts from the platters each time the waiters came by our table.

Eventually, Lauren made her impatience obvious and Daniel invited her to dance. Alex and I were left alone at the table and the butterflies in my stomach returned. We sat quietly for a few minutes watching the couples dancing, I found myself smiling at their disjointed movements which mostly consisted of swaying from side to side. It was nothing like the graceful dancing of my day.

"Would you like to dance?" Alex asked quietly in my ear. I could feel his breath on my skin. I turned around more quickly than intended, surprised by his closeness and his apparent nerves.

"It would be my pleasure," I replied, taking Alex's hand and allowing him to lead me to the dance floor. My skin burned with a pleasant tingling sensation wherever Alex touched me. I allowed myself to enjoy the feel of his hands on my arm and waist as he led me into the centre of the floor. Looking around I began to feel unprepared as I observed the closeness of the couples dancing. I felt inept at reproducing their unfamiliar and clunky moves. My worries were disrupted by Alex who spun me around to face him. Our gazes locked. He placed his arm around my waist and set our bodies into a waltz hold. I followed his lead, placed my hand on his shoulder and allowed him to lead. We began to dance and I lost sight of everything else in the room except for Alex. I felt the sheer pleasure of twirling around the floor and was amazed at Alex's dancing abilities. His eyes never left mine as we danced. The intensity of his gaze was almost unbearable. I could feel the pressure on my skin where he was holding me tightly in his arms. He still maintained the appropriate distance of a gentleman.

Finally, the song finished, and I realised that our dancing had become the centre of attention. A large circle had formed around the edges of the dance floor. Some couples still dancing, but mostly, people were watching Alex and me as we spun around the floor. I looked at Alex who smiled impishly and seeing the look of discomfort on my face leaned in closer and whispered "Let's get some air."

I nodded and allowed him to lead me out of the auditorium and into the night, passing Lauren and Daniel on the way. Their faces looked stunned to put it mildly. Once we were outside, Alex continued to hold my hand as we wandered up the path to a small garden and sat on a bench. Alex sat so close to me that our legs were touching. I could feel his anticipation and desire as he sat next to me. I hated that I was going to have to refuse him and then remain with him for the next few months, which would undoubtedly be unbearable. Alex made swirls with his thumb into the palm of my hand while our fingers remained intertwined. His actions sent lines of tingling sensations through my body. I could feel the heat coming from his body warming my skin. I stared off into the dark night, trying to gain my focus which was difficult when I was being consumed by Alex's scent with every breath I inhaled. I could stop my breathing but I was sure in a dress this tight, it would be evident and no doubt lead to even more questions. I figured my best option was to make conversation until someone else came outside.

"Where did you learn to waltz?" I asked, making the mistake of turning to face Alex. I found temporarily lost in his gaze.

"My mother taught me. She said the only way to get the best girl is to be able to waltz," he replied, squeezing my hand lightly as he moved our hands to his lap closing what little distance there was between us.

"Oh. Well uh... you dance every well," I stammered, surprised by the adrenaline surging through my body. I could not make myself move even though I knew I needed to put some distance between Alex and me.

"Thank you. I had a very good partner. You were amazing out there. Everyone was staring at you," he replied, his eyes bright with admiration. We were quiet for a few moments and allowed the sounds of the night to fill the air. I could hear the dull sound of the music coming from the auditorium and the hum of the different conversations occurring in there. I could hear the drivers out the front talking during their poker game and the manic rush in the kitchen.

"Grace," Alex's quiet voice captured my attention. Our faces were only a few inches from each other and I could feel the urge to close that gap, fighting with reason in my mind.

"I'm really glad you came with me tonight. I can't imagine anyone else I would rather be here with than you." He continued his eyes were hesitant as he attempted to gauge my response. I needed to end this now.

"Alex I..." My response was interrupted by Alex's lips softly pressing themselves against mine. He was hesitant at first, applying soft pressure to show his intentions but not forcing himself. My body took control and began to respond. Our lips were slowly curving in harmony with each other. His tongue skimmed my teeth and my body shivered in response. Alex slowly released my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist. His other hand softly cupped my face, his fingers brushing my cheek. My hands moved around his neck so that my fingers were able to ruffle through his hair. I could feel the restrained urgency in his kiss and felt my will being completely overpowered. My mind was flooded with images of our life together and my body ached to be completely aligned with his body.

Suddenly, I heard a branch snap and reality came crushing down on me!

# ~12~

I had allowed Alex to be outside at night, within metres of the dark forest that would be perfect for an attack. To make matters worse, I had completely let my guard down and had no idea of our surroundings. Instantly my body and mind were refocused. I scanned the area and could detect no presence other than Alistair in the car. I could hear rustling from edge of the forest and spun around to the direction from where the noise was originating. Alex looked slightly confused and hurt about my sudden retraction until his gaze turned to the same direction.

Tristan and his friends were stumbling out of the forest looking dishevelled and animated. He stopped dead when he saw Alex and me, his eyes narrowing and a dark look crept across his face.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said, as he started strutting over to where Alex and I were sitting. I could smell the alcohol seeping from his pores and observed the stagger in his step. His friends seemed to follow his lead and began to walk towards us menacingly.

"Good evening Tristan. Enjoying the ball?" I asked, already assessing our exit strategy. I could tell they were here to cause trouble and I did not want to be responsible for having to control my reaction. Tristan had already tested my patience three times this week.

"Clearly not as much as you!" He spat standing over us.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex demanded, coming face to face with Tristan, attempting to be chivalrous no doubt.

"I'm talking about your little harlot getting her groove on," Tristan replied, slurring his speech slightly. His friends appeared to find this hilarious, laughing and jeering behind him.

"You better apologise, Tristan." Alex warned, firming up his stance and preparing to fight.

"Sit down Alex." Tristan shoved Alex backward and he stumbled against the bench. My reflexes kicked in and I grabbed Alex guiding him safely to his seat.

"Maybe it's my turn to take you for a spin?" Tristan said as he grabbed my arm. Alex reacted as I expected and attempted to throw Tristan backwards. Tristan yelled out and his friends advanced towards Alex. This had gone on long enough. Alex was in danger of being hurt. Tristan and his friends were intoxicated and were unlikely to know their own strength or when to stop.

"Tristan, this is your last chance to leave," I said. My voice was flat as I could feel myself changing into a protector.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll hang around." He smirked as his two friends circled us. It was only then that I realised there was a small mark on Tristan's neck. It looked several days old but I knew instantly what it meant. Scarlet was using Tristan as a puppet in her sick attempt to get Alex. It also meant that she was no longer in Italy and the risk to Alex had increased immensely. Alex moved to place himself in between me and Tristan. Tristan laughed humourlessly.

"If you think you're going to stop me having your little girlfriend you're wrong!" he said cruelly, his eyes looking over me like a prize. Tristan moved forward to strike Alex and I reacted quickly. I grabbed his arm and twisted it backward so that it slammed into his back, pushing away him from Alex. One of his friends attempted to grab me. I threw off his arms, before spinning around my leg knocking his out from under him. As he fell, I pushed my palms into his chest and sent him flying into a nearby tree. He hit the trunk with a sicking thud, groaned and fell into unconsciousness. By this time Tristan had recovered. His other friend grabbed Alex's arms so he couldn't defend himself. Alex struggled against him trying to free himself. I could see the terror in his eyes, mixed with a look of confusion.

Tristan raised his fist again but I was faster. I grabbed his fist mid punch and felt the bones in his hand crack. He let out a cry and stumbled backwards. I took advantage of his distraction and landed a punch across his face. His head flew backwards and its momentum took his body with him. He landed on the ground and gasped for air, clearly winded. Finally, I turned to the final opponent. He looked from Tristan to his other friend and back to me. He released Alex and took a step back holding, his hands up in surrender. I knew that I couldn't let him go. He had seen too much and I was not yet sated.

"Too late to give up," I snarled, stepping past Alex. I could not look him in the eye. I had never imagined him seeing me like this and I could only imagine the fear he felt, seeing me so dangerous. I remembered my first vision of Francesca. I made quick work of the boy, with two quick taps to his head. His drunken stupor aided his dive into unconsciousness. I stood for a moment, centring myself, taking deep breaths. I swallowed the poison that had built up in my mouth before I turned to face Alex. He was looking at me with disbelief but I did not have time to waste on giving him an explanation.

"Alistair," I called out. He was at my side almost instantly. He surveyed the area and saw the three males splayed out across the lawns and gardens bed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Scarlet has turned Tristan into a radio receiver. She bit him which means that she has likely been able to hear and see everything Tristan has heard and seen including Alex's routines. Now we need to make this believable, Alistair. I need some marks," I informed him. Alex stood silent still not comprehending the situation. Alistair obliging landed a solid blow to my face and grabbed my arm roughly, both of which left red marks that could pass for possible bruising. I dishevelled my hair and ripped my gown to perfect the alibi.

"Alex," I said quietly, turning and facing him, taking his hands in mine and trying to ignore the tingling sensation it caused.

"Alex," I repeated, trying to gain his attention

"What... I..."

"Alex, I promise I will explain everything but for now I need your help. You need to follow my lead, ok. You can't let anyone know I did this. It needs to be you." I pleaded with him, staring in his eyes, hoping for some sort of commitment. He took a deep breath and evaluated me. He seemed to believe me and nodded.

I let out a loud cry and soon students and teachers started to file out of the auditorium to see what had caused the noise. We were soon surrounded by a large group of students. I could hear whispers questioning what had happened. Lauren and Daniel broke through the crowd and rushed to us, their faces full of concern and worry.

"What happened?" Lauren asked, looking from me to Alex.

"I... ah..." Alex stuttered.

"Tristan attacked us! I can't believe it. We were just sitting here and he came and attacked us. We just... we were just sitting there and Tristan came out of the forest with his friends. They came over to us and were standing all over us and then he just... Tristan grabbed me and tried to make me dance with him. He was gripping me so tight and his friends were all leering at me. Of course, Alex tried to stop them and then the most awful fight broke out. I was screaming out and Alistair must have been having a smoke and heard the fight. He ran over and helped Alex. I mean Alex already had those two on the ground but Tristan was still coming at me. If Alex hadn't been there I just don't know what would have happened. They were in high or something. It was just awful!" I shivered, trying to insinuate what might have happened. From the looks of Lauren and Daniel, they bought the story.

"Thank God you were there Alex. I always thought Tristan was a loose cannon but I never thought he'd do something like that," Daniel said, shooting a dark look in Tristan's direction.

Teachers were attending to the boys. They all had returned to consciousness. They all appeared dazed and still very much intoxicated. I was almost positive they would follow our story, not wanting to admit being beaten up by a girl. Alistair was standing behind us talking with the principal. Obviously he was providing the same story I had. I could hear the principal's shocked reaction followed by questions about my well being. He moved towards me, informing the other teachers not to let the boys out of their sight.

"Miss Kennedy I have just heard what happened. Are you ok?" he asked kindly.

"She'll be fine but I think she's in a bit of shock. I would like to get her home if that's ok with you? I am sure any further information you need can be obtained on Monday," Alex answered for me. He placed his coat around my arms and his arm around my waist. With that, Alex said a brief goodbye to Lauren and Daniel and led me to the car. Alistair followed silently. I was in a state of shock. The scent of Alex was all around me from his coat and his arm around my waist was burning my skin. We got to the car and Alistair passed me the keys and entered the back with Alex. I started the car and sped out of the car park. I knew Alex wanted answers but I needed him to be safe first. I drove much faster than I normally would have with Alex but there appeared little need to put on a front now.

The cars flew past us in the other direction as I weaved in out of the light traffic on the freeway. I was on constant guard, scanning the area for any activity. I knew it was unlikely that Scarlet would remain in the area but I could not be sure she wouldn't leave any of her henchmen behind.

"Grace," Alex said quietly from the back seat.

"Yes Alex," I replied, my voice flat as I struggled for control.

"What is going on?" he asked his voice shaking.

"I really can't explain it right now Alex. I just need to get you back to Katherine and Lucas. They can tell you everything," I answered him, my eyes flicking momentarily to meet Alistair's in the rear view mirror. His face was dead pan, his eyes scanning the area. I knew he was worried about what had happened and probably more worried about what would happen when we returned to the manor.

"I don't want to hear it from Mom or Grandfather. I want you to tell me!" he refuted my attempts to dodge his questions. Thankfully, I could see the manor rising in the distance and increased my speed. I didn't hesitate as I drove through the gates, spinning the car 180 degrees at the doors of the manor. Alistair covered Alex as he exited the car. I felt a stab of jealousy as he directed Alex into the manor.

"Michael, George! I need you both to do a perimeter check on the house and the alarm system. I want to make sure that no one has accessed the estate grounds. Everyone else in the kitchen. If any of you have been traitors, consider this your head start," I said as I entered the house. I could see Alex staring at me incredulously as my voice did not increase in volume above my normal level. Despite the fact that none of the house staff except Alistair were anywhere nearby, he couldn't believe I expected them to hear me.

"How exactly, do you think they are going to hear you? And what do you mean a head start?" He asked struggling to keep up with me as I headed towards the library. Unhappy with my lack of response, Alex grabbed my arm to stop me. I knew I could shrug off his arm and continue, but I could also sense the urgency and desperation in his touch. My skin still tingled and I had to force myself to concentrate and not return to that moment in garden.

"Grace, you have to tell me what's going on?" Alex begged, his eyes searching mine. "Please, I need to know," he begged.

"Alex, I can't tell you what happened. I wish I could but I can't. We need to go and speak to Lucas and Katherine." I sighed wishing I could offer him more. We stood for a moment in silence staring at each other. The tension was thick in the air. I felt myself losing control. All I could see was Alex and my body was crying out for him to kiss me again. When we stood this close, it was easy to forget the danger he was in and lose myself in simply being with him. Alex leaned in closer to me, his lips only inches from mine. I was surrounded by his scent and was starting to feel light headed.

"Grace," he whispered. His eyes were deep pools that I felt myself falling into.

Lucas opened the door, snapping me back to attention. Instinctively, I stepped away from Alex shaking my head to clear my thoughts. Alex's hand was still wrapped around my arm and a dark crimson was climbing onto his face. Lucas was clearly surprised but he quickly recovered, a peaceful calm settled over his face.

"Grace. Alex. I didn't expect to see you home so soon," he said and stood awaiting an explanation.

"We ran into a problem at the ball." I said, looking from Alex to Lucas.

"A problem?" Lucas looked quizzically from Alex to me.

"Not this," I said coolly, increasing the space between Alex and I. "Scarlet." That word was enough to startle Lucas. He stepped back from the door, allowing us entry. I could see Alex's expression was confused. Katherine was sitting on the lounge when we entered, the smile immediately draining from her face.

"Grace, Grace what happened!" she demanded, rushing to Alex and returning with him to the lounge.

I took the armchair facing the door so that I could watch for Alistair or George approaching. Lucas sat opposite me, his face grave with concern. I took a deep breath and sat forward in my chair.

"Scarlet has been in the area. She has bitten Tristan and was no doubt using him to get information about Alex. He and two of his friends tried to attack us tonight. I had no option, I had to react." I stated this like I would any other incident report.

"You did what?" Katherine shouted. "You just couldn't wait to show Alex the truth could you!" She continued, on the verge of hysteria.

"Katherine," Lucas said quietly, but she paid him no mind.

"I bet you have already told him all of our secrets. Seventeen years we kept him safe and you ruin it in a week!" she shouted.

"Mind your tongue Katherine. I will not tolerate your hysteria or accusations!" I growled. Alex's head snapped towards me, shocked by my tone.

"I have followed the instructions that you gave me upon my arrival here. I have protected your secrets despite my better judgement but I will not risk Alex's safety or my reputation for your fantasy. Do you understand that Alex could have been killed tonight had I not acted? Those boys were intoxicated and out of control not to mention providing a first hand insight into Alex's movements and vulnerabilities. I will not apologise for doing my job and protecting your son." I continued in a harsh tone that I normally reserved for Acelades members. There was a light knock on the door which brought a tense silence.

"Come in," Lucas permitted. Alistair entered and gave me a quick nod. I returned a small nod and he exited.

"The boys that attacked us were knocked unconscious and a plausible and concrete explanation was formed, Alex was seen as the hero. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to see the staff and assess the damage. Alex has a lot of questions that I am sure will be better answered by you two than me." I concluded and rose to leave.

"Grace!" Alex shouted standing to meet me.

"Alex, you need to wait here," I said sternly, not wanting to cause a larger scene than the one that was already unfolding.

"So do you," he replied just as sternly. "You owe me answers."

"Alex as I said before, I am not the one to give you those answers. Your Mom and Grandfather have the answers," I replied. Alex's face fell and I faltered momentarily.

"Listen Alex," I said more kindly. "I need to go and take care of some things but I will return. That will give you a chance to ask your questions. If you still have more questions and if I can answer them, I will." I promised, not waiting for a reply or daring to look at Lucas or Katherine.

Leaving the room, I made my way quickly to the kitchen where the staff were assembled. A quick head count told me they were all there which meant that either they were all innocent or someone thought far too much of themselves. I eyed them carefully, looking for any signs of disloyalty. All of the staff looked concerned, but given my warning, I could not be surprised. Sienna and Martha looked harried and even George had lost his reserved demeanour, his eyes shifting around constantly.

"There has been an attack and Scarlet has decided to use a human to get more information on Alex. Obviously she has penetrated the school and she could have just as easily penetrated here. None of you have abandoned the manor so I take it that you are either all faithful or very mislead," I stated flatly, watching for any changes in the expressions of Lucas's staff.

"At this point, the estate does not appear to have been infiltrated. Is that correct?" I asked Alistair and George. They both nodded much to the relief of the staff.

"Scarlet is very cunning and I cannot guarantee that she will not attempt to come into the estate. You must all be vigilant of yourselves and of each other. If you notice any changes, inform me immediately. As for security, no one outside of this room except for Lucas, Alex, Katherine and Stephan are to enter the estate grounds. When Stephan returns, I am to be notified the moment he arrives. I know this sounds paranoid but the Acelades will stop at nothing to destroy us."

I was met by nods and a sense of determination. I knew that Lucas's staff were intensely loyal and would protect his fortress with their life. That was why it was so important for them to know how serious this situation was. There was nothing further for me to add so I dismissed the staff and took a few moments to gather myself. George remained behind until we were alone in the kitchen.

"Miss," he asked tentatively. I stopped rubbing my temples and opened my eyes to meet his.

"I know that had it not been for you Alex would not still be here tonight. Do not let Katherine deter you. That boy was going to find out one day and better he know the danger he is in," he remarked, before taking his leave and heading out into the night. I knew how hard it must have been for him to speak out against the Sempre family. He had always looked after me, even when I was only young and still could not control my powers.

It didn't matter how long I waited in the kitchen, I knew eventually that I would have to return to library and face Alex. There was silence in the library. I couldn't understand why there was no yelling or crying and that made me even more nervous. Taking a deep breath I walked out of the kitchen and returned to the library. I hesitated briefly outside of the door before knocking and awaiting entry.

Alex met me at the door, his face set in stone. I could not read him. He stood aside and let me enter I felt a sense of apprehension in the air as I looked at Lucas and Katherine. Their faces both conveyed a look of concern and worry. Alex shut the door and turned to face us. I noticed a shift in the room. Alex had taken the seat previously occupied Lucas.

"Now, I want you to tell me what is going on." Alex directed this to me at the exclusion of Lucas and Katherine.

"Alex... I...ah...I am sure that Katherine and Lucas are better suited to answer your questions than I am," I replied, stalling for time to find out what Alex had already been told.

"No!" Alex replied fiercely, putting his hand out to stop Lucas and Katherine both of whom wanted to answer.

"Alex has decided that he would rather hear the reasons for the incident tonight from you than from his mother or I." Lucas spoke to me softly, his eyes filled with emotion unlike I had ever seen in them before.

"Alex, I am not sure what I can tell you," I replied honestly looking from Alex to Lucas and Katherine. Lucas looked at Katherine who appeared to be crumbling.

"I believe it is time that my grandson was told the truth Grace. He has clearly decided that he would like to hear it from you so please speak with ease." Lucas granted me permission, in effect shifting the burden of explanation to me.

Taking a deep breath I turned to face Alex. His eyes were deep pools, pleading for information. I was about to give him the information he was so desperately seeking, the information that would change his life forever.

"Alex, I'm a protector. I was assigned to protect you from the Acelades family who are trying to abduct you to fulfil a prophecy and obtain more power than the world has ever known," I said staring directly into his eyes. I could see the look of confusion and incredulity on his face.

"What are you talking about? Damn it Grace! I want the truth!" he shouted.

"I am telling you the truth Alex," I replied quietly.

"No you're not! You're giving me half answers that don't make sense," he replied exasperated.

"You are not giving me a chance to explain. This is complicated and will take some understanding on your part. I am a protector. I was assigned to ensure your safety from the Acelades and to ensure that the prophecy was not fulfilled." I continued, holding my hand up to silence Alex as he began to interrupt.

"Alex, I'm a vampire," I said. Even as the words left my mouth, I could not believe that I was telling him this. It wasn't right. I was shattering his whole life. Katherine was right. It was better that he didn't know, his happiness should come first. Even as I thought this, a vague idea was forming in the back of my mind. I pushed it aside so I could focus on Alex. He was all that mattered.

"What?" he shouted, looking at me as if I had lost my mind. He turned his head to Lucas and Katherine. Katherine's face was set in stone.

"Just let her finish," Lucas said softly. However, the command was clear in his voice.

"Thank you Lucas," I said, returning to Alex. "I know how crazy this sounds. Please believe me. I did not want you to find out like this but it's true. I am vampire and so are Katherine and Lucas. I belong to a secret society that protects other vampires and our way of life. At this moment, you are in danger and I was asked by Lucas to ensure that nothing happened to you. That's what happened tonight. Tristan and his friends would have attacked you," I said, hearing my voice trembling. I had no idea how Alex would react and that frightened me.

"I don't believe you. I've seen you out in the day and eating food. There is no way you are a vampire. Don't you think I would know if my mother was a vampire?" he said defiantly.

"No. You wouldn't. Real vampires aren't like what you see in the movies. We can go out in the sun, eat food if we have to and we are masters at deception. There is a reason that the world doesn't believe in vampires. It is because they are kept hidden. Your mother has gone to extreme lengths to keep her identity from you and protect you until you were ready." I attempted to explain but I could tell from Alex's expression that he still did not believe me.

"She is telling you the truth Alex," Katherine said quietly. "I never wanted you to find out like this. I always hoped that you would never have to find out."

"But if you are a vampire, how come I'm not?" Alex asked. I could see the impact that Katherine's words had on him.

"I honestly have no idea. You were born human and there does not appear to be a clear explanation for it. You don't seem to be making a transition into a vampire," she said turning her body towards Alex and taking his hand.

"How could you not have told me?" he asked.

"Because I wanted you to have a choice" she said her voice thick with emotion.

"I can't deal with this," Alex said, standing up. His eyes filled with anger. He cast a dark look in my direction and stormed out of the library. Katherine started to sob and collapsed in Lucas's arms. I felt awkward intruding on her pain and wanted some time alone to think. My head was swimming with the nights events. I gave Lucas a brief nod and left the room.

As I climbed the stairs I could hear Alex raging in his bedroom. He was throwing things around in a fit of anger and I can't say I blamed him. His whole world was crashing down and everyone he knew had lied to him. My heart ached to comfort him and I found myself hesitating in front of his door. I knew that I needed to let him be. It was not my place to force myself on him. I was his protector and I could not let myself become anything more. He did not need me in his life and he could not become dependent on me. I would be out of his life soon, but even as I thought it, I didn't believe it. Eventually I gathered enough strength to force myself away from his door.

Once I was in my bedroom, I took a long hot shower and tried to clear my head. I kept running the events of the night over in my mind, continually straying back to when Alex and I were in the garden. Remembering his lips on mine made the butterflies in my stomach ignite and my knees feel week. The flashes of our future together played in my mind. I felt confused and disorientated by what was happening. The future was not something that I had ever considered and suddenly it hit me. A cold chill ran through my body. I didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be happening to me and certainly not with Alex. I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a robe. Walking in a daze, I made my way to my bed. All of the pieces fell into place. The strange urges to attack Alex, my loss of control, blacking out, the flashes of our future together. Alex was my other half.

I had read stories about vampires who met their other halves in humans and their stories were consistent with my experience. I couldn't believe I had missed the signs. I never believed that this would happen to me. Meeting my other half was not part of this assignment. My life was only about tracking down the Acelades who were responsible for the death of my family. Stumbling, I managed to dress myself in forest green satin lace trimmed shorts and a matching camisole. I replayed over in my mind all of the events that confirmed Alex was my other half. I had no idea how I was going to explain this to Lucas. He couldn't find out about this. It would ruin me.

The pitcher of blood was drained before I even realised I was drinking. Wiping away the blood that trickled down my chin, I felt my system recharge and my thoughts calm. Collapsing onto the sofa, I was overcome with exhaustion. I closed my eyes and felt myself slipping into unconsciousness. A light knock brought me back to the room. It took me a second to orientate myself before I started my way to the door, subconsciously fixing my hair and straightening my camisole.

Alex was waiting at my door. His face was filled with anguish, his appearance dishevelled. He was still wearing his suit pants and shirt but his jacket, tie and shoes had been removed. I could see he had run his fingers through his hair and it was pointing in several different directions. Looking at his socks brought a smile to my face. Only Alex would wear cartoon socks with a suit. I stood back from the door to let Alex enter. My nerves were on edge. I didn't know how to react or what to expect from him. His eyes were searching mine, his face torn.

"Just tell me," he said finally. "Was any of it real?"

# ~13~

"Of course it was Alex," I replied. "Why would I make up a story like that?" I was hoping that he was referring to me being a vampire but knowing he wasn't.

"You know that's not what I mean," he said fiercely walking past me and over to the sofa in my room. He sat heavily, placing his head in his hands. His face was obscured but I could tell his distress. I hesitated briefly at the door before closing it and joining him on the sofa. My nerves were on edge sitting this close to Alex. The heat between us was strong and there was tension in the air. Underdressed in my pyjamas, I couldn't believe that this was the second time Alex had intruded on me in a state of undress.

"Alex," I said softly, forcing myself to place a hand on his arm. The electrical current surged through my body and I fought to keep myself in check. The feelings were even stronger now. "Alex, please look at me." I pleaded, needing him to look at me so that I could attempt to explain my reasons for ruining his life. He lifted his head, the pain showing on his face.

"I am going to try to explain as best I can what happened tonight and why I am here. But I need to start at the beginning and explain a few things for you to understand. For me to do that you need to listen and try to wait until I finish before you shout or ask questions or storm out. Ok?" I negotiated.

"Ok," Alex said flatly.

"What you heard earlier is true. I am a vampire and so are Lucas, Katherine and all of the house staff. Vampires do exist and there are more than you think. You come from a very long line of vampires, the Sempre family who are quite important to our race. Lucas is the head of the Vampire Council. The Vampire Council controls the vampire race and make sure that we remain unknown. As a protector I work for the Council, eliminating rouge vampires, providing protection to other vampires and fighting the Acelades. The Acelades are another ancient vampire family. Their sole purpose is to destroy the Sempre family. Your Grandfather asked me to come here and protect you. You are at great risk because of a prophecy that Benedict Acelades, the head of the Acelades family is trying to fulfil." I finished, holding my breath trying to read his response.

"I don't understand," Alex said confused. "My family is some all powerful vampire family and they are fighting with another family the ...Acclode."

"Acelades," I corrected.

"The Acelades and now these Acelades want me for some prophecy?" Alex continued.

"Yes. I know it's a lot to take in," I replied

"A lot to take in is an understatement," he answered. "What makes the Acelades think that I have anything to do with the prophecy?"

"Well, the prophecy states that a time will come when a child is born of vampires but is not a vampire. That's you. This child will grow and age with the sun. At the same time another child will be born of vampires and have powers beyond compare. This is Benedict Acelades granddaughter, Scarlet. If these two should meet and their souls be found to be the other's half they will form a union unlike the world has ever seen. This union will cause the death and destruction of the human world and allow one family to rule all vampires and humans alike." I stated the prophecy clearly.

"So what, you're going to scan every girl I meet to make sure she's not this Scarlet vampire?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course not," I smiled. "I will know Scarlet Benedict far before she gets close enough to you to ask you out. Besides, for the prophecy to come true, you and Scarlet need to consummate your relationship by the time you are 18."

"Consummate? Just how old are you?" Alex asked.

"I didn't write the prophecy and I'm not that much older than you. I'm eighteen," I countered.

"Eighteen? Just how long have you been eighteen? Or do you age like me? How old am I?" Alex thought aloud.

"Calm down Alex. You age just like a human. I don't age but, believe me when I was human the word consummate would still have been too risqué for me to say." I consoled him, trying to make him laugh.

Alex smiled and looked at me. I could feel myself being drawn to him like nothing else mattered in the world. I felt as though I could stay in this moment with Alex forever. It was unbelievable to me that I hadn't realised Alex was my other half earlier. He moved towards me slowly and grasped my hand in his. I felt my body surge with love and anticipation. Our faces were now only inches from each other. The hesitation was clear on Alex's face. Leaning forward I closed the gap between us and our lips met. At first, our kisses were soft and slow. Alex sat next to me, our legs touching, still holding my hands in his, our fingers intertwined. Slowly, the intensity built up and Alex took control, his hands moving around my waist pulling me closer to him. His mouth moved from my lips across my jaw and down my neck. Every kiss burned my skin and sent electrical currents through my body overloading my system until I was sure I could take no more.

Gently, Alex leaned me back onto the lounge and moved his body so he rested over mine. I could feel his hesitation as he tried valiantly to hold his weight above mine unaware that despite its appearance, my body was like a solid rock. He ran his fingers through my hair staring intently at my face. Both our breaths were ragged. Alex's lips returned to mine and he kissed me hard, our bodies touching across every plane. My hands moved down his back and I could feel his heart racing.

The sound of his blood pumping through his system started filling my head in stereo. My body reacted to his presence immediately. I could smell the scent of his blood, a delicate blend of rust, salt and musk. His veins began to appear like a blue print on his body and my eyes were discerning the best vantage point to attack. The heat from his skin reminded me of the warmth that would spread through me as I drank his blood. I could feel the killer in me taking control in a way I had never experienced before. I gathered my strength and pushed Alex away. Confusion swept across his face as I leapt from the sofa and crossed the room to the large windows over looking the estate. Cool night air flooded into the room as I threw open the windows dissipating the tension that had built up in the room.

"You need to leave," I ordered Alex, my back still facing him.

"What... Grace, did I do something wrong?" he asked, worry filling his voice.

"No, but I might if you don't leave right now," I whispered still struggling from control. My muscles were burning and the poison in my fangs was refusing to retreat.

"What does that mean? You think being with me is wrong somehow?" he demanded, anger replacing the worry.

"Alex, I really don't have the patience to deal with this right now. Go back to your room and we can speak in the morning." I said clutching at the window sill. I grasped it so hard that the wood crumbled in my hand.

"Look at me Grace. Damn it! I don't understand you at all. Do you not want to be with me? Because if that's the case, I'll leave right now and I won't bother you again. But I want to you look me in the eye and tell me." Alex shouted.

My heart ached for Alex. He had been through hell tonight and I was only making it worse. I knew I needed to tell him to leave, that it had all been a big mistake and that I didn't want to be with him. If he truly was my other half, I had to do what was necessary to make him safe and happy. Being with me right now was doing neither of those things. Even as I ran through this scenario in my head, I knew I would never make my argument convincing. My only chance was to let him see the killer in me and hope to god that he realised we would never be together. I swallowed hard and turned to face him.

I watched his expression closely despite the distance between us. My vampire sight allowed me to see his face clearly and I watched for the signs of horror and disgust to appear on his face. I had worn those same emotions the first time I saw my transformation. The face Alex would be seeing was not the Grace he knew. My eyes would be black pools, completely devoid of emotion. My skin would appear like white granite as my muscles prepared for conflict. Blood would have pooled at my lips making them full, with a blue tinge around the edges. My expression was hard set and unreadable. I raised my arm and opened my palm to show Alex the crumpled window sill all the time searching his face. He stood still watching me, his eyes moving over my body and face slowly as if he were committing me to memory. Without breaking his stare, Alex started walking towards me.

"Alex, you need to leave. Now!" I growled, not understanding why he was not as disgusted with me as I was.

"Grace. What has happened to you?' he asked, still walking towards me.

"Nothing happened to me Alex. This is what I am. I'm a vampire, a killer. This is what I really look like. Now you can see why you need to leave. You're not safe to be around me." I snarled, putting my hand up as a barrier between us.

"No, this isn't you," Alex argued, standing in front of me. "If you were really a killer, you would have killed me instead of pulling away. Those boys at the ball would be dead. You may be a vampire but I don't believe you are a killer, Grace."

We stood there staring at each other in silence. A war for control raged inside me. I knew I didn't want to kill Alex. Never in my existence as a vampire had I wanted to kill a human, and especially not Alex, my other half. He was a part of me but the ruthless animal in me could only think of how sweet his blood would taste and craved it uncontrollably. Alex placed his hand on my arm. His innocence struck me. He had no idea how much danger he was in and only wanted to ease my pain.

"Grace, do you want to drink my blood? Would it make being around me easier?" he asked. His voice filled with compassion for my current state. His generosity sobered me instantly. I could feel the muscles in my body relaxing, the poison receding from my fangs and the pools of blackness draining from my eyes. Dropping the broken window sill from my hand, I collapsed against the wall exhausted.

"No Alex I don't want to drink your blood. I don't do that," I sighed, finally meeting his gaze.

"What do you mean you don't do that?" he queried.

"Drink human blood. I don't drink human blood only animal blood. After feeling what it's like to be feasted on, I would never do it to another person," I answered honestly.

"Oh," Alex said surprised. "I didn't realise, sorry."

"There is no need to apologise. You weren't to know. But I really must insist that we part for the evening. It has been a big night for both of us," I informed him as I made my way towards the door.

"What? I couldn't possibly sleep. I have so many questions," Alex countered.

"Alex, you don't have to sleep but you do need to go. I have to feed and complete an incident report for tonight. I will be here tomorrow to answer your questions I promise." I finished, smiling at Alex in the door way.

"I am going to hold you to that Grace," Alex grinned, kissing me lightly on the cheek as he exited my room.

I was keyed up and needed to feed. I quickly dressed in my black sweats and runners, jumping swiftly from the window and landing silently on the ground. As I ran through the estate grounds, images of my night with Alex flashed through my mind sending my adrenaline racing. I had never had trouble focusing on hunting before but as I made my way through the forest, my mind continued to wander. Disciplining myself to concentrate, I located a herd of deer and fed quickly. The blood soon flowed through my veins and I regained some focus. There was a definite need to put some distance between Alex and me. I couldn't risk losing control or worse, allowing Katherine and Lucas to notice that Alex was my other half. There were specific rules in place to prevent protectors from engaging in relationships with their targets, especially when the target was a member of the Sempre family. I remembered the outrage when Katherine and John commenced their relationship and he was no longer her protector and had established himself as a favoured protector of the Council. At least Alex did not understand what it meant to find your other half. His behaviour could be passed off as simple infatuation, provided I could control my actions. I certainly did not want to be removed from Alex's protection. There was no one else I trusted and I would not miss my opportunity to strike out against the Acelades.

Returning back to the manor I completed a perfunctory incident report and forwarded it to Marius. By protector standards, the night's incident was fairly minor. Alex had never really been in danger from Tristan and his friends however, the fact that Scarlet was so nearby, was concerning. I really should have documented the events for Marius to comment on and I was sure that he would have questions for me in the morning. But, the exhaustion was gnawing at me. I knew that Alex would be ready early tomorrow with unlimited questions and I was unlikely to forget the events of the night to discuss with Marius. I fell into bed, my mind still racing, despite my exhaustion. My thoughts continued to return to Alex, sending my adrenaline racing. I focused on my breathing, willing myself to calm down so that I could return to sleep. At some point during the night I slipped into unconsciousness and my dreams returned. I was running again and my fear was intense. The pain was still unbearable as they tore into my skin but the worst was when William left me. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes and could not wake despite my protests to reliving this experience.

The morning was a blessing. The sun came streaming through the windows and chased the evening and my dreams away. I was thankful it was Sunday and we didn't have to attend Creswick Academy today. Alex and I needed some more time to organise our story about last night and I felt more in control of Alex's protection whilst we were at the manor than when we were outside. Still feeling a little groggy, I had a cold shower to recharge my system. Dressing in dark denims and a ruby red v neck sweater I slipped into gold ballet flats and replaced my cross around my neck. I allowed my hair to fall around my face after a light blow dry and kept my makeup simple.

I made my way to the sofa and opened my laptop to check my emails. As expected, there was an email from Marius requesting that I be available to converse this morning. I was drafting my reply when there was a knock at my door.

"Come in," I called, knowing that it was Alex at the door from the sound of his footsteps down the hall. Alex entered the room, his eyes immediately surveying my body. I could feel his heart rate increase and refused to meet his gaze until he was standing beside me, his hand brushing my leg.

"Are you coming to breakfast?" Alex asked, clearly intending on accompanying me.

"Hmm, I assumed that since you now know about us it would no longer be necessary to continue the façade. I don't enjoy the taste of dirt and enjoy choking my food back up even less. How about you go and have some breakfast whilst I finish up here? I am sure that Katherine would enjoy some time with you on your own after last night," I answered as I sent my email to Marius informing him I was available.

"You choke your food back up?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Of course," I replied "Our stomachs don't process food and anything besides blood tastes like dirt.... You really do have a lot to learn about our ways. Be kind to Katherine and Lucas. They will be concerned about you but also possibly relieved that they no longer have to pretend."

"Ok," Alex said slowly. I could feel his hesitation.

"I will be here when you finish Alex to answer your questions as promised." I smiled hoping that he would leave before Marius called.

"Great," Alex said enthusiastically. "Want me to bring you back some blood?"

I grimaced at Alex's poor attempt at humour before waving my hand, dismissing him. He left the room chuckling to himself. The door had barely closed when my phone rang.

"Good Morning Marius," I answered.

"Good evening Grace," Marius replied, clearly from a different time zone. "I received your report. Now I would like your real impressions."

"The events of the evening occurred as described in the report. Three humans attempted to attack Alex and I responded as required. During my defensive action I observed puncture wounds on one of the humans. It is my assessment that Scarlet had bitten him and was using her ability to control thoughts to access his observations of Alex and his level of protection. There are no indications that she is in the area or has penetrated the Manor. The staff have been briefed and the manor has been locked down."

"I am sure Katherine is impressed with that development," Marius quipped. "What occurred after the incident?" he asked.

"We returned to manor after giving our cover story to those at the Academy. They appeared to believe our story. The humans were not able to speak at the time of our exit nor, do I believe that they will disclose being assaulted by a girl." I continued.

"I am assuming Alex had questions," he stated.

"Of course he did. There was no choice but to disclose the reasons behind the night's events and the true reason for my presence in the manor. Of course Katherine was displeased with the action however, there was no reasonable explanation for the events and Lucas directed me to speak with Alex. I feel that this has caused him to have more questions than answers. But at least now my duties as a protector are easier to fulfil and I am able to implement all safety measures required without impediment." I reported.

"I have already spoken with Lucas this morning. He explained the situation Grace. There was no other action you could have taken. Alex's life is more important than the lies that he has been told. Lucas was aware I did not agree with his handling of the matter. I endorsed your actions as did Lucas and he agrees that Katherine will realise the necessity eventually," Marius commented.

"Katherine's feelings are of little concern to me. Alex's safety is my only focus and that being said, I would like your review of my assessment," I requested.

"I agree with your assessment Grace. I find it highly probably that Scarlet will use any means necessary to get to Alex. She is fast running out of time and she knows that he is being protected. Despite the bravado that the Acelades show, they are not unreasonable enough to charge into a situation without assessing the risk. They need Alex alive to fulfil the prophecy and unharmed would always be preferable." he assessed.

"At this time I am happy for Alex to remain at the manor. However I do not believe that school is advisable, at least not until I have the opportunity to survey the area again. Given the increased need for security I will make the necessary amendments to my class schedule to ensure that I am in all of Alex's classes. This is the second attack in a week. The Acelades are clearly aware that their time is running out and that I have arrived so their chances for obtaining Alex are limited. Moving Alex at this time would give them a great opportunity to attack and I am sure they are expecting us to take that action," I stated.

"Moving Alex at this stage would be an unnecessary security risk especially as we have not prepared a safe house for this event. At this time the protector assignment is still unofficial. I am sure that Galen would delight in using this as evidence against Lucas in an attempt to over throw him at the next Council meeting." Marius said.

"Galen would most certainly use this," I confirmed. "Not only is he desperate to lead the Vampire Council but his hatred for me is still strong after nearly two hundred years. It would not be advisable for him to learn about Lucas using a protector for his own means."

'Then it is agreed. Alex will stay at the manor and away from school until such time as you deem it secure. You will need to submit reports every 48 hours on the current situation so that I may monitor it without raising the alarm of Lucas and Katherine any more than necessary," Marius directed.

"As you wish Marius," I replied.

"Now what is your assessment of Alex?" Marius asked. "Is he likely to agree with these conditions or attempt to flee to England?"

My stomach flipped at this question. I was unsure how much information I should provide to Marius and felt torn between my duty as a protector and my fear that I would be removed from the assignment. Taking a deep breath and I considered my reply.

"The boy has an infatuation with me which is of some assistance in this matter. He has ceased his relationship with the English girl and the chances of him returning there are low. He appears willing to remain at the manor as long as I am present. And at this stage I feel that continuing this charade would be most beneficial to the assignment." Almost sure my attempt at being nonchalant was failing.

"It is not surprising that he has developed an attraction for you Grace but I could not possibly ask you to jeopardize yourself for this mission." Marius replied in a fatherly tone that I knew well.

"Do not misunderstand me Marius. I stated that the boy was infatuated, not that I intended on commencing a life long relationship with him. I am happy to encourage him to spend time with me for the sake of his protection and will ensure that once the assignment is over he is left with a clear message that our lives will not meet again. Is that acceptable to you?" I asked, hoping that my directions came across objectively.

"Provided you are happy with this arrangement Grace, I would not second guess your judgement. You are the most gifted and skilled protector I have ever known and I am sure you will complete this assignment impeccably," Marius complemented.

"I will leave you to speak with Lucas about the details we have discussed, as I can hear Alex finishing breakfast and I need to brief him again on our cover story before he calls his friends. At last count they had left twenty four messages. I would also like to request more information about Stephan Elsink if you have any. After accessing the Council records, I have obtained no more information about Stephan apart from his initiation to the vampire world with Ms Vanessa Chelanto," I concluded.

"I will attempt to find some more information to try and ease your concern Grace. However, Lucas has vetted him and I believe his judgement." Marius replied and ended the call.

I closed my laptop and returned it to my satchel which was placed in my wardrobe beside my knife. I wondered briefly if I would ever find William's knife. Having it would make me feel as if I had part of him and part of John. Shaking these thoughts from my head, I returned to the lounge. Now was no time for reminiscing, Alex was about to learn about the responsibility that comes with knowledge.

"Come in," I called out before Alex had an opportunity to knock. He entered the room with one eyebrow raised in my direction. The sight of him caused my body to respond. He was wearing dark distressed denims and a fawn, long sleeved t-shirt. His hair was falling slightly into his face and his eyes sparkled.

"I have really good hearing," I replied. "It comes with the territory. I can hear everything that happens in the manor and on most of the grounds."

"Really?" Alex asked astonished at first and then embarrassed. No doubt he was recalling his conversations since I came to the manor.

"Don't worry. I only listen to what is relevant to my assignment," I lied. "After this many years I have learnt to train my hearing to only respond to cue words because otherwise it is like living in a shopping centre at Christmas time." I smiled seeing Alex relax noticeably as he made his way over to the lounge where I was seated.

"So, what else can you do?" he asked.

"First things first, we have some things to take care of," I said, taking control of the situation. "I am not sure about you but I have received quite a few messages from Lauren since last night and I'm sure she has had Daniel calling you as well." I continued after seeing Alex nod. "The main reason we can maintain our lifestyle inconspicuously is that we ensure our identity is kept secret. It is reasonable to assume that after last night any normal human would call their friends and speak with them. I am sure, if you had not experienced last night's revelations, you would have already spoken with Daniel today. So what we need to do is call them and reassure them that we are fine and make sure that they believe our story."

"Ok. And then, questions," Alex said.

"Yes then questions." I sighed, already feeling exhausted by the day ahead. "Alex, I know you have a lot of questions but you mustn't rush this phone call in a haste to interrogate me. Part of being a vampire and especially being a Sempre is responsibility. You need to put the good of our race before your own desires." I lectured him.

"Sure," Alex replied, sitting on the lounge next to me. Having him in such close proximity made his scent swirl around me. I swallowed hard focusing my brain on the task at hand. I dialled Lauren's number and placed the phone on speaker.

"Hello. Grace? Oh thank God you called. I have been so worried about you. You just left so quickly last night. I mean I know that you were shaken up but I've been fretting all night!" Lauren rushed out her words jumbling each word over another.

"Lauren, Lauren calm down. Alex and I are both fine," I said calmly trying to ease her concern.

"How can you be alright? I mean Tristan attacked you, not to mention his slimy friends! I can't believe them. The school will have to kick them out!" Lauren continued.

"Lauren, you need to stop," I said.

"Sorry, I was just so worried," Lauren replied waiting for me to start.

"Lauren, Alex is here with me. We are so sorry that we haven't called earlier but last night was just so hectic as you can imagine and this is the first time we have had to call you."

"Hey Grace, Hey Alex. So what happened last night?" Daniel chimed in.

"Hi Daniel," Alex replied.

"Ok. So last night," I took control of the situation. "I know it was crazy but Alex and I just had to get out of there. It was all so overwhelming. Alex and I were just outside getting some air and Tristan and his friends came over they were so obnoxious, leering and making cracks at us. He started just making comments but then they took it further. He tried to make a pass at me and thank God Alex was there. He stepped in and Tristan tried to fight him. I screamed and Alistair our driver came running. He helped Alex stop them, but unfortunately not before they had landed a couple of blows on me." I recounted our false events of last night.

"You must have been so scared," Lauren sympathised.

"It's ok," I replied.

"She was amazing," Alex said. "Those guys were unbelievable." He smiled at me and I could hear Lauren whispering to Daniel about us.

"Anyway, we aren't going to school tomorrow obviously. I'm not going back until they can assure me that Tristan and his friends won't be there and I'm only going to feel safe if I have the same classes as Alex. I don't want to be walking around the school on my own." I laid the groundwork for the changes if and when we returned to school.

"Of course," Lauren agreed. "I'm sure having Alex there would make you feel better. Maybe we can come over tomorrow after school? You and I have so much to catch up on," Lauren said knowingly.

I could feel Alex shift uncomfortably next to me as I averted his gaze. There was no way I wanted to speak with Lauren about Alex and me. I needed to keep things as low key as possible and having her gush about us wasn't going to help. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Alex any more than absolutely necessary when I left.

"We will see Lauren. Alex's Mom and Grandfather are pretty freaked out about what happened but if they are ok then sure," I answered noncommittally.

"Ok guys, we will call you after school tomorrow. Be good." Daniel chuckled.

I ended the call and sat back on the lounge rubbing my temples. Lauren was not going to let this go. I was very aware of Alex sitting next to me. His legs barely touching mine were sending electric waves through my body. His eyes were watching me carefully as I rested my head.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"This is getting complicated," I replied.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because they know about us," I sighed.

"I doubt they know that you're a vampire," Alex said incredulously.

"They know something happened between us last night and you know Lauren won't let up until she has all the details." I corrected Alex.

"Is that so bad? Why don't you want people to know?" The hurt was clear in his voice.

"There are rules Alex. Rules that govern what I do and what we did last night is in direct violation of those," I explained.

"Oh" Alex answered.

"Anyway enough about my problems," I said sitting up and attempting to redirect the conversation to a more cheerful front "You said you had some questions?"

"About a million!" Alex smiled instantly distracted from our previous discussion. His face lit up at the prospect of getting his answers and turned on the sofa to face me directly. He placed his arm carelessly over the back of the lounge, his fingers reaching through my hair. It seemed so casual but sent my body into chaos. I focused on my breathing, freezing my body, to ensure I maintained control. Once I had calmed my instincts I turned to face Alex.

"You are unlikely to get your answers if you continue distracting me Alex. My self control is not that strong," I informed him.

"Sorry," Alex replied sheepishly. His grin suggesting he was quiet pleased to cause this reaction in me. "So, you don't drink human blood but what about the others?"

"Other vampires drink human blood. Those who are part of the Council or aligned with the Council have access to the Sempre blood banks. Obviously this was not always the case. But since we have understood how to harvest blood that is how we feed. In the past it was necessary to feed on humans, however, this can be achieved without killing them provided you have the necessary restraint and if they have been plied with liquor. So I am led to believe," I answered.

"What about those vampires that aren't with the Council?" he queried.

"Unfortunately, the members of the Acelades family, as well as some rouge vampires enjoy feeding on humans without restraint. It is regrettable and we attempt to minimise it as much as possible," I said, my voice toned with disgust.

"If you don't drink all their blood, how do you make new vampires?" Alex quizzed.

"Well, a decision can still be made to transform a person into a vampire. This can happen if a vampire falls in love with a human, if a human loses their family to vampires or any other number of reasons. If this happens, then a vampire must apply to the Council to seek approval for the transformation. Obviously, there are some who complete the transformation without this approval. However it does help to maintain the numbers and allow us to keep somewhat accurate records. New vampires are also born like you and Katherine. It is rare, but it does happen. No one really understands how we are able to have children as our bodies aren't alive. But, it appears that some couples are able to have one child provided that one of the parents is a made vampire," I stated.

"I don't understand. If you have to seek approval from the Council, why do you say they feasted on you? Don't they explain what's going to happen before you decide to become a vampire?" Alex said puzzled.

"I was not brought to the Council for transformation. There is a specific exception in the vampire law that when a human has been attacked by a vampire not of the Council, a decision can be made by a Council member to complete the transformation if they feel that the human has information pertinent to the Council's protection. I was created under this exception." I explained.

"So, who made you?" Alex asked the question I had hoped to avoid.

"Lucas was the one who performed my transformation," I answered.

"But why?" he pressed.

"My story is neither interesting nor representative of how we live. I'm sure you have lots of other questions that relate to our way of life," I redirected.

"I find your story interesting," Alex continued.

"Well I have no intention of reliving my past Alex. Please respect my wishes." I said softly. There was no way I was strong enough to go through my story with Alex this close to me. I didn't want him to know about William and how I couldn't help him. Even as I sat here, sadness came to my eyes. Alex reached out cupping my face with his hand.

"I'm sorry Grace. I won't ask you again," he promised. His hand lingered a few moments. "So, I know you've got ultra hearing. Do you have any other super talents?" He changed direction of the conversation, removing his hand.

"I don't know if I'd call them super talents but there are certain improvements when you become a vampire. They basically fall into three categories: speed, strength and senses. We become incredibly fast, very strong and our senses are improved. Our bodies become attuned for hunting and all that entails. Protectors like me train these senses to gain all the benefits we can from our improvements. These are necessary when come up against certain threats like Scarlet."

"What about transforming?" Alex asked animatedly.

"What about transforming?" I laughed. "I'm not an Autobot!"

"Well, I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be able to turn into a bat or something?" he countered.

"The movies don't get everything about vampires right Alex. I mean you've seen me outside during the day haven't you?" I answered.

"How do you go out in the sun?" He set off on a new direction.

"The sun doesn't burn us like people think. It is very uncomfortable at the beginning, don't get me wrong. The sun burns your eyes and your skin which is probably why most vampires chose to only go out at night, but you build up a tolerance. Provided you feed regularly, the effects of the sun are minimal after about a decade," I replied.

"A decade? You say it like it's a week," Alex said.

"Well, when you're immortal a decade is like a week in a really, really, long year," I shrugged.

There was a soft knock at the door and I could hear Sienna standing outside. By the gentle swirling I could hear I knew she was carrying a fresh pitcher. No matter how well Alex appeared to be adjusting to all this information, I doubted that he was ready to see me drink blood. Nor was I willing for him to see me at my weakest. I walked to the door and opened it slightly. Sienna appeared slightly startled at not being allowed to enter my room. I simply shook my head at the offer of blood and was thankful that I had fed heartily last night. In a low voice I informed her that Alex was in my room and that it would not be appropriate for him to see my feeding no matter how civilised it was presented. I thanked Sienna for her thoughtfulness and organised to attend the kitchen when Alex retired for lunch.

"Who was that?" Alex asked after a failed attempt to see around the door from the lounge.

"Sienna," I replied providing no further explanation.

"What did she want?" he continued.

"She was bringing my breakfast," I answered.

"But I thought...oh," My explanation dawning on Alex. "I don't mind if you eat in front of me. It's not like a dog or a kitten is it?" his resolve shaking.

"Don't be ridiculous Alex. I am not going to eat in front of you and no I don't eat domestic animals so Duke is safe." I snapped mostly out of shame.

"I'm sorry Grace. I didn't mean to offend you," Alex said remorsefully.

"It's fine." I dismissed him walking to open a window.

"Seriously Grace. I'm ok with it," Alex said valiantly.

"No you're not and I wouldn't expect you to be either. I will never feed in front of you, not even from the supply they keep in the house," I stated strongly.

"Why not?" Alex questioned.

"I'm not safe to be around when I'm feeding and it's not something Katherine, Lucas or I ever want you to experience," I replied.

"Where do you feed then?" He continued with a line of questioning I was not all that happy to pursue.

"I hunt in the forest to feed, ensuring that I don't impact on the wildlife to a great extent. Your grandfather has been kind enough to import some animal blood for me to have in the house if I am unable to hunt due to security reasons. Due to my diet, I need to eat more frequently than others. I tend to get irritable when I'm hungry," I explained.

I walked over to the sofa where Alex was seated and placed my hand lightly on his shoulder. My palm tingled at the touch of his skin and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation.

"Let's go outside," I suggested, feeling claustrophobic in my room. "I'm sure Duke would like some attention and Martha loves any excuse to serve food on the patio."

"Sure. Sounds great," Alex replied.

Alex and I strolled outside and were met by Duke bounding up to us from George's shed. The smile that spread across Alex's face at the sight of his dog was heart warming. Duke planted a paw on both shoulders and licked Alex's face, his tail wagging manically. The next few hours were spent with Alex and me lounging on the patio and Duke frantically playing fetch. Alex's questions seemed endless. It was as if he were trying to learn all of the ways of the vampire world in one day. Finally Martha provided a reprieve with the provision of lunch. I absented myself from Alex whilst he enjoyed his lunch and attempted to stop Duke from stealing his club sandwich.

# ~14~

Lucas was in his study as usual when I entered the house. I knocked lightly and waited to be permitted entry. He was surrounded by papers. I stood next to his desk, my hands clasped loosely behind my back, ready to give my report. It was unusual for me to see Lucas in his current casual dress of a beige linen suit and white collar shirt.

"Good morning Grace," Lucas greeted me. "Paperwork, it appears to haunt me these days. The Council has so many reports and documentation that need to be reviewed before each meeting. It is lucky that I am immortal or I might die before I had a chance to finish it," he stated, gesturing around him.

"It seems to be an insurmountable task for which I do not envy you," I replied.

"What can I assist you with today? I have spoken with Marius this morning and I am happy with the plan you have devised. Your dedication to this mission is unshakable and for that I am so grateful," Lucas continued.

"I wanted to assure you that I am doing everything necessary to ensure Alex's safety. I will make certain that his safety does not come under threat again. Last night was inexcusable and I thank you for your understanding." I stated.

"Grace, it is because of you that Alex is alive and part of me is glad that he knows his true self. Of course Katherine is upset, but now Alex can know his family and the power he commands. In time Katherine will see this too," Lucas continued.

"Did Marius speak with you in relation to my ongoing involvement with Alex?" I asked, attempting to conceal the uncertainty in my voice.

"Grace, I could tell from the time you arrived that Alex was besotted with you. Whilst I regret the pain that he will inevitably feel when you leave, he will enjoy the memory of your relationship and it will keep him safe whilst he is here." Lucas condoned my behaviour.

"Some pain is unavoidable yet regrettable. I would rather Alex hate me and be alive than the unacceptable alternative," I agreed.

"So it is settled. I will speak with Katherine when she is stronger. At the moment she has retired to her room and is refusing to come out. She is undoubtedly distressed by last night's events and will take some time to reconcile her new relationship with Alex. She did take breakfast with him this morning which is positive, however that was only if I promised not to join them and of course she is not planning on taking your company in the near future," Lucas explained.

"That is understandable, our relationship was civil at best and she obviously expects that I orchestrated this event to reveal the truth to Alex. Provided that she allows me to continue my protection assignment as I find necessary, then I will be able to complete my assignment and leave her and Alex with as much as expedience as possible." I stated this wondering just how I would tolerate leaving Alex and never seeing him again.

"It's settled then. From now on you are in control of all security measures and protection requirements you deem necessary for Alex's protection. I have advised Alistair, Michael and George that you may require their assistance and they will make themselves available. At this time Alex will continue to eat breakfast and supper with Katherine in her parlour and you will remain absent from her presence," Lucas summarised.

"As for school, I feel it is best for Alex to remain absent until I have an opportunity to reschedule our classes together and remove Tristan from any contact with him. If the Acelades are watching, they will expect me to leave tonight to assess Creswick Academy. For that reason, I will not leave the manor until tomorrow night after I have been able to provide instruction to Alistair and George. Of course I will require you to converse with the school tomorrow in relation to my obvious emotional distress at the night's events and that I will require Alex in my classes as protection in an ongoing arrangement," I informed Lucas.

"I am happy to undertake that task Grace and will advise you of the outcome," he accepted.

I left the room and stopped by the kitchen consuming two pitchers of blood whilst Sienna and Martha went about preparing Alex's dinner. They smiled sympathetically at me as they removed the pitchers. I knew they would never understand why I lived the way I did, but I also knew the way they came into the vampire world was very different to me. Thanking them for my meal, I left the kitchen and journeyed to find Alistair, Michael and George. I convened an impromptu briefing for the new security measures I would need to implement.

"The Acelades know that I am here to protect Alex. They also now know far more about Alex's schedule and life than I would like, due to Scarlet's creative information gathering. As a result of this some changes will need to be made. Obviously, Alex knows about his true identity and this will facilitate our operations immensely." I stated this as Michael, Alistair and George sat nodding.

"I have spoken with Marius and we have devised a plan of action for going forward. Lucas is organising arrangements for Alex's return to school and I will be able to monitor him at every moment outside the manor. When he is at the Manor, he is still to be guarded at any time he enters the grounds. He is not to wander the Manor unwatched. I will organise for Lucas to provide you all access to the security monitors and Alex's tracking frequency. The windows are to be closed at all times in the home and the doors are to be alarmed. I expect that this will be enforced with all staff. Please advise them that if they do not obey these directions, I will have them removed from the premises. In addition no one is to enter or exit the premises without my expressed approval." I finished and looked to them for agreement.

"What about the boy?" George asked.

"What about the boy?" I countered.

"Does he really understand the danger he is in?" he asked.

"He knows enough to be safe, but not enough to make him stupid. I do not want Alex being told more than he needs to know. His life is my responsibility and until I complete this assignment I control his security and that includes his understanding of the situation. Alex is like his father. He will tend towards heroism. It didn't work for his father and I will not let him make the same mistakes," I stated.

George nodded and sat back in his chair observing me thoughtfully. Of all the staff and residents of the manor, George was the most insightful. He knew that I was not telling them everything, but would never question me or my reasons. I looked at Alistair who was trying his best to appear nonchalant about the situation but I could tell the mention of Marius's name had the same effect on him as it had on most protector hopefuls. Marius was a god in our society. He had been the head of the protectors since the Acelades-Sempre split and is the reason the Sempre family is still in control.

"I will go to assess Creswick Academy again tomorrow evening to ensure that Alex's return on Tuesday will be with as little risk as possible. From now on, Alistair you will shadow us to and from school to provide additional support if required. If an attack does occur, your direction is to take Alex back to the manor immediately. You are not to attempt to engage in combat or assist me in any way are we clear?" I asked.

"Crystal." he replied.

"George and Michael, whilst I am away from the manor you will need to be in control of security. The biggest risk we have will be Katherine. She has little understanding and even less inclination to assist with this mission. She will need to be monitored as I would not be surprised if she continues to disobey my instructions to keep the manor in lock down. I am sure that after last night, she has already called Stephan and I assume he will arrive soon. He will need to be brought to me immediately upon his arrival. The rest of the staff will follow your direction. Should there be any concern I will be available to return to the manor if necessary. Are there any questions?" I asked George and Michael.

"What do you mean we need to monitor Ms Katherine?" Michael asked with uncertainty. I knew this was all new to him. He had been present during previous protector missions, but had never been directly involved and now I was asking him to restrict Katherine's movements. She was a woman who he had served since she was born.

"Michael, I can appreciate that this is a difficult undertaking for you, however Lucas ensured me that you were up to the challenge. You simply need to ensure that Ms Katherine does not do anything to hurt herself or others. She is in her parlour sulking at the moment and her calls are being monitored. If she should attempt to have someone come to the premises, then I would expect that you would take the necessary action by preventing their attendance on the Manor grounds and that you would call me immediately. George has experience in these lock down procedures," I stated remembering the last time the manor was in lock down. It was the night William was found.

"Yes lass, regrettably I do," he answered. "And I am sure we will have a better endin' this time." George looked at me, his eyes kind as he tried to convey his belief in my abilities. I gave him a quick nod before returning to the others.

"Tomorrow Lucas will contact the school and make the necessary arrangements for our return the following day. In the evening I will travel to Creswick with Alistair and Alex to brief them on my security plan. The Acelades will be expecting that Alex will remain at the Manor and that is why he will journey with us. It will also assist in showing Alex the reality of the next three months of his life. This evening I will leave the Manor at 8:00pm to feed and then I will return. For the duration of my stay I will feed daily to ensure my strength is sustained. These times will vary. You will all be required to guard Alex whilst I am gone. Should I fail to return, Lucas will need to be informed immediately so a replacement protector can be arranged. Under no circumstances are you to leave the manor to find me. Is that clear?" I stated, not really expecting an answer.

George, Alistair and Michael nodded. I knew that I was providing them with the worst possible scenario but given the two attacks, it was also the most likely. A protector's life span was significantly shorter than other vampires and I had already had a number of lucky escapes. They needed to be properly briefed so that if the Acelades were successful in removing me, Alex would be protected. I dismissed them and Alistair and Michael left leaving George lingering at the door.

"Can I help you George?" I asked, not really wanting to have any further discussion on the topic.

"Just wanted to say that this lad is not John or William. He is unlikely to make the same error that they did. I have watched that boy since you arrived and I'd bet my life that he would do anything to stay with you," George commented a little too insightfully for my liking.

"You're not alive so the bet is somewhat meaningless George but I appreciate the sentiment. Alex's behaviour is only assisting my assignment. Do not see it for more than what it is," I replied keeping my face blank and my voice even.

"You might fool the others but I know two halves when I see it. Alex may not know our ways but that does not stop him being affected by them or you for that matter. Be careful, I don't think this family could take another loss," George said, refusing to accept my lie.

"I will take your comments under advisement George but let me be perfectly clear. I have no intention of maintaining a relationship with Alex once my protection assignment is complete," I concluded. I could hear George chuckle as he exited the door and felt perturbed by his comments. I knew the loss the Sempre family had experienced and unfortunately I had been unable to prevent its most recent devastation, I would not make the same mistakes with Alex as I did with John.

Alex was with Katherine in her parlour and I waited outside listening to their conversation.

"Mom, I can't believe you called Olivia. We've broken up!" Alex shouted.

"Alex, just listen to me. I know you think Grace is wonderful but she is all wrong for you. You have a real chance with Olivia and when this is over and we return to London you can recommence your relationship," Katherine replied.

"I don't want to 'recommence our relationship'," he spat, imitating her voice. "Just because you're bitter that Grace finally told me the truth..."

"Don't speak to me like that Alex." Katherine truly sounded hurt. "You have no idea what you are talking about. I am only looking after you. Do you really think that you have a future with Grace? She has looked the same way since I met her almost 200 years ago. How is that going to look when your 30, 40 50 years old and she still looks like a teenager?" Katherine asked.

"Well maybe I'm not planning on looking like I'm 30, 40 or 50. Just because you want me to be human doesn't mean that I have to be. I'm going to ask Grace to change me," Alex replied.

"Well I hope you aren't planning on that working. If there is one thing I know it's that Grace would never do that. Besides once she has completed this assignment, she will move on and you will never see her again. Protectors don't get involved especially not with Council members. There is much you don't know about the way we live Alex," Katherine said haughtily.

"Whose fault is it that I don't know about the way we live Mother? There is no way that Grace will leave me. Even if she leaves here, I will follow her," Alex replied harshly. My heart fluttered at Alex's proclamation. He was so sure of me and what we had together that he was willing to leave everything he knew and follow me. I already felt sick with the hurt I was going to cause him and this conversation with Katherine was only going to make it worse. She was right. I would leave him and he would never see me again.

"My dear Alex, my son, you are the most important thing in my life. I am not telling you this because I want to upset you. I have seen this happen before and it always ends badly. Protectors have a very dangerous life and they often die. I do not want you to have to experience the loss of a loved one. With Olivia, you have the chance at a normal life. Just a few days ago she was the love of your life and can be again. Don't throw that away on an infatuation with Grace. She has been trained to make people want to be near her. It is how she completes her assignments," Katherine pleaded. I could not believe the way she was portraying me, pretending that falling in love was part of my tactic. Above all else she knew that I rarely showed my emotions especially when I was working. I am the ultimate professional. If anything, I was usually too apathetic for most.

"You are on thin ice Katherine," I whispered. I knew she had received the message by the way her breath caught in her throat.

"I don't care what you think Mom. Grace is the first person that told me the truth. She is the most amazing person I have ever met and I know that she won't let anything happen to me. You just need to accept it and when you finally come out of your room, you will be nice to her," Alex warned.

"If you're so sure she will protect you, ask her what happened to William," Katherine said flatly.

That was it. She had just gone too far and I could feel myself losing control. No one spoke about William to me and I would certainly not have him used as a game play for Katherine. Instead of opening the door as I intended, I looked and saw the door had been ripped off its hinges and was now lying on the floor. My hands were shaking as I fought for control. If I hadn't scared Alex last night I was sure the same could not be said for now. I strode into the parlour and was met by the shocked looks of Alex and Katherine.

"That was too far Katherine," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't care if you are Lucas's daughter I will rip your head clean from your body if you ever mention William's name again. He is not to be used in your war against me. Am I clear?"

"Yes," Katherine replied shakily.

"You are out of control Mom. Grace, come on. We need to leave." Alex walked towards me keeping his distance but staring straight into my eyes. His gaze was full of affection and anxiety.

I took a deep breath and willed myself to move away from Katherine. I knew that she was terrified and that she would never again use his name but I still felt vengeful. Turning my back, I focused on walking out of the room and did not stop walking until I reached my room. I looked at Alex as I reached the door.

"I'll wait out here. I know what you need to do," he said without judgement.

I nodded and closed the door behind me crossing the room in two leaps. I gulped the pitcher of blood that was placed on my bedside table. My body returned to normal and I sat heavily on the bed. Alex entered and hesitated briefly at the door before joining me on the bed. He didn't appear at all concerned about my outburst. Before I knew it, his arm was draped around me and he was holding my hand. My senses were in overload as I was completely consumed by his scent and overwhelmed by the sound of his heart beating in my ears.

Alex was unwavering in his adoration. I had never seen someone adapt to the news of vampires so well or accept our way of life so readily. He was looking at me concerned. The shame I felt was overwhelming. I could not believe that I had let myself lose control with Katherine. Years of training had meant nothing at the mention of William's name. Even after all this time I was still unable to hear people mention his name without reacting and now Alex had seen me at my worse. I was supposed to be the one protecting him and this was the second time in a week that he had been the one looking after me. If Marius could see me now he would be disgusted. His first protector was sitting here in a mess and had just acted out against the very people she was supposed to protect. My downfall had been swift and inelegant. I needed to make sharp changes in my actions and restore myself.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Alex started.

"Alex, please, my behaviour was unacceptable. I was absolutely out of order speaking to your Mother the way I did. She is entitled to her opinion and it was not my place to override her. My duties are to protect the Sempre family and their interests. What I just did was unforgivable and if Lucas had been present he would have had every right to relinquish me of my assignment and position," I replied restating what I needed to hear.

"Grace, my Mom is just used to getting her own way. She thinks if Olivia and I get back together then everything will return to normal and we can just keep pretending that our life is normal like everyone one else. What she doesn't understand is that I don't care. Grace, you have been more honest with me than anyone else I have ever known. You have come into my life and turned it upside down and I couldn't be happier," Alex said smiling at me.

"Alex, it's not my place to turn your world upside down. It's my job to protect you and maintain the status quo," I stated. "Don't get me wrong, you knowing the truth does make my job far simpler but Katherine is right to be upset. She is your mother and I need to respect her wishes. If she does not want us to be intimate, then I must abide." I struggled to say the last words, wondering how I would keep myself away from Alex when all I could think of was kissing him again.

"What about what I want?" Alex asked angrily. "I get this whole secret society thing and I think I've been pretty fair about it but it seems like everyone else is deciding what is best for me and I don't even get a say."

"Alex, calm down. You are the heir to the Sempre family so naturally people are going to want to protect you and make sure that you make the right decisions. One day you will lead this family and that responsibility is not to be taken lightly. Right now you have no idea about the type of danger you are in and unfortunately we do. I have seen the Acelades at work more times then I care to remember. You just need to let us do our job for the next three months until you turn eighteen," I attempted to soothe Alex and found the effect worked to release my anger. Focusing on his moods allowed my emotions to dispel and I could feel myself regaining control.

"And what will happen when I turn eighteen?" Alex asked with uncertainty.

"The general assumption is that the Acelades will realise they have missed their opportunity and revert their attention to another cause," I informed him.

"I don't mean the Acelades. What will happen to you when I turn eighteen will you stay here?" Alex asked, his eyes hopeful. I knew that I would have to explain this eventually but somehow I hoped it would be in a letter after I had left.

"When you turn eighteen my assignment will be complete and there will be no reason for me to remain here," I said quietly.

"What about us?" Alex's emerald green eyes bored intensely into mine.

"Alex, protectors are not allowed to become involved with their targets. I have rules to follow. If I were to stay here, there would be far too many questions and now that Katherine has forbidden it my actions would amount to conduct unbecoming." I attempted to explain this to Alex but I could see the determination already forming in his face. He set his jaw square and continued to hold my gaze. Quickly, changing tact, I continued, "For that reason we will need to be subtle. Just because I am no longer at the manor does not mean that we won't see each other, especially if you return to England. Most of my assignments are in Europe. And as for now we have three months until this happens so let's just focus on the present. Remember it was only a week ago that you thought I was sent here to ruin your relationship with Olivia." I finished, attempting to lighten the mood. It worked and a small smile spread across Alex's face.

"Three months," Alex replied raising my hand to his lips and softly kissing it. Each kiss sent burning heat through my body I breathed deeply allowing his scent to send my head swimming. Being with Alex made me feel human again and a small part of my heart ached. I imagined how proud my parent's would have been if they had seen me find a partner to marry. I pictured William smiling as he sat with Alex and I in the small parlour of our family home. But this would never happen and I would never again see my family. Before I realised my body was shuddering with sobs and Alex was no longer kissing my hands but was holding them against his chest and staring at me intently. I moved to hide my face but Alex held my hands together and lightly cupping my cheeks with his hand.

"Grace, who was William?" he whispered as if saying it softly would lessen the blow. I turned my head away and disengaged my hands from his. I could not allow Alex to be kind and caring when he was asking about my most shameful secret.

"It's ok if it's another guy," Alex said quickly trying to fill the silence. "I didn't actually think I was the only one. I mean you had a life before you came here and I'd been with Olivia so I'm not upset or anything."

"Alex. Stop!" I interrupted his rambling. "Katherine I hope you are happy with the situation you've created." I said swallowing hard. I knew she would be listening at the mention of William's name. She would want to know what I had told Alex so that she could pass judgement on my irreversible poor decisions. Taking a deep breath, I rose from the bed and moved towards the window. I sat in the seat looking out across the estate as I spoke. I could not face Alex while I spoke of William. This was the first time since his death that I had talked to anyone except Marius about him and that was only to give my incident report.

"William was my brother, my best friend, he is the reason I am what I am. He was made into a vampire by the Acelades and then was brought home to watch his family be destroyed. He watched as our Mother, Father and servants were murdered. I was left for dead by two Acelades vampires in the hope that William would be over come by his blood lust and kill me. He didn't and Lucas saved me. I spent the next year searching for William and when I found him, we returned here and learnt about the Sempre way of life. William and I became protectors and became well known for our abilities. We hunted down those responsible for killing our family and dealt them justice. On one such occasion, I came under heavy attack. Against all my training and my better judgement I called out for William to help me. Of course my older brother came to my aid immediately but it was a trap. They wanted to return William to Lillian Acelades, the vampire who he had loved as a human and who had turned him into a vampire. She was unforgiving and cruel to my brother. Their final act was to return him to me here, whilst I recuperated from my injuries." I stopped to swallow hard. My body trembled with sobs that threatened to escape from my body. I could feel Alex standing behind me. He had moved closer to provide comfort but understood that I needed space. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes remembering that night

"I went out to feed. It was the first time I had been strong enough to leave the manor in three weeks. I was hyper alert and ravenous as I made my way into the forest. I headed towards the clearing where William and I had hunted previously hoping to find some easier prey. The moment I entered the clearing I was struck by a sickly sweet scent. The mixture of blood and perfume was overwhelming yet somehow familiar. I moved towards the centre of the clearing where I could see an outline of something. As I moved closer, the scent became more familiar and I began to run. I knew it was William and I thought he had come back to me. When I reached him I started to scream. The entire manor was at my side in minutes but it was too late. I held William's dead mutilated body in my arms and knew it was my fault." I whispered, my head resting on my knees and my body was shaking with grief and shame. Alex sat next to me wrapping his arms around me. Resting my head upon his chest, he silently stroked my hair. He seemed to take great pride in comforting me and I allowed him to remain there far longer than necessary. I loved the feel of him so close to me and the way his heat consumed my skin. I knew that Alex could never understand how I felt about William, but I also knew that it didn't matter. Katherine would be unsuccessful in her attempts to separate us now and that was all that mattered. I needed Alex by my side so that I could ensure his safety. I knew that if something happened to him, I would not recover.

# ~15~

I woke early on Monday morning after a fitful sleep. Alex had left my room late in the evening after a thousand assurances from me that I was safe to be left alone. He still did not appear convinced as he left my room and I had heard him return twice during the night to listen for crying at my door. He had refused to eat supper with his mother and instead had Sienna attend my room with a tray of food. Alex's ire towards his mother would not be calmed. This was not assisted by Olivia calling to speak with him about their reconciliation.

After his departure, Lucas had summoned me to his study where he offered his sincere apologies for Katherine's behaviour and overrode her directions to cease all relations with Alex. He also reminded me of Katherine's status in the Sempre family and of the protector's pledge and code. I accepted the rebuking from Lucas for my transgressions. I knew that I deserved far more serious reprimands based on my interactions with Katherine since my arrival at the Manor. It was unlike me to act outside our conduct standards, but Katherine appeared to have that effect on me. I sanctioned myself to act more appropriately and vowed to correct my behaviour so I could restore my standing in Lucas's eyes.

The first step would be to convince Alex to have breakfast with his mother. I slipped a forest green robe over my pyjamas and made my way barefooted to Alex's room. I entered without knocking and found Alex asleep in bed. He was tangled up in his sheet suggesting his sleep, like mine was restless. I smiled at his GI Joe t-shirt and camouflage shorts. His hair was sticking out in all directions. I made my way silently over to his bed and sat on the edge. I watched him sleeping for a few moments, his chest rising and falling. I gently reached out and moved the hair from his face. His head instinctively pressed into my hand as a smile spread across his face.

"Don't you know it's creepy to watch people sleep," he said without opening his eyes.

"Well I guess you'd better not sleep then," I replied pulling the bedcovers away from him.

Alex grunted and sat up in bed giving me a half sleepy smile and running his fingers through his hair. "I could think of worse ways to be woken up in the morning." He grinned leaning towards me and kissing me unexpectedly on the lips quickly. A heat wave ran through my body and I instantly wanted more but settled for running my hand down his cheek.

"You need to get up for breakfast," I ordered

"What are we having?" Alex asked quizzically.

"We are not having anything. You are going to have breakfast with your mother," I replied walking towards his wardrobe to find his clothes.

"I certainly am not," he said lying back down in bed.

"You certainly are Alex. It's important ok. You need to make up with her or else she may request another protector," I answered him with a mixture of truth and deception. I handed Alex his robe and headed for the door.

"Not so quickly," Alex said grabbing my arm. I allowed him to pull me back onto the bed. Our bodies were laying side by side our faces only inches apart. I could feel the electricity arc between us and my body tingled with a mixture of anticipation and fear. I had never been in bed with a man before and I was immediately self conscious and nervous. Alex tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and ran his hand along my neck and over my shoulder before resting it on my waist. He propped his body up so he was resting on his side. Facing me, he kissed me slowly. His lips were firm against mine and his tongue slowly edged between my teeth and met mine. His mouth swallowed my bottom lip and his kisses became deeper. His arms wrapped around me pulling me closer towards him. Instinctively, my leg wrapped around his closing the gap between our bodies. My arms were around his chest as my fingers moved across his back. I could feel the subtle changes in Alex's body as his kisses became more urgent. His hand began to move under my camisole and towards my breasts. His mouth left mine and followed the line of my jaw towards my neck and down onto my chest. I could hear our breathing becoming ragged and my body felt hot and sensitized in a way I had never imagined.

He rolled on top of me so that his legs straddled mine. He kissed my shoulders and the top of my breast as my body shivered with pleasure. I looked into his eyes as his gaze met mine and the intensity was almost unbearable. He continued his mouth along my breast, his hands now inside my camisole and his fingers running along my bare skin. I placed my hand on his cheek and guided his mouth back to mine allowing my fingers to run through his hair and enjoying the feeling of his body twitching at my touch. The sound of the breakfast bell startled us back to reality. Alex's frustration at the intrusion was evident as he groaned and rolled away from me. His breathing was coming hard and fast. I lay next to him willing my body to return to calm and admonishing myself for allowing this to occur. I needed to be disciplined with Alex and interactions like this would only make it more difficult for me to leave. I knew, even as I instructed myself, that there was no way I could resist him.

"You'd better go to breakfast," I broke the silence sitting up on the bed towards Alex.

"I know," he sighed. "Will you be in your room?"

"Why don't we meet out in the garden," I smiled. "I think indoors might be a little dangerous for us."

Alex chuckled as his made his way to the bathroom. I let myself out into the corridor hurrying to my room so that the staff would not see my in my night dress. Once I was back in the safety of my room, I allowed myself to feel the remnants of Alex's touch. There was no mistaking that he was my other half. The passion between us was growing at an alarming rate and I was unsure how I would handle it for much longer. I had never been a forward girl and had been taught modesty and reservation from an early age. But none of this seemed to matter when I was with Alex as evidenced by the events of this morning. I would never have imagined myself to act as I had, especially as I had only known Alex a short time and I was neither married to him nor intending to marry him. I looked at the picture of William and me on my bedside table. If he were here now he would be laughing and shaking his head at my behaviour. His little sister in love with a boy she shouldn't be in love with and behaving as inappropriately as a lady could. I shook my head and made my way towards the shower.

I knew Katherine would keep Alex for as long as possible at breakfast so I took my time in getting ready. I knew it was silly to bother with my hair and makeup given that Alex had already seen me this morning, but, nevertheless I carefully applied my makeup at the dressing table and twisted sections of my hair back into a bun leaving my fringe to sweep across my face. Despite the sun outside there was still a cool chill in the air. I dressed in faded denims, a caramel blouse with an ivory cardigan and brown ballet flats. Satisfied with my appearance, I sent Lauren a text message informing her that Lucas would be contacting the school today and I would call her tonight. I was already not looking forward to the inquisition I would face about Alex, but better to get it over with before we attended school tomorrow.

I could hear Alex and Katherine still having breakfast and I used the time to reply to emails and provide an updated report to Marius. I knew there was little point in hiding my transgressions so I confessed all about my behaviour yesterday and expected to be informed that my next assignment would reflect my violations. Afghanistan or Egypt were likely destinations and I neither enjoyed the heat nor the sand that they entailed. At least I had six months relief at the conclusion of this assignment before I needed to worry. Eventually I heard Sienna and Martha removing the plates from Katherine's parlour and I made my way down the stairs meeting Katherine in the hall. She was dressed in a soft pink skirt, blouse and matching shawl, her hair and makeup impeccable. She appeared startled when she saw me and stepped back to provide a safe distance.

"Good morning Katherine. I hope you are feeling better this morning," I said cordially.

"Grace," Katherine replied curtly.

"I was hoping it would meet with your approval for Alex and me to spend the morning in the garden reading. You are welcome to join us if you are feeling well," I stated, focusing on keeping my voice even and my body relaxed.

"I am well aware that I am able to join whoever I want in my home thank you," Katherine spat.

"Very well then we will be in the garden," I replied turning away from Katherine and opening the door.

"He will learn that I am right. And no matter how you act, just like John, he will pick me," Katherine taunted.

"No one is gladder than I that John found you Katherine. You gave him years of happiness and you have a son as a result of your union. I am not attempting to make your son choose between us. I am here to protect Alex and ensure that no harm comes to him. You wanted me for this assignment and I will fulfil my requirements completely. I do not want to be a source of discontent for you and I regret our interaction yesterday. I will be here for sometime and I hope that we can come to an understanding," I said calmly, refusing to react as Katherine hoped.

"I will never understand you," Katherine said angrily.

"That is enough Katherine!" Lucas said, stepping out from his library. "You are acting like a petulant child. Grace has apologised for her actions yesterday despite them being brought about because of your actions. I will not have this unrest continue. Grace is fulfilling her requirements as I have asked her. If you have issue with her tactics then you can address them with Marius or me." Katherine looked as if she had been slapped and stared vengefully at her father before disappearing into her parlour. Lucas nodded at me as he returned into his library.

Alex arrived in the hall later and as he made his descent I watched him. He was wearing white sneakers and denims on the bottom and I shook my head as I saw his shirt. It was a white t-shirt with the Batman symbol emblazoned across his chest. I cocked one eyebrow and looked at him. The smirk spread across his face as he came towards me.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Batman?" I replied pointing to his shirt.

"I am not entirely convinced that you were telling the truth about the transformation thing. I'm still holding out on being able to shape-shift," he replied shrugging his shoulders. I laughed as he took my hand.

Once we were outside I scanned the area for any other vampires. I could sense George out in the gardens as always. Alistair was in the garage cleaning my car again and Emma and Louisa were hanging out sheets on the line. Michael, Martha, and Sienna were in the house with Lucas and Katherine. I could not detect any others in the area and from my visual inspection the alarms appeared intact. Duke came bounding towards us from the side of the manor and ran around us in circles, his tail wagging until we finally sat down on the lawn. I was thankful that I had brought my sunglasses as the brightness of the day was wearing. Alex moved so his head was resting in my lap and commenced reading. I looked down at him infatuated by the way he confidently touched me. I was amazed at how comfortable he felt in my presence. After a few moments I picked up my book and started reading Mansfield Park for the fourteenth time.

The morning passed blissfully. Duke sat beside us occasionally whimpering for a pat but otherwise just happy to be in our company. Michael was soon making his way over to where we were sitting informing us that lunch was to be served. An invitation was extended to me to join Alex and Katherine for lunch. I respectfully declined informing Alex that I would meet him in the conservatorium after lunch.

Returning to my room, I intended to take a nap whilst Alex ate. Midday was the least effective time to exact a kidnap attempt and I was certain that I would hear the alarms before anyone entered the Estate. There was a knock on my door. After a wistful look at my bed I granted entry to Lucas and took a seat on the lounge.

"I have spoken with the school's headmaster and he has informed me in no uncertain terms that he is willing to oblige any request we have in an effort to avoid a law suit. It appears that the boys involved in the incident have provided full confessions that are congruent with your explanation of the night's events," Lucas smiled at me as he recounted.

"I am not surprised. It is not exactly great for the ego to be beaten up by a girl," I replied.

"No. I would assume that would knock one's self esteem. In any event, your class schedules have been altered and Alex will now attend every class that you attend. Also the boys will also not be permitted to attend your classes to avoid any further incidents," Lucas informed me.

"And will Alistair be permitted to attend Creswick as security?" I asked.

"Alistair will be provided with security tags tomorrow when he arrives at Creswick and will be permitted to remain at the school for as long as you feel necessary," Lucas answered.

"Thank you for arranging those changes Lucas. Provided the sweep goes well this evening there should be no hindrance to our returning to school tomorrow," I stated.

"That would alleviate Katherine's concerns about Alex missing vital education and provide you with a well needed break I would assume." Lucas stated as he made his way to my door.

"I will brief you when I return from our security check tonight," I promised Lucas as he exited the room.

Kicking my shoes away as I made my way to my bed, I allowed myself to sink into its gold covers. Closing my eyes I felt my body slipping quickly into sleep and allowed it to come. The dreamless siesta refreshed my body and mind. Even after waking, I lay with my eyes closed listening to the sounds of the Manor. I could hear the staff carrying out their tasks. Lucas was in his study consulting with a Council member from Burma about the next meeting and Katherine was listening to music in her parlour no doubt completing a needle point. I could sense Alex sitting on the edge of the bed watching me. His closeness brought back memories of this morning and I could feel my body flushing at the memory.

"Someone once told me it was creepy to watch people while they slept," I said rolling over to face him.

"Is that so? Well I did go to the conservatorium but someone stood me up so I took creepy over rejected," Alex quipped as he lay down next to me. "I didn't realise that napping was in the protector job description."

"Argh! You're hilarious, truly. I suppose I wouldn't need to nap if people didn't keep me up all night wandering past my room to check that I was sleeping making it impossible to sleep," I replied.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I care about you Grace," Alex said disarmingly.

"I am tasked with the role of keeping you safe Alex, not the other way around. And on that note we need to go to the conservatorium to meet Alistair," I instructed Alex as I was leaving the bed and heading towards the door.

"Why? Are we going somewhere?" Alex asked as his eyes lit up.

"Not exactly," I replied. "Alistair does more than just drive Lucas places. He is assigned to his protection for all non-critical events and hopes to become a protector himself one day."

Alistair was waiting in the conservatorium for us when we arrived. He was dressed in black pants and a black t-shirt in preparation for tonight's mission. His face was serious and I knew that he wanted to prove himself. We joined Alistair who was seated on an arm chair of an ornate metal lounge set. The environment, with its amazing array of orchids, lilies, roses and other exotic plants was in direct contrast to the discussion we were about to have.

"I have spoken with Lucas. Creswick Academy has made arrangements for our return to school tomorrow. Obviously, there will be increased security measures including Alistair driving with us to school each day. He will remain on the premises for the duration of our classes. Our schedules have been altered so that we will attend the same classes and neither Tristan nor his associates will be present in them," I stated. Alistair and Alex both nodded, Alex was looking slightly concerned at my formal tone.

"Tonight we will attend Creswick so that we can work out the most efficient routes for our classes as well as escape routes should they become necessary. Alex, you attendance at Creswick is conditional upon you agreeing to follow my directions regardless of the danger they may appear to place me in. Do I have this agreement?" I asked this knowing that Alex would not leave me. But that this agreement was essential for Alistair to feel justified in carrying out any action necessary to ensure Alex's safety.

"I agree," Alex replied solemnly.

"Good. If the Acelades make an attack on the school Alistair, you are to take Alex to a designated safe house. If they come to the school it is likely that they will also have operatives at the Manor. They will assume that Alex is no longer attending Creswick after the Fire and Ice Ball incident. I am going to arrange a room at the Blackett Hotel which is owned by some friends of mine, Winter and Gabriel. They are not aligned with the Council but they will provide refuge for you if I request it," I advised Alex and Alistair.

"I believe I have heard of them. They hold some rather unsavoury events if I am not mistaken," Alistair commented not wanting to challenge me directly.

"I do not endorse the actions of Winter and Gabriel but they have an alliance with the protectors. They offer us information, weapons and refuge and in return we look the other way when they engage in certain practices. Being a protector means seeing all shades of grey Alistair. You need to be prepared for that," I said.

"Of course," Alistair replied suitably admonished.

"Consider this an opportunity for you to develop your negotiation and contact skills. If the Acelades do attack, then taking Alex to any Council approved safe house or Council member's house places them at risk and makes the task far more difficult. The Acelades do not know of the Blackett Hotel and he will be safe there until I return," I continued.

"How am I going to be safer with Alistair then with you? I thought you were the best?" Alex asked clearly uncomfortable at the thought of our separation.

"I am the best Alex and they will expect that I will remain with you at all costs. By ensuring that Alistair removes you from the situation, it will provide me the necessary freedom to eliminate the threat. Once that is completed I will return to you and find a more permanent residence for the duration of the assignment," I informed him. Alistair looked at Alex kindly. He clearly thought that Alex was concerned about his personal safety and not about our separation. This was good. The less people that knew about us the better.

"I can assure you that I will keep you safe until Grace returns. I have protected your grandfather on many occasions," Alistair pledged.

"Thank you Alistair," I stated. "Now, as for tonight, we will leave after dinner. Alistair, I would like you to feed at the conclusion of our meeting. Once you return I will go and hunt whilst Alex dines with his mother. We all need to be at full strength and prepared for any situation," I ordered.

Moving away from the lounge setting I removed my phone from my back pocket and called Gabriel. He picked up after the third ring, sounding sleepy and disorientated.

"Gabriel, its Grace," I greeted him.

"Dear lord Grace, what the hell time do you call this? You know I don't rise til sundown and Winter does become a cranky bastard if he is woken and it's still daylight," he replied.

"I could not care less what kind of mood Winter is in Gabriel. I am calling because I need to secure a room at the Blackett Hotel. It needs to be top floor with rooms vacant either side. No one can know that I intend to stay at the hotel and it needs to be fully armed when I arrive," I informed him, not attempting to make it sound like a request.

"Anything else? How about complementary access to the mini bar or an in house masseur? This is our peak season!" Gabriel grumbled but I could hear him logging into his computer and making our reservation.

"How long would you like the room?" he asked.

"Let's make it a week to week arrangement starting now," I replied.

"All set. I won't bother asking why you need the room, I'm sure you'll just spin the black op spiel. But just remember this favour the next time the Council decides to have a crackdown on personal freedoms." Gabriel reminded me of our treaty.

"Your lifestyle is safe Gabriel. Please inform Winter that your hospitality is priceless." I ended the call. Alistair left the conservatorium to inform Michael and George of our plans for the evening before going to feed.

I looked at Alex who was intensely studying an ornamental lily in a pot beside the lounge. His face was consumed with processing all of the information he was receiving. Taking a seat next to him I took his hands in mine, forcing him to look at me. Our hands were generating heat as our fingers intertwined. I could hear his heart beating and his blood pulsing through his veins.

"Alex. Are you ok with all of this?" I asked. "I know it must seem overwhelming but I guarantee you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe," I promised.

"It's not my safety I am worried about. I don't want to be separated from you Grace, not even if it is so that you can fight the Acelades. I don't know what it is but when we are apart everything feels wrong. It must sound crazy to you like I'm a love sick puppy or something but it feels like my heart would literally rip in two if I had to leave you. I have never felt this way before and it scares me," Alex admitted.

"You're a child of vampires Alex. Our connections form quickly and deeply. I am not surprised that you are feeling this way. I am fairly certain that I am the first vampire you have ever been attracted to and your body would be responding the way it was programmed to respond. Believe me, after a while it will settle and this anxiety will be a distant memory." I lied heartened by the fact that even Alex was feeling the emotions associated with separation from his other half despite having no knowledge of its existence.

"So this is normal?" he asked.

"Of course it is. Just like our senses are increased so are our emotions. Your reaction to me is a result of that. I should have realised this would happen and reduced our physical contact so the impact would be lessened," I mused falsely.

"Well let's not go crazy. I mean now that I know that this is normal I can't see what benefit reducing physical contact would have," he smiled cheekily, obviously relieved by my lie.

"Hmmm, why am I not surprised that you feel that way?" I flirted running my hand along his face. Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply as I touched his skin. The urges in my body told me to keep going but the protector in me knew that there was work to be done. I also knew that despite my recent behaviour I would not allow my decency to be called into question. In the end I was a lady and my upbringing did not lend itself to indulging in wanton urges.

"Come now Alex. We have much to do before we leave tonight. Firstly you need to call Daniel and inform him that we will be returning to school tomorrow. I have already sent a text to Lauren and informed her of the news but I am sure Daniel has questions. You must make our new arrangements appear legitimate and necessary. I would appreciate it if you would keep conversation about our personal interactions limited. However, I realise that it is your prerogative," I spoke to Alex as I left the lounge and made my way to the door. Alex followed smiling as I began to speak about us.

"You think a lot of yourself just assuming that Daniel and I would talk about you," he joked closing the space between us. Our bodies brushed against each other as we walked sending a tingling sensation through my body and unsettling my calm.

"Am I to believe that you had no intention of discussing us? Have you met Lauren? Do you honestly think that she has not tasked Daniel with the job of sourcing every piece of information possible from you?" I asked with a certain level of incredulity.

"True. I hadn't thought of it that way," Alex agreed with me as he made his way towards the stairs. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I need to speak with Marius, my boss for want of a better word and then I will ready myself for the mission tonight. I suggest that you wear dark comfortable clothing." I left Alex at his doorway.

"So I will see you after dinner then?" he questioned.

"Yes. In the mean time do not leave the Manor," I replied and made my way to my room. Opening my laptop I sent a status report to Marius about our plans for the evening and the arrangements made at the Blackett Hotel. Marius would see to it that Gabriel and Winter were well compensated for our possible stay.

I then set about readying myself for the mission tonight, feeling infinitely more comfortable as I changed into my usual protector attire of basic black. I tied my hair back into a ponytail and removed all my jewellery except the cross from my parents. It had accompanied me on every mission. My utility belt was laden with my knife, a gun and a lock picking set. Sensing Alistair's return to the main house after feeding with Emma, I made my way down the stairs. I advised Michael that I would return within the hour and set out across the lawn.

It was twilight and I could hear the forest was alive. I stalked through the trees silently as I tracked a herd of deer. As they came to rest in a small patch of grass near the river, I scaled a tree and slowly crouched onto the branch above them. I landed softly and struck two bucks, quickly stunning them. I fed from both allowing the power of their blood to renew my muscles and sharpen my senses. The warmth spread through me and released energy through my body. Feeding made me feel in control. It was a task I completed without error, something that had not happened since I had met Alex. This confidence was essential for the mission ahead. I needed to keep Alex alive and safe for the next three months and so far there had been two attempts by the Acelades in a week. This was going to be a long mission and they were only likely to increase their attempts as Alex's eighteenth birthday drew near.

I leaned against a tree for a few moments taking in the enormity of my situation. Not only was I tasked with protecting the heir to the Sempre family who had none of the strengths of being a vampire, but I was also trying to protect him from the only vampire who had ever escaped me, Lillian Acelades. Complicating my mission was the fact that my target was my other half. So I was violating a number of laws by having a relationship with him. As well as that I was trying to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled. The weight of the assignment overwhelmed me as no other task had in nearly 200 years. I wished for William or John to give me counsel but both were long gone from this world and I was all alone. Marius could never know about my relationship with Alex. At any sign of weakness he would relinquish my duty to ensure my longevity as a protector. There was no way I would trust Alex to any other protector or risk the disappointment from Lucas.

Steeling myself, I tidied my appearance and began my return to the house. As I reached the edge of the forest I sensed a presence nearby. Another vampire was also in the forest. Torn between returning immediately to the manor and eliminating the rouge vampire, I decided to prevent the vampire from getting any closer to the manor. Walking stealthily through forest I saw the vampire up ahead. She was young looking, probably no more that 20 years old when she was turned. Her golden hair reflected the last rays of the sun giving her position away far too easily. She was dressed in denims and a navy jumper that hugged her figure. Carefully and silently I came up behind her. My knife was at her throat before she realised my presence. She gasped and attempted to turn out of my strong hold. I held my knife in one hand, securing both her arms to her side with the other.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"Who are you?" she asked the fear evident in her voice.

"Answer my question and you may keep your head," I replied.

"I...I was told to come here and wait for someone to meet me. Is this part of the test?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"What test?" I asked

"To become one of you... an Acelades," she replied hopefully.

"You are on Sempre ground and will find no Acelades protection here. Who told you to come here?" I sought information, my mind processing a thousand possible scenarios none of them good.

"They told me that I was to come here and wait. Someone would come to me and I would see why the Acelades are all powerful. If I proved myself, I would be under their protection." She recalled this obviously still believing that this was part of her test.

"What did they say you would see?" I growled.

"I don't know. They just said to look at the house," she whined.

That was all the information I needed. She was clearly a decoy for whoever was running boundary security and the real threat was at the Manor. If I had been with Alex undoubtedly I would have left to investigate an alarm breach leaving him open for attack. My knife cut cleanly through her neck before she realised my intent. Not bothering to start the burn, I flew towards the Manor.I resisted the urge to inform Alistair and Lucas of the threat knowing that any other vampire in the manor would hear me and give away my advantage. As I reached the kitchen I saw George sitting in the garden smoking his pipe. I was at his side before he realised I had approached.

"George, the Acelades have begun another attack. I need you to inform Alistair and Michael. They need to get Lucas and Katherine out of here. Once they are gone, tell them to call Marius. He will know what to do," I said this to George almost silently. George nodded and made his way towards the kitchen. Of all of Lucas's staff, I knew I could count on George to follow my directions. He would protect Lucas and Katherine with his life. I hoped that it did not come to that tonight.

Looking through the windows as I made my way around to the back of the Manor, I could not see any Acelades. I observed Michael in Katherine's parlour obviously preparing her for immediate departure. As I passed the library Alistair was with Lucas. I did not have time to stop as I continued to where Alex's bedroom was located. I scaled the ivy covered lattice work until I reached Alex's balcony. Landing silently I kept in the shadow unobservable to the room. I could hear Alex talking to an unknown male in the room about the Fire and Ice Ball. His voice was even and calm. He did not appear afraid or even distressed at the presence of this man in his room. A feeling of cold nausea settled in my stomach. Why would Alex be talking to this vampire so openly knowing the danger he was in? And how did this vampire get into the Manor?

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I felt my body changing. The protector was taking over and I was ready for battle. I climbed through the open window immediately surveying the room. I found Alex immediately. He was sitting on the arm chair facing me indirectly. He did not notice me as I entered the room and was focused on the man who was seated in the opposite chair. I could not see his face but I knew he was a vampire. He had dark hair that was slicked back gathering at the nape of his neck. He had broad shoulders that were accentuated by his fawn coloured sports coat. I could see the collar of his white shirt above the jacket. He sat cross legged on the chair and I observed his cream slacks and brown leather shoes.

Stepping forward hesitantly I opened my senses to gather as much information as possible. I could sense at least two other vampires in the Manor, one outside Alex's door should he try to run, another located somewhere outside probably in a vehicle ready to make an escape. I heard Lucas's Bentley come to life and flee the Manor with great haste. My stomach loosened slightly knowing that Lucas and Katherine were safe and I had only Alex to focus on. I decided that announcing my presence was the unexpected approach and therefore might be my best option. Clearing my throat I caught Alex's attention and his face immediately broke into a smile.

"Forgive my intrusion Alex. I did not realise you had company," I said calmly continuing towards the chair of the unknown man.

"Grace, I'm glad you're here even if your entrance was a little unorthodox," he replied nodding towards the window. "It's weird you both came in that way." He continued shaking his head.

"Both of us?" I replied disconcerted that the vampire had refused to turn and face me. He appeared quite content to remain seated and continue his conversation with Alex.

"My Dad," Alex replied gesturing towards the man in the opposite chair. Finally, the man stood up and turned to face me. A jolt of fear ripped through me as I saw those eyes, emerald green surrounded by red. I was face to face with the man who took William from me.

"Grace, it's nice to finally meet you. Alex has told me so much about you," Stephan smirked, his eyes full of hatred and menace.

"Stephan I presume." I attempted to keep my tone civil as I walked towards him trying to scramble a plan for our escape. "It's nice to finally be able to put a name to the face," I said stonily refusing to break his stare. There was no use in pretending I did not know who he was and why he was here.

"Alex was just telling me about the exciting week he has had," Stephan informed me. I wondered how long he would keep up this charade. I knew it was only to keep Alex calm but eventually he would realise what was happening and then all hell would break loose. I only hoped Alex would have enough sense to listen to me but I doubted it. I looked at Alex who was smiling sheepishly after being caught talking about me.

"Alex, I need you to listen to me. I want you to come here," I said calmly not taking my eyes from Stephan.

"Grace?" Alex asked confused.

"I need you to trust me. Please just come over to me," I restated gesturing for him to come to me. Alex started walking towards me when Stephan put out his arm.

"Not so fast son," Stephan ordered.

"How dare you call him son," I spat. I knew that right now this was not important but John was my mentor and I couldn't stand to hear Stephan acting as if Alex was his. "Alex, get here now!" I growled.

Alex looked scared. He was looking from me to Stephan obviously torn. He swallowed hard and started towards me again.

"What good will it do Grace? I am sure you know by now that we are not alone and there is no way that you will leave here with Alex," Stephan stated simply knowing he was right.

Alex made his way to my side and I forced him behind me giving him what little protection I could. Fear emanated from him in waves his feet shifting as he placed a hand on my back.

"Grace, what's going on?" Alex whispered.

"Shhh Alex, let me think," I whispered back. My eyes stayed focused on Stephan who was walking towards the door.

"I think you can come in now. She knows you're here and we need to be on our way shortly. Scarlet is waiting impatiently I'm sure." Stephan invited the other vampire in. He was unknown to me but bore all the marks of an Acelades protector with the family crest on his chest and crossed swords on his left forearm. He snarled at me as he walked into the room and stood just behind Stephan. Listening intently to all of the sounds around me, I wrapped one arm around Alex's waist and stepped back towards the window.

The vampire stalked me, his black vacant eyes filled with hate. I took a step forward and prepared to fight. I had hoped to at least get Alex outside before the combat commenced but that obviously wasn't going to happen. Sliding my gun out of my belt I handed it to Alex.

"If anything comes near you shoot it!" I ordered. Slipping my knife out, I moved my weight to the balls of my feet shifting easily from side to side.

"She's all yours, Charles," Stephen offered as he stepped back.

Focusing on Charles, I moved towards him launching an offensive attack. Landing a right jab to his chin I followed through with a roundhouse kick to his chest sending him across the room and into Alex's book shelf. He was back on his feet instantly and leaping towards me. He landed a blow to my stomach and reached up to grab my hair. I caught his arm twisting it and throwing him into Stephan. He was unprepared for Charles and both fell backwards. Using this to my advantage I grabbed Alex and forced him through the window. Throwing him over my shoulder I leapt from the balcony and landed awkwardly on the ground, my feet buckling underneath me as I fell. My hands cushioned the impact of Alex's head as it landed on the ground. He looked at me, shock filling his eyes. I looked up and saw George coming towards us.

"George, you need to get him out of here. Call Alistair. He will tell you where to take him. I will finish these two off and meet you there. Take my car and don't stop for anything!" I shouted this as George came running towards us. Lifting Alex up as I stood, we moved towards George.

"Grace I'm not going without you," he said pulling away from me.

"Alex. You need to go now. This isn't pretend! I can't take them all and keep you safe!" I pleaded.

"Come on lad. Don't argue with her. She knows what she is doing and this is the only way you will keep alive," George said gruffly taking Alex's arm.

Behind us I heard Stephan and Charles land on the ground. I turned around and saw the third vampire, who had been waiting outside, had joined them. They started towards us immediately making a v formation, preparing for an attack. I pushed Alex towards the garage and ran at the three men as they advanced. I landed a blow to Stephan before kicking the new vampire solidly in the chest and turning to punch Charles. Moving so quickly my body was blurred. I dodged blows as I attempted to land as many as possible. Stephan made contact with his fist to my face and sent me stumbling back. As I fell I grabbed Charles sweeping his legs out from under him. Once on the ground I placed my hands on his head and tore it from his neck. I turned and threw the head at Stephan. The vampire grabbed my arm and pinned it behind my back. I turned to face him and Stephan grabbed my other arm. Kicking furiously at both of them I attempted to gain leverage to free myself. Alex and George hadn't left yet and I needed to stall long enough to give them a chance to get away. Stephan pulled something from his jacket and turned to me. I managed to land a solid kick into his chest sending him reeling back. He ripped my arm as he stumbled and I bit down on a scream. The other vampire moved in behind me and grabbed my arm leaving Stephan free.

"Move her to face the garage," Stephan growled.

I struggled against him as I saw the stake in Stephan's hand.

"Seriously?" I quipped and I landed a foot into the shin of my assailant.

"It'll do the job," Stephan spat as he lunged towards me. The stake plunged into my chest and I felt it crack my ribs as the blood poured out of my wound. The minute it entered, I felt the poison it was drenched in. My body immediately felt weakened and my vision blurred. I could feel myself swaying as my knees began to buckle. The vampire let go of my arms and I began to flail frantically attempting to make contact with either of them. Then I heard Alex scream as the car door opened and his feet crunched into the gravel.

"Grace! Oh my god Grace!" he screamed. I saw him running towards me and tried to yell but my body was not working. I could feel myself losing consciousness. The last thing I saw was Alex receiving a hard blow to the face from the vampire whilst Stephan threw George across the lawn. Then there was nothing.

# ~16~

Alex. Where is Alex? It's the first thought that came into my mind. I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious for or worse what had happened to Alex. I opened my eyes to gain my bearings. My vampire sight allowed me to see through the pitch black. I could see the stone walls around me covered with years of moss and water stains. I looked up but I could not see the sky. I couldn't see a door and the walls must have been at least 25 meters high. I had no idea how we had gotten in here or more importantly how we would get out.

Finally, in the corner of the room, I saw Alex. He was laying on the floor with his back to me. My heart caught in my throat, he wasn't moving. After a few seconds of sheer panic I saw his chest rise and fall. Alex was alive. Relief flooded over me like a warm wave.

"Alex" I whispered. "Alex can you hear me?" I rushed over to where Alex's body lay. He must have been freezing in this place. He was only wearing jeans and his Batman shirt. The sight of this made me smile. I flashed back to earlier that day when he had arrived in that shirt, laughing at the irony of him being the bat. He was so sure I would turn into a bat and fly away at the end of the night no matter how many times I told him not all the myths about vampires were true. I crouched down beside Alex touching his shoulder with my hand.

"Alex come on you have to wake up. We need to get out of here." Alex lifted his head slightly and met my gaze.

"Grace? Is that really you?"

"Of course it is." I replied confused by his question.

Alex looked unsure and repeated "Is it really you? They said you were dead. I saw them stab you."

I looked at Alex; he looked so scared I felt so much empathy for him. He knew so little about his own kind.

"Alex, you know that not all of those myths are true. I can't be killed by someone stabbing me, especially not when they stab me on the opposite side to my heart. I've told you before the Acelades protectors are not as smart as ours."

Alex's arms caught me off guard. He threw them around me, holding me in a tight hug, allowing me to feel his relief.

"Alex, Alex" I cried, attempting to break him out of the relieved state he was now in after realising I was alive.

"What?" he asked holding my back in his arms looking at my face intently.

"A stab to the chest might not kill me but it still hurts like hell so take it easy," I replied extracting myself from his arms. I needed to keep my distance from him. The way he made me feel was not useful here. I needed to be a killer, a protector. In short I needed to do my job and keep him alive. I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to become so distracted that I had risked everything and almost lost it all.

"Do you remember how you got here?" I asked him hoping for some insight into how I was going to get us out of here.

"No" he replied "it was pitch black and I was pretty groggy. How did you get here?"

"I have no idea but I will find a way to get us out of here and get you back to the manor. Don't worry Alex, I'll figure it out." I stood up and moved away from Alex. I needed him to believe that we would get out of this even if I was not sure myself. I had been in worse positions before, but at least then I knew what I was up against, right now I had no idea where we were or who was with us but I could make a guess and if I was right it was bad. Very bad. I began searching the walls looking for a clue as to how we had ended up in this chamber. I felt a presence behind me and I turned finding myself face to face with Alex, our bodies touching. I could feel his emotions pulse through me as if they were my own. Fear, anxiety, excitement, lust and love all of them flooding me.

"Alex, you need to sit down, I'll get us out of here but having you constantly in my face is not helping," I stated coolly trying to keep my thoughts straight. I needed Alex to stay away from me so I could concentrate on the job at hand. It was hard enough keeping my own emotions in check without having to deal with his as well. Alex needed to return to the manor, to Lucas and Katherine. Then a new protector could be assigned for the rest of the detail. To do that, we needed to leave this place as soon as possible. Alex looked at me rejected.

"I just thought..." thankfully his voice trailed off and I didn't have to answer his question. I looked at Alex and sighed. He needed an explanation and I knew he would not understand or accept the truth and I didn't have time to make him especially when I was having a hard time accepting it myself. I had always followed the rules, well mostly but now they seemed archaic and contrived.

"I'm very good at what I do Alex, I make myself fit into any situation so that I can protect those who need it. I've done this for a long time. Just let me get us out of here and get you back to the manor, back to your life." I replied flatly.

Alex looked as though he was going to say something but it caught in his throat. He walked away from me and sat with his back against the wall, his eyes never leaving me. I could see the hurt I had caused. Alex was trying to be strong but I could see him crumbling. He had given up everything he knew for me, trusted me completely and here I was rejecting him. He didn't understand how I could do this but there was no anger just pain. I had to remain cool, callous, uncaring, that was the only way to save him, maybe one day he would understand. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

I returned to looking for a way out. I could hear Alex breathing deeply behind me trying to calm his emotions. I didn't trust myself to look at him. I was still searching for an escape when a door opened to my left. It had been invisible, made from the same stone as the walls. Light poured into the chamber and across Alex. I could see a figure in the doorway. The face remained in shadows from the light behind her but I would know that form anywhere. I ran to Alex using my body as a shield to protect him from sight.

"Hello Grace" Lillian purred in her husky voice "It's been too long and when I heard we were inviting Alex as our guest I just insisted that you join us".

I growled in response. I could feel the killer in me taking over as it always did. I would kill Lillian tonight of that I was sure. I readied my body to attack, focusing on Lillian whilst trying to see past her into the corridor. I wanted to see any clue that might tell me where we were being held so that I could arrange an escape plan. The bright lights illuminated a long passage way that was cream in colour and decorated with benign photographs of landscapes and hall tables with vases of flowers. I thought it an odd choice for an entrance to a prison cell but then the Acelades were unconventional. Lillian smiled at me as she took a step forward revealing two other henchmen who entered flanking her either side.

"You can stare all you like Grace. You won't be able to escape from here especially not with your very fragile little friend," she smirked. I kept my eyes focused on the three vampires as they made their way towards me. I knew that we would have to let them take us. There would be more opportunity for escape once we were outside this room and given the Acelades flair for the dramatic, I also knew that they would not rush to kill Alex or myself.

"I wouldn't be so sure Lillian. Remember what happened last time you professed your certainty," I replied. Lillian's face tightened ever so slightly and I knew she was thinking of William.

"You bring the bitch! I'll take care of the prince," Lillian spat towards her henchmen. They came towards me menacingly and I prepared myself for a fight. I could hear Alex's shallow breathing behind me and his heart thumping. As the first vampire reached me, I hit him square in the chest with my palm, forcing him backwards. The second approached and I struck him in the neck with my fist. I was going to let them take us but I couldn't resist the temptation of at least landing a few punches. A roundhouse kick to Lillian's stomach forced her back and I leaned into Alex, my lips brushing his ear.

"Just follow my lead," I informed him.

I allowed the first vampire to grab my arm, twisting it hard behind my back. The second stepped forward and kicked my knees hard buckling my legs and forcing me to the ground. He held my ankles together and the two of them lifted me up. Alex whimpered and I shot him a look. Recovering quickly he swallowed as Lillian linked her arm loosely in his.

"Come along dear. My daughter is very eager to meet you," Lillian greeted him in a saccharine tone.

My senses were hyper-alert as we were lead down the hall and into a large ball room. I could smell the fear emanating from Alex. It mixed with the overwhelming floral perfume of Lillian. The vampires constraining me placed hard pressure on my wrists and ankles sending pain through my extremities. I could hear them chuckling to each other as they observed their prize. My chest was tingling from its recent healing however the blood was still evident on my shirt. Its smell was sickly and reminded me of my loss of strength.

If the circumstances had been different, the room we entered could have been considered beautiful with cream marble floors and gold inlay. The walls were covered with tapestries depicting forest scenes. At the end of the room I could see Benedict sitting stately on his chair next to a girl I assumed to be Scarlet. She was almost translucently pale with black eyes and raven hair that fell straight down her back. Stephan was standing behind her leering at me. His gaze moved to Alex and his teeth flashed. I felt my stomach clench as I counted seven Acelades protectors in addition to the two that were already holding me.

When we reached the centre of the room the two protectors dropped me unceremoniously on the floor. I fell hard and attempted to stand, gaining a swift kick in my back for my troubles. I threw a dark look at its provider and was annoyed to see the grin he flashed at me. Alex was standing to my left looking at me terrified. He tried to move towards me but was stopped by Lillian. Meeting his gaze I was flooded with fear at the prospect of him being hurt. Turning away I focused on Benedict and Scarlet. I felt myself steeling for combat.

"Well, Grace. I am sure this is not how you thought we would meet again," Benedict smirked as he stood up from his chair and made his way towards me. Two protectors followed behind him.

"The way we meet is irrelevant Benedict. The result will be the same," I spat holding his gaze. I could hear movement behind me however Benedict raised his hand to stop them.

"It was always the fire I liked in you Grace. Even as a human you had spark. It's a shame you never wanted to join us. Your talents would have been appreciated." He sighed gesturing to those around him.

I refused to answer knowing that he was only trying to disengage my focus and make me act rashly. Swallowing hard I looked past him towards Scarlet who was staring intently at Alex. Her eyes were hungry as she appraised him. Willing my body not to react, I moved my gaze past her to the windows behind. They were partially covered by curtains but I could make out a skyline of a city with mountains in the distance. Focusing intently I could make out signs for hotels and fast food restaurants informing me that we were still in America. The exact location was undeterminable but our mere presence here gave me some hope. I knew that there were five protectors currently on rest in America at the moment. No doubt they were all on stand by for action by now.

Scarlet's eyes moved from Alex to me as she sighed brushing her hair away from her shoulder and playing with the strap of her floor length purple satin gown.

"Grandfather, I tire of your banter with the girl. I have waited long enough for my other half to be brought to me. I wish to have some time alone with him," She sulked looking from Benedict to Alex.

"Of course my dear," Benedict replied. "I am sure you have much to talk about," he continued sneering at me.

Lillian moved Alex towards Scarlet. His feet shuffled across the floor as he looked towards me desperately. His face was drained of colour as he looked at all of the protectors lined up behind Scarlet and at the intensity of her gaze as she watched his approach. I tried desperately to communicate with Alex telepathically to go with Scarlet and act as normally as possible. But as loud as I screamed the words in my head I knew he could not hear them. Scarlet eventually stood and swished towards Alex.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Alex," she purred. "I have waited so long for you to accept our invitation."

"I... ah... forgot to read the RSVP date," Alex replied, attempting to lighten the mood. I could tell that the Acelades did not understand his response but I found a small smile creeping onto my face. Undeterred Scarlet wrapped her arm around Alex pulling him in close to her body. I could feel the jealousy snaking its way through my body as she touched him. I could see the revulsion in Alex's eyes and forced myself to control my reactions. If the Acelades found out that Alex was my other half, they would go to any extreme to use him to punish me. I needed them to take their time and allow Scarlet to try and woo him. It was my only hope to save us both.

"How about we go to my parlour so we can get to know each other a little better?" she asked, looking up at Alex through her thick lashes.

"Um, Ok I guess," Alex replied, looking very uncertain despite Scarlet's best attempts to appear desirable. I knew that Alex's feelings for me would hold him until I could return. However if he allowed Scarlet to flatter him into consummation, there would be no hope. No hope for our survival or for us.

Lillian smiled at her daughter as she made her way towards Stephan. "You two have fun," she said as Stephan wrapped his arm around her waist. "And if you hear any screaming don't be alarmed. We are just going to have some fun with Grace while you're gone." Scarlet nodded as she led Alex towards a door to the right of the room. Alex stumbled over his feet as he trailed behind her followed, by a protector who towered over him. Alex looked back at me pleadingly as he turned out of the room. I refused to meet his gaze knowing that this was not the way I wanted him to remember me.

The door snapped shut and all eyes were on me. I could feel the hatred coming off the members in the room in white hot waves. I knew that whatever they had planned for me was not good. William had told me about his time in the Acelades home and I felt sick with the knowledge of their capabilities for inflicting pain.

"Well, now that it is all taken care of we can have some fun," Benedict addressed the room. "Since we have some spare time whilst Scarlet and Alex ah let's call it 'fulfil the prophecy', we might as well make use of Grace." Benedict walked towards his chair sweeping around as he sat. Lillian and Stephan took up seats next to him, all three attempting to bore holes through me with their stares. Risking another kick I stood up quickly and stepped away from the vampires behind me.

"Are you honestly that naïve to think that I will allow this prophecy to be fulfilled Benedict? Or has your arrogance finally penetrated the last rational part of your mind?" I spoke, unwilling to hold my tongue any longer. Now that I knew Alex was out of the room I had every intention of killing everyone in it.

The vampire closest to me lunged forward in retaliation to my comments. However, his reaction time was sloppy. As he swung out his arm I ducked, sweeping out his feet and grabbing his head as he fell. I twisted his head and ripped it from his neck. Before his body had touched the ground I threw his head to the side and advanced on my other guard. As the look of shock dawned on his face, I was already landing a kick into his abdomen as pay back for mine. He stumbled back as I punched his jaw upwards, leaping onto his back and removing his head from his shoulders. Landing softly I saw the look of horror on Lillian's face. However Benedict was motioning for his men to resist the urge to join in the fray. Stephan was clapping condescendingly in my direction.

"And exactly what did you hope that would prove?" Stephan spat.

"I need to prove nothing to you Stephan. I was merely returning the favour for their earlier actions," I replied shrugging as I stepped over the body to square myself towards Benedict.

"My, my Grace. I see your skills have gotten better since the last time I saw you," Benedict commented. "Still, always such a pity to see a girl fighting, hardly lady like but then again we can't all be like my Lillian can we?"

"No, I guess there is only room for one whore in every city but I am more than happy for her to come on down here and test out her lady like etiquette," I replied hoping to incite Benedict to send some of his bodyguards to me.

"There is no way I would allow my other half near you. We are not all as reckless with our loved ones Grace," Stephan interrupted. I could see Lillian stiffen and Benedict glance in his direction as a smile spread across my face.

"How sweet, you really think you are her other half?" I asked Stephan, knowing that he had given away the game and was about to learn about the true ruthlessness of the Acelades.

"Of course I am. Why else would I have conducted this mission? It has taken nearly 18 years but I have fulfilled the wish of my beloved," he replied looking at Lillian, clearly wondering where my confidence was originating.

"Poor misguided Stephan. You are not Lillian's other half. Her other half was found long before you were even born, human or vampire," I informed him.

"That is enough," Lillian interrupted. "Finish her off!" She instructed the Acelades protectors who were still standing to attention behind her.

Four of the protectors descended in my direction whilst two remained flanking Benedict who looked thunderously towards his daughter. I smirked as the protectors attempted their best to look menacing as they approached. They formed a line and appeared to be trying to launch a frontal assault. I stepped backwards increasing the distance between us as I did. I noticed a glint of light reflect from the body on the floor. Upon closer inspection I noticed my knife slipped into the belt of the dead vampire on the floor. Clearly he had taken it from me whilst I was unconscious and intended on keeping it for himself. I knelt down as though I was preparing to launch myself forward and quickly retrieved my knife. As soon as my hand grasped around its ebony handle, I felt infinitely more confident.

The vampire to my left came forward first. Ignoring his advance, I leapt to my right hoping to catch his counterpart off guard. I felt my knife plunge into his abdomen as I thrust him backwards. Stretching my body horizontally I landed a round house kick into the face of the protector on his left. He fell to the ground and I used this brief distraction to land a few blows to the face of the third and fourth protectors that were advancing. The vampire I had stabbed recovered first and lunged towards me. He made contact with my shoulder as I attempted to dodge his fist. Undeterred he continued towards me, forcing me to take a step backwards, aligning me with another protector. The two commenced fighting in formation landing counter blows as I fought to block and gain ground. I ducked a jab to my head and swung my leg out, collecting the feet of the vampire to my right. Grabbing his ankles as he fell I slid him towards me. I twisted his head hard to the left, feeling his neck snap and then back to the right, removing it from his neck. This focus allowed the vampire behind me to grab my arm twisting it hard behind my back and directing my body to face the other two vampires who were surrounding me. One of the vampires landed a solid fist into my abdomen, whilst the other's hand made a connection with the side of my face. I could see Benedict, Lillian and Stephan observing this fight from their chairs as though it was some sick form of entertainment. I knew their hatred of me must be making the assault on me enjoyable to watch.

As the vampires encroached again I leaned back kicking both of my legs up and making contact with their heads. Using this momentum, I landed and hurled my body forward throwing the third vampire free from my arm and into the bodies of the other two. Their momentary lapse in concentration was all I needed to insert my knife into the spinal column of one of them slicing his head clean from his neck. I advanced on the second; however he raised his arm to block my knife attack. Pulling down hard I moved his arm which was still lodged on my knife. I swung it behind his back, forcing him to act as shield against the other vampire. This brief reprieve allowed me to observe one of the Acelades protectors moving forward to protect Benedict from any attacks. The other vampire was encouraging Benedict to consider leaving for his safety. Benedict disregarded their concerns as I hoped he would and remained seated, watching the combat.

The vampire struggled free from my knife and turned to face me. The second vampire attempted to move behind me. Knowing it would not be long before Benedict, Lillian or Stephan decided to leave, I acted quickly. I leapt towards the vampire, landing silently behind him, grabbing his chin and scalp until they were horizontal in my hands. The last of my combatants stared at me. The confidence was no longer present in his eyes. He stepped towards me hesitantly as I moved to reposition myself. I was feeling uncomfortable with my back towards the Acelades. Making a half hearted attempt to lunge towards him I invited his attack. As he swung out, I grabbed his arm and used it as leverage to spin his body away. I grasped his pony tail and his head remained behind whilst his body dropped to the floor. Straightening myself up I walked towards my adversaries, stepping across the bodies that now littered the floor.

"I see your protectors haven't gotten any better," I judged as my eyes flicked towards Benedict's bodyguards who were now standing so close to Benedict they were touching.

"Now, where were we? That's right. I was informing Stephan of your deception Lillian." I answered my own question while still advancing. "Stephan, I find it hard to believe that you really thought Lillian was your other half. I mean you must obviously know about William, the man you were sent to retrieve for her from Russia that night." I asked this while looking directly at Stephan.

"What about him?" Stephan growled in reply, shrugging away Lillian's arm. She attempted to placate him with pleas to ignore me.

"William was Lillian's other half!" I announced. "That is why she turned him into a vampire and why she was so desperate to have him returned to her. He refused to respond to her affections because of what she had made him and what her family stood for and so she had him killed."

I could tell that Stephan was attempting to process this information. He had honestly thought that Lillian was his other half and had obviously been given very different reasons for William's capture and torture.

"Enough with the lies! I think I would know if Lillian was not my other half. I know about pretending Grace. I have lived a lie with Katherine for the past 18 years, only getting to be my true self on 'business trips' when I returned to see Lillian and our daughter Scarlet." He spat, settling himself back on his chair. Lillian looked relieved as Stephan met her gaze.

"Believe what you will Stephan. But, when you fail this mission and believe me you will, they will dispose of you as they did William. Scarlet's father or not, you are of little value you to them." I continued speaking now as I stood in front of Benedict, waiting to see what his next move would be.

"I think that is just about enough conversation from you Grace. You always were a talker weren't you? Like informing William all about the Sempres and the life they would offer him or talking him out of our service. And in the end, you got him killed. If you had been able to restrain yourself Grace, William would be here today. These lies you are spreading will do no good. You are the reason William is dead." Benedict said this softly from his chair. I could see Lillian avert her gaze at the mention of William's death. This struck me as odd, but I had little time to focus on that now. Benedict had motioned for his remaining two protectors to attack.

They responded quickly and were better trained than my previous opponents. Within a second, we were engaged in combat. These protectors were strong and fast. Their skill level took me by surprise but I recovered quickly. One of the protectors attempted to land a jab to my head but I caught his fist mid swing, feeling his knuckles crack as my hand closed. Spinning around I kicked the second protector hard in the stomach. I followed through with a punch to the head of the protector with the now broken hand. He stumbled backwards as I returned to land two blows on the second protector in quick succession. Returning my knife to my hand, I plunged it into the chest of the first protector. At the same time, I kicked my foot into his knees, bringing him to the ground. Retrieving my knife, I forced it backwards into the abdomen of the other protector who was fast approaching. Forcing him back, I quickly grabbed the head of the kneeling protector as he attempted to stand. His head was removed from his body before he had risen six inches. Discarding his head, I turned to face my final opponent.

He stalked me. The wound to his abdomen was already beginning to heal. I knew I needed to act quickly. It was possible that Benedict had already summoned more protectors who would be here shortly. I did not want to waste any more time than absolutely necessary engaging in this carnage Alex was unprotected with Scarlet. I glanced briefly at Benedict, Lillian and Stephan. They looked less confident now than when they were surrounded by their eight protectors. Wasting little time on the last protector, I landed a hard kick and two punches to his body. Using his lapse in focus I moved behind him and tore his head from his neck.

I moved towards the Acelades ready to take on my final three opponents. Stephan moved to stand slightly in front of Lillian in a protective stance. His arm was outstretched as a shield against her body. Lillian was also standing now, looking at me fiercely. Benedict was the only person who remained seated. He attempted in vain to maintain an appearance of calm.

"Congratulations Grace. You have managed to dispose of our pawns. I am sure you will not find it so easy to make your way past Stephan." Benedict baited me, gesturing towards a very serious looking Stephan. Without answering I moved towards Stephan ready to engage in combat. I knew from experience that I needed to be on my game. He was unlikely to be as easy as the other protectors and would be unforgiving if I made a mistake.

Stephan stalked me slowly, obviously wanting to take his time and to give Scarlet the longest possible time alone with Alex. Not willing to prolong my absence from Alex any longer than absolutely necessary, I lunged towards Stephan. I managed to successfully land a jab to Stephan's head with my right arm before he blocked my second attempt with his arm. He snarled at me before launching his own attack. He landed a kick to my abdomen before I blocked his fist which was heading towards my head. Of all the Acelades I had fought, Stephan was one of the most skilled. With every blow I landed, he had a block or a counter blow. I could feel the strength in his attack and the power he obtained from the blood he had drunk. I knew I was stronger but I had already fought eight Acelades and there was still poison running through my veins.

Taking Stephan's arm, I forced it behind his back and stamped my foot hard into the back of his legs. The sound of the door opening caught my attention briefly. I saw Lillian and Benedict scampering to exit the room. Stephan attempted to grab my throat with his free arm as he noticed Lillian retreating, leaving him only with me.

"Lillian?" he called. His arm was flailing as he attempted to push against me to regain his stance. I twisted his arm hard against his body. There was no recognition on Lillian's face. As she continued out the door, I could see the truth dawning on Stephan.

"Lillian, come and fight!" he ordered.

"I'm sorry Stephan. That was never the plan. You have served us well and will be remembered." Lillian replied flatly. Then she left the room to the sound of the door banging behind her.

"Hmmm, it seems Lillian no longer has any use for you," I jeered as I placed my hand around Stephan's chin.

"I would not be so high and mighty if I were you," Stephan said through gritted teeth.

"Come now Stephan. Do not be a sore loser. You fought well and I will tell the others of that when I return with Alex." I replied as I tightened my grip. I wanted Stephan dead before he could regain any power.

"You don't know what you are up against Grace. You think it is just the Acelades that want you dead and the prophecy fulfilled? How do you think I was able to infiltrate the Sempre family without the support of the Council? Not everyone is as honest as you would believe. There are things at work that you have no comprehension about. Have you never wondered why Benedict chose your brother? Or how Lucas just happened upon you that night?" Stephan spat.

Refusing to process this information or to let urgent curiosity distract me, I twisted Stephan's head hard until I heard his neck crack. I then reversed the movement and removed his head from his body. I was at the door before his head hit the ground. Stephan's final words were still ringing in my ears. A dead man's confession, what did he have to gain by revealing this information to me? I shook my head to regain my focus. I needed to find Alex and Scarlet quickly.

The door led to a smaller parlour room that may have been used for ladies relaxing at a ball. I hesitated in the room, breathing deeply to try and follow Alex's scent. My ears were straining to hear his voice. His scent was strongest to the left of the room and I could hear a whispered conversation. Scarlet was trying to convince Alex that they were meant to be. By the sounds of her pleas, he was refusing to accept it. I raced to the left of the room and through another door way into the main hall of the home. Noting the exit, I continued up the stairs, taking the two flights in five steps. I landed silently at the top of the landing and steadied myself. I knew Alex was in the third room on the right and the smell of his fear was gut wrenching. The protector who had left with Scarlet was standing guard outside the door. His back was to me as he looked outside the window, obviously bored with his assignment. To my left on the hall table was a brass plate I cautiously picked up the plate praying for its silent retrieval. Once it was in my possession I aimed it at the protector and threw the plate like a discus, decapitating the protector before he realised my presence. Moving forward I caught his body as it slumped to the floor, the carpet absorbing the noise.

Now standing in front of the door I could smell the scent of burning candles, flowers and the overbearing perfume that Scarlet was wearing. Steeling myself for whatever I would encounter inside, I fought the fatigue threatening to consume my muscles and responded with a fresh burst of adrenaline. The door handle turned easily under my grip as I slipped into the room. It was a sea of organza and lace in various shades of reds and violets. There were candles and flowers on almost every available surface. The room consisted of a large four poster bed on one side and a sitting area with a chase and two arm chairs on the other. Alex was currently perched on the edge of the chaise with an array of champagne, chocolates, strawberries and oysters in front of him. I had to applaud Scarlet for her efforts in seduction. I knew that Alex would be able to refuse her and was aware of the warm sense of relief rolling over me.

I could see Scarlet's intense focus on Alex as I moved around the room in the shadows of the material hanging from the ceiling. I hoped that this focus would distract her from noticing my presence giving me the advantage of surprise. As I edged closer to Alex, Scarlet placed her hand on Alex's knee. He recoiled at her touch.

"You seemed to have worked your magic on this one Grace, it may actually take me more than an hour to break him," she said, informing me that she knew I was near. Alex's face was a mixture of confusion and hope at her statement as he searched for me around the room. I stepped forward from the shadows and walked towards where they were seated. Alex attempted to stand but Scarlet prevented his movement by shaking her head and tisking in his direction.

"Now Alex, you are going to make me feel bad about myself. I mean after I have gone to all this trouble to make you feel comfortable and special, you try to leave me the minute another girl arrives." She sulked.

"That's enough Scarlet. You will kindly remove your hands from Alex," I said with far more civility than I felt. I wanted to race towards her and rip her head from her body but her proximity to Alex made me cautious.

"Now Grace you know I can't do that. Alex is supposed to be with me. It is written clear as day and I will not have anyone getting in my way, will I Mother?" Scarlet replied as Lillian entered the room.

"That is true my princess. You have been very clear about Alex," Lillian confirmed moving to encompass the space between Scarlet and I.

"Really Lillian, you actually think you have a chance against me?" I asked patronisingly.

"I only need to hold you back until Scarlet and Alex have fulfilled the prophecy and then I have every intention of letting you live to see what you failed to prevent." Lillian smirked.

"Just remember Lillian that when I kill you and I will kill you, it's for William." I spat and launched myself towards her with full force. My body slammed into hers and I felt her breath escape as I threw her onto the floor, crushing the coffee table beneath her. Because my skills were better honed then hers I recovered quickly. I stood and pinned her neck to the floor with my foot. Both Alex and Scarlet appeared shocked by the quick commencement of combat. Using Scarlet's momentary lapse of action, I grabbed Alex from her grip, shoving him to the other side of the room. I knew that she would quickly return to his side but it gave me a few moments.

I grabbed Lillian's arm and pulled her to her feet. As I went to turn her back to me, she landed a hard kick to my leg which buckled. Landing on one knee I swung out my other leg to knock her back to the floor. This time when she fell, I straddled her back pinning her arms down with my legs. Both of my hands were on her head. I had waited for this moment for over two hundred years. Lillian was the second last person I knew who had been responsible for William's death and tonight I was finally going to have my revenge. I heard a cry escape from Lillian's lips and a call to Scarlet but, without mercy, I snapped her neck from her shoulders. In that moment I no longer maintained any of my humanity. I could only feel the urge to kill surging through my body. My muscles though fatigued, were flooded with adrenaline and my senses were processing every sensation with unparalleled speed and acuity. Discarding Lillian's head with disgust, I turned to face Scarlet. She was the last obstacle between Alex and safety. She was by his side, partly using his body as a shield. Her face was a mixture of hate, disbelief and uncertainty.

"We can do this one of two ways. You can give me Alex now and I will leave you with your life or you can try and fight me, but you've just seen how that worked out for your Mother." I snarled my voice unfamiliar even to myself. I couldn't bring myself to look at Alex and I focused solely on Scarlet. I was terrified of seeing the disgust that I knew would be evident on Alex's face after what he had just witnessed.

"I think I'll take my chances," Scarlet shrugged.

"As you wish," I replied, shifting my weight to the balls of my feet and readying myself for action.

"You don't really think that you will get out of here alive do you?" she asked condescendingly

"I don't think it Scarlet, I know it!" I replied, scanning the area to pinpoint any more vampires and prepare out exit. Relief and confidence spread through me when I realised the only vampires left in the area were Benedict, Scarlet and me. Benedict had seriously underestimated my attack but now, I was not so sure that he knew I would be arriving. I had no doubt that my presence was Lillian's idea. Stalking Scarlet, I closed the gap to within a metre. As I did so she moved slightly behind Alex, her arm protectively around his waist.

"You're young and inexperienced Scarlet. You think that Benedict and his henchmen will come and save you but you are wrong. There is no one left to save you. Your protectors are all dead. Your mother sacrificed your father to me and now she lies dead on your floor. Do you really think you can beat me?" I taunted her hoping that she would make a mistake and react.

"You're lying," she spat.

"Believe what you want Scarlet but there is no one here to save you." I replied calmly, hoping to quell some of Alex's fear with the knowledge that all that stood between him and freedom was Scarlet.

"Grace," Alex said his voice hoarse and dry.

"I don't think so," Scarlet replied, sliding her hand over his mouth to prevent him from speaking.

It appeared that Scarlet had more self control than Lillian and Stephan so I was going to have to make the first move. As I rounded the arm chair to launch my attack, I saw something that stopped me cold. Sitting on the table near the window was William's knife. Passing Scarlet I moved to the table and grabbed the ivory handle holding it towards Scarlet.

"Why do you have this?" I demanded, holding the knife so tightly it shook under my grip.

"I thought I was the one who didn't know anything," she shot back. She was still focusing on Alex, running her hands along his jaw. I saw him ripple with revulsion.

"I won't ask again," I replied. My voice was trembling with anger.

"If you must know, it was my father's." She shrugged, clearly not understanding the significance. I attempted to understand what she had just told me but it was impossible. Scarlet was only 17 years old. There was no way William could have been her father.

"You liar! That is my brother's knife!" I spat and launched myself in her direction. I knocked Alex out of the way landing him on the chaise I laid into Scarlet taking all of my frustrations out on her. To her credit, she managed to land a few punches. She used her force to throw me back and this allowing herself to regain her footing.

"I may be many things Grace but a liar I am not. My father gave me that knife for my eighth birthday. He said he didn't have long to live and it was given to me by his teacher when he was a young man. If you don't believe me then look on my dresser, there is a picture of my father there on the day he gave it to me. It was the last time I saw him." Scarlet said this directing my focus towards her dresser. Despite my curiosity I refused to allow my focus to be moved. I stepped towards Scarlet grabbing her arm hard and forcing her towards the dresser. She picked up the photo to show me and I came face to face with William. My stomach clamped and my grasp wavered for just a moment. That was long enough for Scarlet to strike out and land a hard blow to my head knocking me face first into the dresser. She went to move towards Alex and I slammed out my leg blocking her path and tripping her in her gown. She fell hard to the ground. Selecting a statue from her dresser, I brought it down hard onto her skull. I heard the sickening crack and her eye lids fluttered into unconsciousness.

As she lay on the floor I knew I should finish her but her words echoed in my head. If she was telling the truth about William then I could not be responsible for killing his child. I grabbed the photo from her dresser and ran to Alex. We didn't have long before she regained consciousness and we needed to put as much space between this place and us as possible.

"Alex, are you ok?" I asked looking him over for any injuries.

"Yeah Grace are you?" he replied his voice full of concern.

"Never better," I said and he looked at me incredulously.

"But all those men?" he continued

"You underestimate my abilities. All of the protectors have been destroyed. I wasn't lying to Scarlet about that. There were minimal injuries sustained and I heal quickly anyway," I replied.

My well-being established Alex stepped away. A fierce cold settled between us. His arms folded across his chest and his face was set like stone. I knew my rejection of him earlier was not forgiven and certainly not forgotten. What surprised me was that I cared that he was upset with me. The emotions of other people had not concerned me for many years. When I was a girl I used to become hysterical at the thought of my parents being disappointed with me. Once I became a vampire, my emotions, like the rest of me hardened. I was no longer concerned with the needs of others, until now. After a silent promise to make it up to Alex, I took control of the situation. Squaring my body to Alex's I placed my arms on his and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Ok Alex. I know you hate me right now but we need to get out of here so use that anger to help you. You need to follow me and go as fast as you can, alright?" I asked.

"Fine," he replied releasing his arms and struggling to keep his sombre expression.

I took his hand and felt the electric shocks run from my fingers up my arm. Alex grasped my hand tightly and moved his body closer to mine. Sliding William's knife into mine, I created the double edged dagger and held it in my free arm. Having the knife made me feel more centred and reminded me of the practice escape runs William and I use to complete during training. We moved quietly through the hall, the carpet cushioning our steps as we raced towards the landing. At the top of the stairs I pulled Alex against the wall and checked the entry for any company. When I was satisfied the route was clear, we descended the stairs at a run. I was constantly scanning the area for vampires. I could only detect Scarlet still unconscious in her room and Benedict somewhere in the bowels of the property.

Knowing Benedict was weak and unprotected made my hungry for an attack. I wanted his blood to be spilt but I knew I couldn't risk Alex's safety. Scarlet was still a threat and every second we remained she had the opportunity to wake up. She would heal fast even from a cracked skull. Hesitating for a moment in the entry way, I swallowed hard and moved towards the large oak doors that stood between us and freedom. Grasping the handle I swung the door open and stepped onto the marble stairs. The night air rushed into my lungs and filled me with a sense of liberty.

We didn't linger long and I dragged Alex towards the white hummer parked on the circular drive. We reached the passenger side and I shoved Alex onto the chair, slamming the door. I was in the driver's seat and hot wiring the car in seconds. The engine roared to life and I slammed my foot on the accelerator. The wheels screeched as we sped along the driveway, through the gates and out into the street. Not even attempting to drive with human traits I cut through lanes and headed towards the centre of the city. I wanted to be around humans and get lost in the hustle and bustle of whatever town we were in. This would help us slip into oblivion and then we could make our way to the Blackett Hotel.

"We need to get to New York as soon as possible. Lucas and Katherine will meet us at the Blackett Hotel. But first, we need to lose this car. It will have GPS and the last thing we need is the Acelades tracking us. I hope you brought your wallet," I informed Alex, not taking my eyes off the road.

"Of course. But I don't think I have enough to buy a car," Alex replied incredulously.

"Did Lucas ever give you a credit card?" I countered, hoping that Lucas had taken the necessary precautions.

"Sure but," Alex started.

"Then you have enough money, believe me." I said as I scanned the area for car dealerships. After about five minutes we came across a second hand car dealership that looked as sleazy as those characterised in the movies. Smiling to myself I turned into the lot.

"Grace, wait!" Alex said putting his hand on the wheel.

"What?" I asked irritated.

"I agree we need a new car but look at us. No one is going to sell us anything looking like this," Alex answered, gesturing to our clothes. For the first time I looked at my reflection in the mirror and understood what he meant. My clothes were stained with blood and dirt. There was a gaping whole in my shirt. Alex and I both had dirt caked onto our body and his hair stood in every direction.

"You have a point. But we really don't have time to go shopping right now Alex, so you'll just have to keep up the rugged look for a little while longer," I replied turning into the car lot.

The engine was still running when the shady middle aged salesman started walking towards the car. I looked into the yard and spotted a greying Mercedes in the corner of the lot. Despite its old appearance I knew the model well and was confident it would get us to New York City in good time. The salesman opened my door much to my displeasure.

"Can I help you with something little lady?" he said condescendingly.

"How much for the Mercedes?" I asked abruptly.

"Well it's a real beauty," he began as Alex came to my side. My impatience was growing by the second.

"Cut the crap. You and I both know that the car has been sitting here for months on end with no takers, that's why it's in the corner of the lot. However, we are in a hurry. So, provided you can give me the keys here in 30 seconds we will pay the over inflated ticket price and give you a nice commission." I offered, my face blank. I could see the fear growing in the man's eyes. He knew there was something off about my demeanour and was torn between the sale and being involved in a crime. Looking over our appearance he chewed on the corner of his lip.

"Listen. We are running away together and her father is a real nut bag. We need a car that he won't recognise. We've obviously already had to run the gauntlet tonight and if you don't want to help us I'm sure there is another dealership that will." Alex pulled a Black Amex card from his wallet and ushering the man towards the office. I smiled at Alex impressed by his ability to put people at ease. Within minutes we were back on the road. It would take about four hours to get to New York so I tried to settle in the car. Alex was seated next to me, appearing to be calm and content. His confidence in my ability to keep him safe was overwhelming, especially as I was not sure of it myself.

Over the horizon the sun started to rise and this filled me with a sense of hope. It was unlikely that the Acelades would attack during the day. This provided us with the opportunity to go underground. As the sun peaked over the mountains it burned into my eyes. The over exertion of the fight combined with the loss of blood and poison had weakened me. Grasping at the visor and trying to block out the sun, I squinted my eyes to ensure I could maintain control of the car as we travelled down the freeway. Alex ruffled through the glove box trying to see if the previous owner had left any sunglasses but to no avail. Slamming my foot down harder on the accelerator the car lurched forward as the scenery flew by. I had hoped to drive within the speed limit to avoid unwanted attention but this was no longer possible. The task of driving would only become more difficult as the sun rose higher.

By the time we made it into the city the sun was beaming and a permanent state of nausea had set into me. Struggling to focus on the road and scan the area for vampires I was grateful for the tall buildings that cast shadows across the street. The strength was seeping from my body with a rapid pace. I knew that I only needed only to make it to the Blackett and I could recharge. Katherine and Lucas would be waiting there for our return if all went according to plan. But we would not be able to stay there long. Alex needed to be taken somewhere where his security could be assured. Trying to convince Katherine of that would be difficult. It was a fight to be faced when my strength had returned.

"Are you sure we will be safe here?" Alex asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes. Winter and Gabriel can be trusted to provide refuge," I replied. I was hoping I was right but after tonight I was beginning to question everything.

"Wouldn't the manor be better? I mean the walls, alarms?" Alex questioned.

"No! The manor has been comprised and god only knows what Stephan has told them," I replied.

"My father? He wouldn't. I mean I don't understand. Why would he have hurt you or let the Acelades have me? He would never try and kill me," Alex rebuffed.

"I don't have... I can't... There are things you don't know about Stephan, Alex. Obviously I need to explain them to you but not now. I need to focus," I said this more sharply than necessary.

"But, I," he continued.

"Alex please!" I snapped, giving him a look that showed I would not enter into anymore discussion.

Slinking back in his seat Alex began to fiddle with the dials on the radio. His anger was understandable given all that he had been through tonight. There was no easy way to explain what Stephan had done and he knew nothing of John. Clearly, this conversation needed to occur, but given my current state it was not going to be now. Sighing I returned to focusing on the road. I was engulfed by relief when we finally reached the Blackett hotel. Without slowing I pulled into the driveway and was approached by the valet who eyed my car with great interest. Rolling down my window as he approached I could tell that he was human.

"Can I help you miss?" the attendant said dubiously.

"You're expecting me," I replied as recognition dawned on his face with the assistance of a Ben Franklin.

"Of course, I'm sorry I didn't recognise you. Please allow me to park it for you whilst you and your guest make your way to your room." He stumbled as he opened my door.

I gave him a curt nod as Alex joined me and we mounted the stairs to the Blackett Hotel. The gold and frosted glass doors were opened by an elderly distinguished gentleman who had worked for Winter and Gabriel for years. He never questioned their eternal youth and was well paid for his loyalty. The foyer of the hotel was a visual spectacular. This remodel, the boys had decided to focus on black, gold and frosted glass. The floors were black marble as was the concierge desk, which was completed with a gold bench top. There were gold and frosted glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling casting sparkles across the foyer. Gold low line lounges were surrounded by a black shag rug. In the middle was a glass coffee table covered with the latest issues of Vogue and GQ. To the left and right of the concierge desk there were stairs leading up to the second level where there was a dining room. The air was cool and crisp. As it cloaked my skin, I felt the tension releasing from my muscles and a sense of woozy relief overwhelmed me. I was seriously lacking nourishment and my body had taken a beating. Swaying slightly I headed towards the lady standing behind the desk. Alex instinctively wrapped his arm around my waist and I could barely stand the warmth from his body as it ran through me.

"It's ok Grace. I'll take care of it," he whispered in my ear as we approached the desk.

"Alex, I am your protector," I replied. My voice was not filled with as much conviction as I hoped and my inability to move away from his support did not help my cause.

"Grace, you got me here. Now it's my turn." He rebuffed me and the turned towards the concierge who was waiting. She was eying the interaction between us.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"This is Grace Kennedy and we have a room booked. There are some people waiting for us." He said this, firmly attempting to have contempt in his voice.

"I'm sorry sir. We do not have a booking under that name." She smiled, placing her hands flat on the bench. All of the staff had been trained to never admit to having a protector staying in their hotel, to protect their identity. She didn't know me but clearly had received the list of names not to be disclosed.

"Aurelia Park," I interrupted her, giving my code name for the Blackett Hotel.

"Sorry my mistake, here are your keys. The lift is to the left." She smiled as she handed over the keys gesturing to the lift.

We entered the lift and I slumped against the wall. Alex smiled at me and stood back to give me space. The mirror allowed me to attend to my presentation before facing Lucas and Katherine. My appearance said that I looked as bad as I felt despite having fixed my hair and straightened my clothes. The nausea increased with every floor we passed. Exhaustion was eating at every cell in my body. I hoped to provide a quick assessment of the mission and then be able to retire for some rest. My hopes for this were not high given the intensity of the battle and the ongoing concerns for Alex's safety. Arrangements would need to be made to protect Alex from Scarlet but there was no way I could focus on these in my current state.

Taking a deep breath I focused myself and consolidated all of my strength. Preparing my blade I stood in front of the doors preparing for their opening. A quiet chime signalled our arrival and the doors opened. Holding my arm out to protect Alex I stepped through the door and inspected the hallway. I could not sense any unknown vampires in the area but I was taking no chances. Alistair was the only person in the hallway. Grabbing Alex's arm we moved quickly from the elevator towards the door. Alistair was standing guard stoically when our arrival interrupted him.

"Grace. Alex. I am so glad to see you!" he cried, rushing towards us, his face full of worry and concern.

"Is everyone ok?" I asked, not wanting to allow Alistair to become distracted.

"Oh yes," Alistair replied, returning to his post. "Katherine was given a sedative by Lucas due to her hysteria. He has not left the room but I have heard him speaking with Marius."

"Thank you Alistair. Obviously I need to speak with Lucas immediately. Alex has had a frantic night and he requires some basic items to attend to his needs. Could you please contact the concierge and order the necessary preparations for him whilst I discuss the events with Lucas?" I attempted to make it sound like a request, however I was sure that he understood that he had been discharged. Despite his valiant protection tonight, he was still not in the fold and was not entitled to the information I was about to disclose. Alistair nodded and moved towards the second room. I could see the disappointment on his face and given his extraordinary performance tonight, I wanted to provide some acknowledgement. As he opened to door to the adjacent suite I caught his attention.

"Alistair. You have done a protection assignment far beyond your training successfully. I will be sure Marius is made aware of your talents."

As he grasped the door handle I saw the pride creep over Alistair's face. He swallowed hard and entered the room. With a deep breath I readied myself to face Lucas. Stephan's comments had left me unsure about how to approach Lucas. I was torn between not wanting to believe that Lucas could have lied to me and the credibility of a dead man's confession. I entered the room and my eyes found Lucas immediately. He was seated on the lounge wringing his hands. His tie had been discarded beside him and his shirt was crinkled.

"Grace!" Lucas greeted me, his grave face quickly filling with disbelief. "Is Alex?" I stood to the side and allowed Alex to enter the room. Lucas moved to him in a flash. He gathered him in his arms a show of affection I had not seen before from Lucas.

"My dear, dear grandson. I was so worried. Your mother has been beside herself. Are you hurt? Injured?" Lucas asked this sounding more like Katherine than himself.

"I'm fine Grandfather. Grace made sure I came to no harm," Alex replied through Lucas's arms. Seemingly assured of Alex's safety he guided him towards a chair and turned his attention to me.

"Grace. I am in your debt," he stated.

"Lucas, I will hear of no debt. I can only offer my apologies for allowing the manor to be breached in the first instance. Stephan and the other Acelades came so quickly. Their attack could not have been anticipated. There is an obvious need to discuss the events of the evening but first I must feed. The poison and combat have combined to decrease my strength and we cannot be assured of when the next attack will occur. I would like to be on my game when it does," I answered.

"You will find the necessary sustenance in there Grace. I had no doubt that you would bring Alex back to his family and made the necessary preparations to accommodate you when you returned. You are by far the best protector we have ever had Grace." Lucas complemented me.

Making my way to the fridge I grabbed five bags of blood and continued to the next room. I barely had the door closed before I tore into the first bag. The draw of the blood was overwhelming as it poured into my mouth and down my throat. It was a healing tonic for my poisoned, exhausted body. The liquid gold was thick and heady as it sought out my every cell recharging and rejuvenating my aching body. I tore through the bags with gusto and drained them fast. As the fifth bag was discarded, I leaned against the wall giving my body a chance to enjoy the sensation. Within seconds my strength was returning and my senses were sharpened. Taking a deep breath I focused my thoughts and returned to Alex and Lucas. Alex was eating a hamburger and fries with gusto. The remains of a soda was at his side.

"Forgive my absence. The night has been wearing on me and a return to full strength will be necessary in the coming moments," I stated this as I moved towards the lounge where they had settled.

"When you are ready Grace," Lucas waited patiently.

"Stephan, Lillian and 10 protectors are dead. Scarlet was injured and Benedict fled," I reported. Lucas nodded and Alex gasped.

"What happened?" Lucas asked.

"Stephan and Lillian were involved. He believed he was her other half and that he may have been the father of Scarlet. It was his mission to bring Alex to her and fulfil the prophecy. Alex obviously has a lot of questions but I felt you and Katherine were in the best position to answer those" I replied.

"Of course," Lucas replied as he turned to Alex. "There is much we have kept from you and for that I am sorry. Your mother thought it best for you to grow up with a mother and father and I allowed her these indulgences."

"Indulgences?" Alex said in disbelief. "The man I thought was my father just tried to kill my girlfriend and offered me to some crazy vampire that wanted to sleep with me and you call it indulgences?" His voice was rising as he stood and walked away from Lucas. I winced at his use of the word girlfriend, but was sure that Lucas was far more preoccupied with Alex's anger than his description of me.

"Alex. Your mother was pregnant and alone when your father was killed. Stephan offered her safety, security and a father for her unborn child. Can you not understand why she made that choice?" Lucas asked.

"No!" he spat in reply. "Safety? Security? Look at how that turned out? Who was my real father?"

"Your Father was a protector like Grace. His name was John and he was her mentor and friend. John was killed by the Acelades eighteen years ago and your Mother never fully recovered. I can't expect you to understand Alex. But we though having a normal life away from the Acelades would give you the best chance at life," Lucas's voice was almost pleading with his grandson. It hurt me to see Lucas this way. It did not matter what Stephan had said, I was still loyal to Lucas.

"Alex," I said softly placing my hand on his, trying not to allow myself to become overwhelmed with the sensation. "I know you are angry but this is not helping. We are still in danger and need to organise what we will do next. I can tell you all about John once we are someplace safe. It would be my pleasure to talk about your Father." Alex looked at me, his gaze holding mine as he swallowed hard and grasped my hand.

"Ok," he replied taking a seat next to me.

"Lucas, the manor is no longer safe and I cannot allow Alex to return there. He needs to be placed in my custody for the next three months and neither you nor Katherine can know where we go. There is a traitor in the Council and until they are identified, no one can be trusted." I informed Lucas solemnly.

"If you think that is best," Lucas said.

"There is no other way Lucas. Stephan informed me that a Council member had helped him infiltrate the Sempre world. He had no reason to lie. He knew I was about to kill him," I continued. Alex was shrinking slightly as I spoke of Stephan's demise.

"Well, if you see no other alternative," Lucas conceded.

"I wish there was but Alex's safety is paramount. Word will spread about my appearance at the Acelades' manor tonight and Galen will be out for blood. I have broken the peace treaty and engaged the Acelades in direct combat without provocation. You will need to distance yourself from my actions or he will demand your resignation. Call Marius and let him know what has occurred. Tell him Black Dawn. He will know what that means. You will need to issue a statement informing the Council that I was acting alone and have recklessly taken Alex hostage in some crazy attempt to secure the Sempre line," I continued speaking, formulating my plan as I went.

"Grace. If I do that you will be hunted by the Sempre and Acelades alike. I will not allow your reputation or your life to be ended like that," Lucas argued.

"There is no other way. You cannot risk your place on the Council and Alex needs to be protected. When this is all over Marius will explain this was a covert operation. I will be reprimanded lightly and welcomed back into the fold. For now let the Sempre protectors hunt us. It is better for them to find us than the Acelades." I countered Lucas's argument knowing that he was left with little option.

"I don't like this Grace," he replied.

"Neither do I but I see no other way to keep Alex safe. Alex, are you willing to leave with me?" I asked, already knowing his answer.

"Of course," he replied. He was unable to keep the excitement out of his voice at the prospect of three months alone with me.

"Good. Then we should leave immediately. The longer we are here, the more chance there is that someone will find us. I keep a safety deposit box in the hotel safe. I will gather the necessary things and then we will be leaving. Alex, why don't you clean up and see Katherine before we leave? Alistair has arranged for clothes to be brought to her room. You have 30 minutes. Lucas, I will need Alex's documents, I assume that you have these prepared," I asked him as I stood to leave.

"Grace. You do not have to do this," Lucas said, his voice filled with regret and something more that I could not detect. "I cannot expect that you risk this for me and my family."

"Lucas, I know there is much we need to discuss. I expect answers when I return with Alex and we have time for you to explain everything. For now be satisfied that I will return for those answers and prepare yourself." I stated this and then left the room before my composure slipped. Obviously Lucas suspected that Stephan had made more than one dead man's confession. Given his associations with the Acelades, Lucas could only imagine that it involved William and me. For now that was not important. My mission was clear. Compartmentalising my actions, I focused towards completing each step with accuracy and efficiency.

Avoiding the lift I took the stairs to the basement of the Blackett Hotel and behind the boxes of linen and wine I located the hotel safe. Entering the code I stepped inside. The cool air was inviting. Box 47 contained various passports, currency, credit cards and a change of clothing. Clearing its contents, I returned to the stairs and exited on the 15th floor. Alex was several floors above me talking softly with Katherine who was too sedated to fully comprehend what was being said. Alistair stood outside in murmured conversation with Michael. In addition to the suite currently occupied by Katherine and Lucas, I kept a smaller room on this floor on a full time basis. Entering quickly I hurried to the bathroom to adjust my appearance. Alex and I needed to blend into New York and my current presentation had me looking like a murder victim.

The hot shower was a relief to my muscles but I did not allow myself to remain there long. Once the blood and dirt were washed away I dressed quickly in jeans, black boots and a black satin blouse. Transferring the documents and money into a shoulder bag I grabbed an emerald trench coat and left the room. During the elevator ride to the 36th floor makeup was quickly applied. My hair was pinned back so that when I exited, my appearance looked presentable.

Alex was still with Katherine and Lucas when I arrived. Alistair and Michael were standing guard.

"You will need to look after them until a protector is assigned. I am sure Lucas will instruct you however, it is necessary for me to ask that you keep our secret. Alex's life depends on your commitment to this plan. I know it is a great deal to ask but there is no other way," I informed them honestly.

"Lucas has always had our loyalty Grace and recent events have not changed that. As for you, your actions demonstrate the upmost regard for the Sempre family and therefore whatever your request we are happy to abide," Michael replied kindly.

"Thank you." I nodded, and then remembered to ask about George.

"He is fine. The Acelades left him once they had Alex. He remained at the Manor to ensure the women were safe. They are relocating to Lucas's residence in Spain as we speak," Alistair reported.

"Good," I stated and entered the room.

Katherine was lying in bed with Alex seated beside her. Lucas was seated nearby stroking Katherine's hair. Alex had changed into jeans, runners and a navy sweater. A white leather jacket hung on the back of the chair with a bag of belongings.

"Is it time?" he asked

"Yes," I replied returning to the doorway. I allowed them some privacy for goodbyes. I heard Alex hug Katherine as she stifled a sob. He then quickly embraced Lucas before appearing at my side. His eyes shone with tears but he maintained his composure. Lucas passed me a document folder with Alex's passports and some cash. He gripped my hand during the exchange.

Once we were inside the lift, Alex wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him tightly. His lips met mine with an unexpected ferocity as my body moulded to his. My arms snaked up around his neck. My tongue found his as our kiss deepened. I could feel his pulse rising matching the burning heat that was racing through my body. Eventually Alex released me keeping my body close. His eyes were fixed on mine.

"Before we left I just needed to make sure," he whispered, his voice raspy.

"Make sure of what?" I replied unable to stop the breathlessness of my voice.

"That you were lying before when you said you didn't feel the same way about me." He grinned knowing that he had won.

"Alex, I," I started but was interrupted by the elevator chime.

Alex released me still smiling and grasped my hand as we exited the Blackett Hotel and went out into the New York morning. The streets were filled with commuters and tourists so it was easy to blend in as a young couple taking in the sights of the Big Apple. Alex hailed a cab and I instructed the driver to take us to a private airfield in New Jersey. Before he could complain about traffic on the bridge I handed him three hundred dollar bills and bought his silence. Alex eyed me suspiciously but I signalled for him to remain quiet. Whilst it was unlikely that the Acelades would ever identify the cab driver, I could not take the risk of him overhearing our conversations.

I took out my cell phone and called the airfield. Speaking in Spanish, I informed Jose that I needed a plane ready for take off in two hours. Eager to please, he hurried the pilot into action before my call ended. It was rare that I required travel and when I did, Jose was always willing to assist. He owned private airports in several countries and could always be counted on to provide transport with little notice. I had saved his daughter from an Acelades attack several years back. Although he was human Jose had a sense that I was not. He offered his support and the support of his family whenever I required it as gratitude for my help.

When we arrived at the airport Jose met us at the gate. To our left I could see a jet prepared for take off. The pilot was boarding the plane. We walked towards the plane whilst I asked Jose about his family. He spoke proudly of his son's acceptance into Harvard and informed me that his daughter had recently had her second child. Steering Alex in front of me, we ascended the stairs. I thanked Jose for his help and informed him to log our destination as Morocco. He nodded and left the runway never questioning my need for immediate travel or real intended destination.

The interior of the jet was first class. There were leather recliners, mahogany tables and a large king bed in the rear of the plane. I noted that the kitchen had been fully stocked and an array of newspapers and magazines were provided. My attention was drawn to the bed. Looking at Alex, I noticed his gaze seemed focused in the same direction.

"Wow!" Alex said.

"Yup," I replied, unusually lost for words.

"This plane is amazing. I am telling Grandad that he needs to get one." He grinned breaking the tension.

Dropping his hand I headed towards the cockpit to speak with the pilot. Vincent was seated and was preparing the plane for take off. Like Winter and Gabriel, Vincent was a vampire who lived outside of the Council. He was my most trusted contact and a very skilled pilot.

"Flight plan says Morocco but you are not dressed for a Turkish escape," he stated.

"Sometimes things change," I replied.

"The usual then?" he confirmed.

"Yes. Thank you Vincent!" I smiled.

"The human?" he asked, gesturing towards Alex.

"A Council identified asset. He is under my protection." I made it clear to Vincent in case of any confusion. After all he was a vampire.

"I understand. The weather is good so we should be landing in the Emerald Isle without delay," he informed me and started the plane's engine.

I exited the cockpit and returned to Alex who was sitting in a leather recliner preparing himself for take off. Selecting the seat opposite him and fastening my seatbelt, I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes. The jet moved forward gaining speed rapidly and was soon in the air. Now, safely out of New York, exhaustion crept over me. I looked at Alex whose stunning green eyes were now ringed with black. His complexion was looking pale and drawn. Releasing my seatbelt I moved towards Alex, taking his hand in mine. I led him towards the bed where he stood still, uncertainty filling his face.

"Just to rest," I assured him.

"Hmmm, you promise you won't try and take advantage of me?" he asked

"I am so tired right now that moving my arms hurts," I laughed as he lay down next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I laid my head down on his chest and I could hear his heart beating as his chest rose and fell with each breath. Our bodies curled into each other and I was filled with a sense of peace. Alex kissed my forehead lightly and I felt him drift off to sleep.

"I love you Grace," he murmured

"I love you too, Alex," I whispered, surprising myself with the honesty of my words.

I allowed myself to remain in the comfort of his arms. The heat from his body burned against my skin. I knew a battle was about to be waged and that protectors from the Sempre and Acelades alike would be hunting me. My head was filled with questions for Lucas about my past. I struggled to contain the hope that William might be alive. Despite these heavy burdens the thought of having Alex to myself for the next three months was both exhilarating and frightening. The intensity of our relationship was already more than I could control. We were now faced with no interruptions, no supervision and no need to hide our true feelings. My thoughts drifted to various possibilities all of which had the effect of raising my adrenaline and combating sleep. Eventually, I focused on Alex's breathing and allowed his heart beat to lull me to sleep.

There we lay. The vampire and the human brought together against a common enemy and bound together by fate. Who knew what the future would bring. But for now, I rested calmly and contented in the arms of my other half as we headed to my home in Ireland and whatever lay before us.

# Acknowledgments

Now is my chance to thank all the people who helped to make Fallen Grace a reality. To my family for all your support, I could not have done this without your help and encouragement. A special thanks to mom for being an editor extraordinaire and all your patience during the process. To mom and dad for always believing that we can do anything and to Emma for setting the standard so high. To Emma and Sean for all your offers to help with publishing. To David for an amazing cover and never getting frustrated with my changes of mind.

To Lauren you have my endless gratitude for your role in this creation. You were always willing and eager to read the next instalment and your margin comments certainly kept things interesting.

To the rest of my team of CP4 originals thank you for encouragement, praise and belief in my ability to write a book.

To Katie for our kitchen table discussion and your requests for updates on the book.

And finally to Peter for every day and all that comes in between.

### A sneak peak of

# Hidden Splendour

### Coming Soon

# Interlude

I stood in front of Alex attempting to shield him from the group that stood in before us. With my knife in one hand and the other holding his, I could feel him shaking with fear, his breaths were shallow. Straightening up I held my head high ready to face my accusers. I would not allow them to see the fear and panic that raged inside me. I had taught many of these protectors and now they would use those skills to kill me. This battle would be bloody and harsh, I was not sure that any of us would make it out of this clearing alive. The forest had gone still at our arrival. The animals that normally inhabited these parts had fled at the presence of larger more deadly predators. The full moon cast light over the field and made the contrast between the clearing and the trees more prominent. A slight wind was rustling the leaves of the tall oak trees but beyond that the night was silent.

In the pack stood my closet companions, I had served many missions with them and now we were opponents. They appeared well prepared with an array of weapons including guns, knives and flame throwers. Dressed in black camouflage attire they were difficult to distinguish and had been almost impossible to detect in the woods. In contrast to their intimidating presence, I was armed with only my knife to protect us. Dressed in jeans and a scarlet jumper I would be easy to detect in the forest especially next to Alex who has wearing a white jumper and denims. I silently admonished myself for allowing my defences to slip so far. Part of me was still in disbelief that it had come to this point. The treachery had gone much further in the Council than any of us had expected and now there was no one to help us. I was all that stood between Alex and the fulfilment of the prophecy. Weakened by battle and outnumbered my only hope was to hold them at bay long enough for Alex to escape. My heart skipped at beat at the thought of this being our last moments together.

"If you surrender now I will ensure your punishment is quick and painless," Christopher offered. He had clearly been appointed the head protector in my absence and was going to lead the assault.

"I have no intention of letting you have Alex," I replied.

"Grace, be reasonable, you are injured, outnumbered and isolated. There is no one to help you. Remember you were one of us once, you know we cannot let you leave and we will continue to hunt you!" he returned. It was clear from his face and the faces of those around him that this current situation was a source of internal conflict. These protectors had looked up to me and none of them could understand why this had happened. But orders were orders and the heir to the Sempre family needed to be rescued by any means possible.

"You have your orders and I have mine. I hold no ill will towards you Christopher nor towards any of you. This situation is beyond our control and its resolution will be what it will be," I stated cryptically.

"Please Grace," Cassius pleaded, stepping towards me and in front of Christopher who shot him a dark look. Raising my weapon I looked at Cassius, my face unreadable and my eyes black.

"Cassius, I suggest you return to your formation. I will not be pleaded with, bargained or begged. Alex is under my protection and all that that entails," I informed them looking at each one of them as I spoke.

I could hear a commotion at the back of group but I could not see what was occurring. Slowly the group began to part to allow the new arrivals to walk through. Detecting their scent before they were visible, poison flooded my fangs and hatred spread through my body. Even if I was killed in this battle I would ensure that I took their lives before mine was ended.

"Well, well what have we here?" Scarlet mused and she brushed lightly past Christopher in a floor length emerald green corseted gown. Her hair was pinned away from her face tumbling down her back and her make up was impeccable. Alex squeezed my hand as he moved towards me, our bodies now touching.

"You have come at last!" I replied swallowing hard as I tried not to be overwhelmed by the heat coursing through my body lit by Alex's touch.

"There was no way that we would miss the main event. Alex dear, I am sorry you have been caught up in all of this unpleasantness but never fear my love, soon we will be together and all of this will just be a bad dream." Scarlet said to Alex, a smirk on her face.

"I can assure you Scarlet that you will never have Alex and that all of your efforts will have been in vain. Now if you are finished with the theatrics I intend to kill you," I spat.

"Ah Grace, you always were a feisty one. Christopher, I believe you have an assignment to complete," the traitor called, standing next to Scarlet. And there I was face to face with the vampire who had betrayed Lucas and ordered my execution.

For more information on books by Jessica Cartwright, visit jessicacartwrightbooks.com and http://facebook.com/fallengracetrilogy.
