Time quickly passed following Paige's departure, and by early June, Katrina and Caleb were packing for their European trip. As the Slovene vampire conference tentatively indicated only a cursory agenda, there was no way to determine exactly for how long they needed to pack. Following a last-minute call to Alton, they assembled enough for at least a two-week stay. As opposed to the suitcases they had used for their spring excursion to London, Katrina acquired actual trunks for their belongings. To Caleb, it felt as though they were moving.

"Heck, I don't even own three weeks' worth of clothing!" he had joked.

However, he quickly wished that he had kept his mouth shut, as Katrina took immediate steps to take him shopping. His wardrobe nearly doubled in a matter of days, and he was certain they had been to every upscale department store and men's clothier in the major metropolitan area.

One thing was certain; he didn't want to step foot in another clothing store for at least a few years. As Katrina insisted on tailoring for proper fitting, he had been poked throughout the process and herded like a longhorn on a cattle drive. She often alternated between contemplative and gratified expressions while supervising each fitting.

I'm so glad that I manage to keep her amused, he reflected sourly.

Despite the annoying experience, he realized that perhaps for the first time in his life his clothes fit him perfectly. In fact, he grudgingly conceded it did make him feel more confident. Fortunately, the trip wasn't anticipated to be an entirely formal affair, so he was able to pack an ample supply of casual slacks, blue jeans, and nondescript pullover shirts. Katrina suggested that he not take many clothes that blatantly advertised he was an American. It wasn't as if his speech patterns wouldn't give that away soon enough.

"Are you afraid of terrorists or something?" he had inquired.

"Not while being surrounded by vampires. Tourists from the US just tend to flaunt themselves, that's all. You may not realize this, but American vanity makes Europeans disdainful towards the nation."

He had never actually considered that before and conceded the logic of it. He also noted that Katrina didn't refer to the US as her nation. She had once told him that she recognized herself to be a citizen of the world with no national affiliations. However, her current passport indicated US citizenship.

She booked their flight on the prestigious Sunset Air, a company that catered to all, but specialized in safe and luxurious air travel for vampires. While the airline did use part of their fleet to operate a competitive traditional airline for human passengers, their vampire-customized fleet was something altogether different.

Each plane sported a limited number of spacious cabins that accommodated four passengers each. Aside from the four roomy, comfortable seats, there was a small bed and separate bathroom with a shower. A large flat-panel display was affixed to the wall, and all food was prepared fresh to order. Caleb had experienced the accommodations for the first time on their trip to England. Needless to say, it made flying seem like a pleasant dream.

Another convenient aspect to using Sunset Air was their pick-up and delivery shuttle service. Of course, "shuttle" meant a stretch limousine for Katrina and Caleb, while their luggage followed them in a van. Once onboard the plane, they enjoyed the comforts afforded to them in their reserved cabin, including watching films on the large screen display, sleeping, eating, and simply appreciating each other's company. Katrina also took the time to brief Caleb on some preliminary topics.

"I'll probably be in meetings most of the day," she cautioned. "But I plan to spend most of our evenings touring the surrounding area, or perhaps doing some shopping."

He wrinkled his nose slightly at the mention of shopping, but she lightly admonished, "Oh, hush. Souvenir shopping, primarily."

Satisfied that he was properly chastised, her mood lightened while she continued, "And I'm sure the days will pass quickly for you. Between visiting with the other human companions and enjoying the daylight sightseeing, the sun will set before you know it. Besides, you won't be straying too far from the conference facility without me."

"Really? Afraid I'll get lost or something?" he teased.

"You do have a remarkable track record for trouble when you're out exploring," she wryly observed. "However, Alton mentioned that human guests are being asked to remain on the property unless escorted by vampires or conference site staff. However, the property is over a hundred acres in size. They have a golf course, tennis courts, riding stables, a small lake for fishing, arboretum, and a host of other diversions."

"Oh," he absently replied as he envisioned a stretch of tall metal fence topped with barbed wire and interspersed with occasional guard towers like some immense prison.

"I'm sure it's merely a request," she reassured him. "Hungry?"

His eyes widened with interest. "I could eat."

She rolled her eyes and pressed the staff button on her seat. In a remarkably short time, a cheeseburger, fries, and cola arrived, as well as a slice of chocolate cream pie. She marveled at her mate's seemingly bottomless appetite.

Have to work off some of those calories for him when we get to Slovenia, she thought with a slight leer while watching him eat.

It was a lengthy flight, and Caleb took the opportunity to shower and get some sleep on the small bed in their cabin. Their journey involved scheduled stops in New York City, Paris, and Zurich to take on additional passengers before finally landing in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Fortunately for the vampires, the plane touched down at Ljubljana Airport precisely as the afternoon waned towards sunset.

An indoor corridor leading from the hangar to a covered parking garage simplified the process of disembarking and transferring to the vehicles waiting to transport them to the conference hotel, located just north of Jereka. An upper roadway for embarking and arrivals was supported by a series of thick concrete pillars, which sheltered the entire disembarking and departure area. A vanguard of SUVs and passenger vans was parked next to the curb.

While surveying his surroundings, Caleb took note of the dark sunscreen-coated windows on each vehicle. He counted at least a dozen vampires among the group of twenty travelers that gathered around him. In addition, there were at least six vampires among the group of individuals helping to organize everyone. A tall, dark-haired vampire wearing a tailored gray suit approached Katrina from one of the SUVs.

"Ms. Rawlings?" he inquired in a deep, formal voice.

Katrina cautiously scrutinized the fellow before her. "Are you one of Mr. Rutherford's men?"

The vampire inclined his head in a respectful manner. "Bibbens, ma'am. Mr. Rutherford insisted that you receive a private escort to the hotel," he explained while gesturing politely to the nearby black SUV. Another suit-clad figure sat patiently in the driver's seat.

Though recalling Alton's mention of arranging for a private shuttle ride from the airport, Katrina paused. Quickly withdrawing her cell phone, she sent a text message to Alton, simply stating, "Bibbens?"

Seconds later the reply arrived, "Yes, plus driver."

She ignored Caleb's curious expression. "That's fine, Bibbens. Lead on."

As he opened the rearmost door for entry, the vampire informed them, "We'll leave immediately. The others will follow soon after."

Katrina nodded to him as he shut their door and proceeded into the front passenger seat.

Caleb noticed that the front cab area was separated from the back by a smoked pane of glass that had a small sliding window built into it, much like he had seen in a limousine. He then spied what appeared to be a small cooler built into the console before them. Opening the lid, he spied bottled water, cans of cola, and two packets of blood.

"Alton knows how to soup up a vehicle," he commented absently while removing a can of cola. He recalled a similar amenity's being added to one of Alton's limousines in England.

Katrina reached up to caress the back of his neck with her fingertips, eliciting a small shiver.

It was well past sunset when the SUV approached the region around Jereka. While the distance was merely eighty kilometers, it took longer than expected to traverse the roads due to their often meandering and circuitous route. Unfortunately for Caleb, he was unable to appreciate the scenery due to the nighttime conditions. However, Katrina's vampire vision was uninhibited by such limitations, and she acutely studied her surroundings while seated beside him in the back seat. He dejectedly leaned back into the plush leather seat.

She noted his reaction with sympathy. "I'm sorry, my love. I know you'd like to look around. There'll be so much more for you to see once we get there."

"Thanks. I'm sure you're right," he replied, and then proceeded to close his eyes for a short nap.

Wish I had vampire vision, he lamented. Being a human sure sucks sometimes.

He hated to admit it, but he was often jealous of his vampire mate and her peers. While trying to drift off to sleep, he began weighing all of the pros and cons in his mind. Granted, they had to avoid daylight, which he had noticed particularly annoyed them during long summer days. But there were so many more advantages to being a vampire. Physically, they were extremely durable, immune to diseases, faster, and stronger. They had amazing vision in both light and dark conditions, keen senses of touch and hearing, and a seemingly endless amount of energy.

Hell, he darkly considered, they only sleep for a few hours every other day while I'm spending one third of every day slumbering.

Katrina eyed her mate and noted the tension in his body language. His arms were folded in front of him, and he maintained a tight-lipped expression. She quietly released her seatbelt and slid to the center of the seat to sit next to him, supportively draping her arm across his shoulders.

"A penny for your thoughts," she whispered into his ear before lightly kissing him on the cheek.

He kept his eyes shut and sourly replied, "Being human is such a drag."

She silently congratulated herself on gauging his mood and purred in his ear, "Well, I love you as a human. I simply adore you, in fact."

He tried to restrain the beginning of a smirk. "I'm practically blind compared to you."

"You have beautiful eyes," she cooed.

"I'm a weakling," he added. "You practically have to avoid knocking me over half the time as you speed around the house."

She was beguiled over his dour wit, grateful that his eyes were still closed. "You're resilient for a human. Your body is tantalizingly fit and attractive to me."

He paused to appreciate her compliment, but then continued, "We lose quality time together because I have to waste so much time eating and sleeping."

Somewhat true, she silently conceded. But I don't mind that much, really. I enjoy sharing the time with him, no matter the circumstance.

"I enjoy watching you sleep. You're so innocent and peaceful-looking. I love listening to the sound of your heartbeat and the blood rushing through your veins. And I'm starting to enjoy cooking for you, especially now that I'm getting better at it. To tell the truth, the smell of cooked foods actually bothers me less as time passes," she said.

Disagreeably grunting as his eyes remained closed, his mind raced with additional ammunition to substantiate his dark mood.

Admittedly, she's come a long way in the cooking and food-tolerance areas, he grudgingly admitted. He began to feel a little self-conscious over his continued brooding.

He appreciated the sincere tone in her responses and whispered, "I just wish we were more equal, that's all. And it's easy to feel like my life is so out of control sometimes, whereas you have everything in such an orderly state."

She snickered and whispered in his ear, "Ah, but you already know how I like to be in control, my love."

"Ha, so true," he agreed.

He contemplated ammunition to raise additional arguments, but in the end, he merely sighed with resignation.

Katrina hugged him to her, having sensed his silent surrender. She used her spare hand to turn his face towards hers and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

"I may have control, but you're the one who commands my heart," she insisted. "Human or not, I love you. Little else matters to me than our life together."

He slowly opened his lids and gazed into her beautiful emerald eyes. He loved her so very much and was humbled by the impact that he had on her.

"I love you too," he murmured and deeply kissed her.

After a moment, their lips parted, and she pulled away from him slightly. She leaned his head against her shoulder while lightly running her fingers through his short hair then returned to appreciate the passing scenery around them. A short time later, she sensed his body go limp against her, noting that his breathing had grown more rhythmic as he was lulled to sleep.

Katrina appreciated the quiet journey to the hotel. It gave her time to think, while occasionally glancing down at her sleeping mate. The affection that she felt for him was unparalleled, rivaled only by the love she had felt for her late human husband, Samuel. It felt odd in some ways to think of Samuel so infrequently, save for when Caleb came to mind. The association between them was uncanny, and yet comforting.

For centuries, the pain she had felt at the memories of her late husband and children eventually caused her to shut those thoughts away, relegating them to the basement of her mind where the remainders of her past human life resided. Like the earthen graves in which her family members were buried, such thoughts had been swept from the forefront of her daily musings.

But now, with the addition of Caleb in her life, she once more felt compelled to seek the comforts of what had been her human existence, if only to share them with the happiness that he brought into her life.

My love, she thought as she valued the young man next to her.

Some time later, the small sliding window before them opened to reveal Bibbens' face.

"We're ten minutes from the hotel, Ms. Rawlings," he quietly whispered in deference to the slumbering human beside her.

She acknowledged him before the glass slid quietly back into place.

Katrina lightly used the back of her fingernails to caress the side of Caleb's face, causing him to breathe in deeply. Stirring, he opened his eyes, which rolled up to seek hers in sleepy fashion. He stretched in the seat, momentarily rubbing at his eyes with his fingertips.

"Are we there?" he asked before yawning again and lazily glancing at his wristwatch.

She shook her head at his adorable manner and whispered, "Not yet, my love. But we're close. I thought that you might want to see our approach. I'm told it's quite a sight whether at nighttime or in daylight."

A few minutes later, true to Katrina's earlier statement, the white glow of lighting surrounding the conference site loomed into view from the base of the pronounced mesa before them.

It appeared as a glowing oasis among the dark mountainous area surrounding them. A two-lane asphalt road cut into the sharply sloping, forested landscape with street lamps attached to metal utility poles at sparse intervals. Caleb suspected that the curvy roads were twice as dangerous to navigate at night, despite the strategic placement of sturdy-looking metal crash rails before the road seemingly dropped into nothingness.

After a short time, the monotony of the tree-lined road gave way to a rising incline. A gentle, pronounced arc revealed the conference hotel in all its majesty. An elaborate frontage of vast grassy ground interspersed with full, tall trees and an occasional park lamp spread out before the majestic driveway leading up to the main facility.

A series of tasteful exterior lights elegantly accented the gathered buildings. The central hotel was only five stories tall, but extended along the width of the numerous acres of lawn set before it. A series of windows lined each level of the hotel, and the roof was covered in a giant, coppery dome. A three-story section of the facility was connected to the hotel by a smaller, one-story length of building. The smaller section was lined with large windows across the length of the first floor, and the roof was domed with glass tiles.

"Pretty impressive-looking," Caleb mumbled, thinking, Expensive-looking, actually.

"And that's just the portion you can see from the front," Katrina explained. "There's a host of things to do here. And you missed the small town of Podjelje that we passed through earlier. It has some quaint-looking shops and restaurants."

Best of all, boredom shouldn't be an issue for him if I get stuck in prolonged meetings, she rationalized with satisfaction.

He observed the lengthy approach to the side entrance of the conference facility. This looks promising.

After their vehicle circumnavigated the large curve around a central gazing pool accented by an elaborate statue of a stately-looking man riding a large horse, they parked beneath a small tent-like structure assembled before the large side entrance. The sides were drawn up, leaving the area visible from all angles, but Caleb suspected that it was intended for sheltering daytime arrivals.

Their SUV stopped directly before the glass entrance, and the vampire sitting in the front passenger seat exited to open Katrina's side of the vehicle.

This might be just the relaxing change of scenery that I need, Caleb hopefully contemplated as the driver opened the back of the SUV to remove their luggage for the approaching attendants.

As they passed through the main entrance into the lobby, it was apparent from the clusters of bodies that many of the participants had only recently arrived. Navigating their way through the busy lobby, Caleb noted a variety of humans intermingled with vampires bustling through the large open area.

As it was the first time that he had seen so many vampires all in one location, he felt slightly unnerved. Admittedly, he wasn't certain that every person he visually identified as being a vampire truly was. However, upon careful scrutiny, he had noticed that many vampires maintained a bearing and attitude that set them apart from the average human populace.

For example, a number of vampires strode through the throng of people with an air of superiority, as if waiting for the sea of humanity to part for them at will. He noticed that a number of humans deliberately shied from those vampires, often pressing closer to their vampire companions. He was immediately curious as to how other human mates related to their vampires compared to him and Katrina.

Katrina momentarily studied her mate and deciphered the curious expression on his face.

"I sense a social streak surfacing in my mate. Let's focus on getting checked in first, okay?" she whispered in his ear.

Despite the fact that their luggage would be automatically delivered to their suite, they were expected to observe the standard check-in process at the main desk. The area was crowded with those who had just arrived, as well as those who had arrived earlier but hadn't yet been checked in. While there were additional hotel employees manning the main desk, the mere size of the crowd indicated that it might be a longer wait than Caleb preferred.

Katrina visually swept the room, catching the eye of Alton and a female vampire standing next to him. He motioned for her join them.

Bending down to whisper in Caleb's ear, she apologized, "Alton's beckoning. Probably wants me to meet someone. Do you mind?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Not going anywhere anytime soon, I think."

She winked at him and made her way towards where Alton stood.

It appeared to Caleb that most of the people waiting to check in were much like him, which suggested that the menial task had been foisted upon the human vampire companions. He observed the disorderly gaggle of men and women, who ranged in ages from early twenties to mid thirties, and noticed a number of people glancing at him as well. He was struck by the notion that the scene was similar to the first day of school when all the kids sized each other up.

Suddenly, his body lurched forwards and to the left as someone slammed into his right shoulder.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as his head whipped around.

A tall, dark-haired man dressed in expensive-looking trousers and sport jacket glared at him with slightly glowing blue eyes.

"Watch where you're going, human," he growled.

Caleb's jaw clenched at the vampire's gruff tone.

"I believe you ran into me, actually," he corrected.

The vampire's right hand darted out in a blur, grasping his neck in a vise-like grip that caused him to gag slightly from the impact. Caleb's hands immediately pried at the hand gripping him, but he was unable to dislodge it. The vampire's fingers uncomfortably tightened around his neck.

"Someone should teach you to respect your betters," the vampire insisted as the people around Caleb stared wide-eyed at the exchange.

A pale hand appeared out of nowhere to grasp the vampire's wrist while another tightened around the fellow's own neck. In a blur, the vampire was thrown backwards onto the floor while Caleb was knocked to his knees from the sudden motion. The vampire's body was summarily slammed against the tile floor onto his back as a short figure wearing a navy blazer and slacks hovered over the prone figure.

Paige Turner's blue irises brilliantly blazed with rage as she glared down into the offending vampire's face.

"Touch him again, and I'll end you!" she growled through clenched teeth.

Caleb's eyes widened at the scene taking place before him, and his mind reeled upon realizing that Paige was his unexpected rescuer. A number of nearby humans and vampires stood watching the display with a mix of curiosity and surprise.

"Let me go, or I'll -" the dark-haired vampire threatened.

The prone vampire's left hand darted to claw at Paige's right one as it squeezed his neck, but the blonde vampire menacingly seethed, "Do something, please. Just give me a reason."

His hand immediately dropped away.

"Apologize," she insisted in a flat, lethal-sounding voice.

Or I'll kill you right here, she darkly resolved.

The male vampire's glowing blue eyes met hers before darting to stare up at Caleb with a fierce expression.

"A misunderstanding, human," he growled.

"Do it better," Paige flatly insisted.

The vampire paused as if considering his options then whispered, "My apologies, human."

"No harm," Caleb quietly offered as he rose from his knees to stand while rubbing at his sore neck. "Apology accepted."

Paige released her grip on the vampire, who moved in a blur to extricate himself from the rather humiliating public circumstance. Caleb watched him depart, but then his attention quickly returned to Paige as she stood and gathered him in her arms in a welcoming embrace.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine," he murmured, still a little dazed by the rapid series of events.

Satisfied that he was unharmed, she chirped in a lilting voice, "It's good to see you, tiger." Gone was the lethal-sounding tone of moments prior as the young vampire calmed herself in practiced manner, a technique that had taken years for her to master.

He gratefully returned her earnest hug.

"This is your secret overseas contract job?" he incredulously whispered in her ear.

"Yep," she replied in an enterprising manner. "Captain Turner, second in command of security for the conference site, at your service. Got a swanky uniform jacket and everything."

He pulled away from her slightly to note the embroidered silver captain's bars sewn into the collar of her navy blazer, as well as the security badge over the left pocket. He was momentarily gratified by the unlikely coincidence of her position in contrast to her rebellious personality. Then the ominous circumstances of a few minutes prior returned to the forefront of his thoughts, and his countenance darkened considerably.

"Thanks for the help," he genuinely offered.

She beamed and darted to kiss him gently on the cheek.

"Babysitter's always on duty, tiger," she whispered in his ear.

I'll always be there for you whenever possible, kiddo, she silently added.

A sense of gratitude mixed with happiness washed over him, and he tightly embraced her in response. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, savoring both their closeness and the relief that he was unharmed. Then she pulled away slightly with a mischievous expression.

"Okay, break it up, or I'll have to cite you for public display of affection," she teased with a smirk in typical Paige Turner fashion.

He chuckled and shook his head at her, but quickly noticed that everyone in the immediate vicinity was intently staring at them.

Paige seemed to notice as well and announced in an authoritative voice, "There will be no fighting in my lobby! And show's over, so stop gawking."

Most people either returned to their previous activities or relocated to another part of the lobby. Moments later, the clamor of voices and activity returned to its former levels. A tall, pale-skinned man wearing a uniform similar to Paige's, but with a major's rank on the collar, stopped a dozen feet from them. The fellow's features suggested to Caleb that he might also be a vampire.

"Captain Turner? A word, if you please," the man beckoned in a displeased tone.

Aw, crap, Paige thought.

"Looks like the boss is calling," she muttered to Caleb. "Catch ya later. Gotta run," she added before turning on her heels to catch up with the man.

Caleb watched her depart and tried to refocus his attentions on the lines of people waiting to be checked into the hotel.

Okay, this is no longer any fun, he thought. And I may have lost my place in line, too.

Realizing that most of the humans around him were curiously staring at him, he absently rubbed at his neck again while trying to ignore them.

"You two seem to know each other," a young man wearing jeans standing next to him observed with some amusement. He was approximately Caleb's age and height, but had slightly curly blonde hair and green eyes. His accent suggested that he might be from the New England area.

"Er, yeah," Caleb acknowledged as he held out his hand to shake. "Caleb Taylor," he prompted. "Pleased to meet you."

The fellow returned the handshake. "Aiden Henderson. Nice to meet you, too."

A petite-framed young woman standing in front of Aiden turned to look at Caleb with an appraising expression. She had medium-length blonde hair and brown eyes and appeared quite trendy in her pair of Capri pants and turtleneck sweater.

The young lady thoughtfully assessed Caleb. "I thought that you were with the red-headed vamp?"

"So true," he awkwardly replied. "Actually, the blonde vampire, Paige, is my surrogate."

"You have two?!" the woman demanded.

"Not exactly," he hedged. "You see, Katrina, the red-headed lady, is my mate. It's kind of complicated, really."

Boy, is it ever, he earnestly conceded.

"Actually, I suppose you could say that they have me," he wryly added.

"So, you serve them both, then?" asked a man with a French accent and a scandalized expression who was standing in another line to Caleb's right.

"Well," Caleb began, but abruptly stopped. "Wait. Just what do you mean by 'serve'?" he challenged.

The young Frenchman laughed, followed by Aiden and the blonde lady standing in front of him. Caleb chuckled despite himself, suddenly happy for the lighter mood in the room.

The Frenchman held out his hand. "I'm Reynard Dautry."

Caleb returned the shake while introducing himself.

The blonde woman offered, "Madison Baker, but everyone calls me Maddy."

"So, Caleb," Aiden said following the brief introductions. "You were saying about serving two vampires?" he pressed with a raised eyebrow.

Caleb winced and shook his head as everyone else grinned at his expense.

Katrina made her way through the crowd to where Alton stood next to a medium-height Native American woman with long, jet-black hair. As she approached, she realized that the woman was a vampire, though one unfamiliar to her.

Alton warmly embraced Katrina and placed a discreet kiss on her cheek, which she returned in kind. "Welcome, my dear. I'm so happy that you and Caleb decided to attend the conference. I trust your journey was uneventful?"

Parting from his embrace, her eyes quickly darted to the stranger to her left, who pleasantly observed their exchange. "It's good to see you again, naturally. And yes, it was a lengthy, but pleasant flight here. Although Caleb was disappointed that the night spoiled any appreciable view on our drive to the hotel."

"Don't worry, he'll have more than enough time to see everything in the days to come," he replied. "But I'm being rude. I'd like you to meet Talise Penbroke. She's been kind enough to accept my invitation to attend the conference."

"Katrina Rawlings," she greeted the vampire before her.

Talise brightly smiled. "The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Rawlings. Alton was just singing your praises before you appeared in the lobby, actually. Though I only know you by the reports of your most recent exploits with Chimalma, I'm nevertheless honored to meet you."

Katrina politely nodded, and her attention returned to Alton. "You look like there's something on your mind."

"Not here," Alton replied as he gently used each arm to steer the two women across the expanse of open lobby towards the open doorway of an unoccupied conference room.

As they glided into the room, he smoothly pressed the door closed before turning to address the two women.

"Talise appreciates my view of the need for this conference. Her specialty in international law may come in handy," he explained to Katrina.

"I'm primarily a corporate attorney, but I worked with courts in the Haig on International Law for a number of years prior to that," offered Talise.

"When the conference begins, I'll be presiding as Chair, but I'll need a Co-Chair. Talise will ensure that there's a motion to nominate you," Alton explained.

Katrina's eyes widened with surprise, and she sharply looked at her former mentor.

"Co-chair? Alton, I agreed to attend just to listen and consider, not to ride shotgun over the herd," she warned.

"Understand that your presence here is important," he quickly countered. "A number of the others respect you over the Chimalma affair. Besides, I need someone who'll keep the others in line if chaos erupts."

"Oh, so now I'm supposed to be your sergeant-in-arms, as well?" she shot back. "Alton, I promised Caleb that I'd spend quality time with him while we're here. I'm not looking for a full-time job on this trip."

The diplomatic vampire held up his hands in placating fashion. "Now, now, there'll be plenty of time available for Caleb, as well. Truth is, I really need your help on this, Katrina. A number of the attendees are representing some very powerful and suspicious elder vampires in the world, who naturally prefer their anonymity in lieu of attending. Nevertheless, their proxies may be persuaded to favorably report events if things are handled properly, which could tilt things in our favor here."

"Just what do you mean by our favor?" Katrina inquired.

Talise's eyes played between her two fellow vampires, somewhat like observing a tennis match in play.

Alton paused to rub his fingertips contemplatively across his lips as if stalling to consider his response.

"You know," he carefully began, "a formalized agreement among our kind might help to curtail future Chimalma-like events in the world. It could also help to reinforce the importance of communication by our kind before interloping on declared territories. Take Mableton, Georgia, for example."

Katrina silently conceded her former mentor's logic. She of all people didn't want to see another vampire charging around the world wantonly trying to kill off rivals and their mates.

"I suppose if the Co-Chair is primarily a position of formality," she hesitantly ventured.

"Oh, most assuredly," Alton quickly agreed. "Just help me keep everybody in line, that's all I ask. If we can merely maintain and encourage a civil dialogue, it might just pique the interest of enough of us to -"

"All right, I'll get the specifics from you later," Katrina interrupted with a raised hand.

She of all people knew how Alton could drone on once he was energized about one of his ventures. Then her jaw clenched with another realization.

Caleb's not going to be happy about this, she ruminated. She had promised him a sort of vacation if he accompanied her.

An urgent knock sounded at the door.

"Come," Alton announced.

The door opened only partially, and the youthful face of a female vampire with hazel eyes appeared.

"Um, Ms. Rawlings, Mr. Rutherford, there's been an event in the lobby that you should know about."

"What kind of event?" Alton crisply demanded as Katrina's focus shifted to the vampire before them.

"Everything's fine. But Ms. Rawlings' mate was involved in a disagreement with another guest," she replied.

Katrina yanked the door open, causing the vampire to lose her balance as she bolted past her with Alton and Talise closely following.

Paige casually strolled through the throng of people on her way over to her supervisor. Major Kivo Pietari was nearly six feet tall and sported short-cropped red hair. His brown eyes were dull-looking as his stare pierced through her. He may have seemed an imposing figure to most, but Paige was far from being easily intimidated.

Okay, so he's pissed, she realized easily enough. Not that it really matters when it comes to Caleb's safety.

The major motioned for her to follow him, and they made their way into a small clerical office off of the main lobby. Seeing nobody on duty at the desk, Pietari closed the door behind them and turned to address her.

"What the hell was that all about, Captain?" Pietari demanded while staring into Paige's bright blue eyes.

"The vampire threatened a human patron," she casually explained. "We don't allow bullies to intimidate our guests, do we?"

One of his eyebrows suspiciously rose.

"A little more restraint would have been in order, I think," he emphasized. "But then, he was no ordinary customer, was he?"

She absently folded her arms before her as she stared into Pietari's eyes. "No."

"I see. You didn't mention having a mate in your interview."

"I don't, exactly," she hedged, thinking, It's really none of his business.

"Then why -" Pietari pressed.

"Look, I'm that young man's surrogate vampire," she brusquely explained. "It's a special arrangement with his mate. Suffice to say, I'm a guardian of sorts for him. Listen, this isn't something I'm interested in discussing further, if you don't mind."

He silently observed his subordinate for a moment before asking, "Just who is his mate, exactly?"

"Katrina Rawlings."

Pietari's eyes widened in a manner that suggested the name meant something to him, which Paige noted with some interest.

Curious, she wondered.

"Oh," he replied, though in a manner that seemed forced. Then his eyes darted to hers as if in sudden recognition of something. "You know, employees for this assignment were selected because they had no complicating interests here."

"If I understand correctly, Mr. Rutherford is running this operation," Paige countered. "He hired me personally, so if you have issue with my circumstances you'll need to take it up with him."

"Never mind. I'm sure that won't be necessary," he neatly equivocated. "Well, just try to keep yourself in check from now on. We don't want to create an incident in the vampire community. Things are on edge enough as it is."

His dismissive manner irritated her, and she took great satisfaction in her next statements.

"You should be thanking me, Major. You want an incident? Just let something happen to Caleb Taylor, and you'll get to see the world's second baddest-ass vampire tear into this place with a vengeance."

"Katrina Rawlings is that much of a loose cannon?" Pietari carefully asked.

She turned on one heel and reached for the door handle to exit.

"Katrina? Perhaps."

She opened the door and glanced back over her shoulder at him with a steely expression. "But then, I was referring to me."

Pietari remained silent with a narrow-eyed expression as he watched his second-in-command depart the office.

Caleb finally made his way through the line with his new comrades as each checked into the hotel and were issued room keys. He, Aiden, and Maddy were chatting near a small decorative tree when they were approached by a tall, handsome, athletic-looking man dressed in business casual attire. His medium-length black hair touched the back of his open-collared dress shirt, and Caleb noticed a stethoscope draped around his neck. He looked every bit like an actor who played a doctor in Hollywood television shows or soap operas.

His brown eyes gently surveyed the faces of each of them before resting on Caleb.

"I see by the pressure marks on your neck that you're the guest who had a bad run-in with a vampire a few minutes ago," he smoothly observed as he held out his hand to shake Caleb's.

Adopting an amicable expression, he introduced himself. "I'm Dr. Ethan Reynolds, the presiding physician here at the conference. Mind if I take a quick look at your neck?"

Caleb shook the man's hand, which seemed warm and hard at the same time. While employing a firm grip, the man grasped his hand with a measured pressure. It was then that Caleb determined that the good doctor was indeed a vampire.

"You're a..." he gently ventured.

"Vampire? Yes," the doctor confirmed. "If that bothers you, I can call for one of the nurses to examine you."

"Not at all," Caleb reassured him. "It's not like that. I just wasn't expecting a doctor to be a vampire, that's all."

Reynolds reassuringly smiled. "May I?" he asked with a gesture to Caleb's neck.

"Oh, of course," Caleb replied and lifted his chin slightly to allow a better view. For some strange reason, particularly since he was a vampire, the physician's manner made him feel oddly at ease.

Reynolds' touch was gentle as he traced the skin of Caleb's neck.

"Any pain, tingling, or numbness anywhere?" he asked.

"Just a little soreness," Caleb confirmed as Aiden and Maddy curiously watched.

"Mm-hm," the doctor hummed absently while probing for tender spots. "That's to be expected, and as long as it dissipates over the next few hours, you should be fine."

"Thanks, Doc."

Reynolds inclined his head in appreciation and inquired, "Someone said that the security captain took care of things rather handily. Your mate, perhaps?"

The question caught Caleb off-guard, but he smoothly replied, "Uh, no. Paige is my guardian. Katrina Rawlings is my mate."

"I see," the tall doctor responded with a puzzled expression. "Well, I only arrived a few days ago and haven't met everyone yet. I'm sure I'll run into the captain before long."

"I could introduce you to Paige, if you'd like," Caleb politely ventured.

His response seemed to please the doctor.

"Thank you. I'd like that very much," Reynolds noted with appreciation. "Well, I should make my way back to the office," he quickly offered with a nod. "Please come see me if things don't improve by this evening. My office is on the first floor next to the interior courtyard."

"I will," Caleb replied. "And thanks again."

The doctor politely nodded to each of them and turned to make his way back towards the central part of the facility.

They watched him depart, and Maddy observed, "He seemed nice enough. I'm sure he's a real hit with the ladies."

Aiden and Caleb looked at Maddy curiously, but she shrugged and added, "If you're into his type, of course."

Before either man could inquire further, a woman appearing to be in her mid-thirties with flowing auburn hair and blue eyes appeared next to Maddy. She affectionately regarded Maddy, who reached out to grasp the woman's hand tenderly in her own.

"Are we all checked in?" the woman asked in an accent that suggested Dutch descent.

"Aiden, Caleb, this is my mate, Rianne," Maddy offered with a pleased grin. Both men introduced themselves.

Caleb observed the couple, noting that they seemed quite smitten with each other. The thought of same-sex vampire couplings had never occurred to him until that moment. But then, given the population of similar human partnerships, it made perfect sense in retrospect.

"Pleased to meet you both," Rianne courteously responded. "Maddy, shall we make our way to the suite? I'm sure you would like to freshen up before tonight's reception," she added.

Both men watched as the couple walked towards the nearby elevators while holding hands.

"Well, I better go find my girlfriend, Talise," Aiden said.

"Yeah, I need to find Kat, too," Caleb replied. "She's probably going to be real happy when she hears --"

Aiden's eyebrows arched in amusement, at which Caleb's features fell and reddened slightly.

"And she's standing right behind me, isn't she?"

Aiden merely chuckled as Katrina's arm reached over Caleb's right shoulder, her palm resting against his chest. Patting him lightly, she teased, "Please, you were doing so well there, my little troublemaker."

Her attention was immediately drawn to the reddened marks on his neck, and her mood immediately darkened.

What the hell?

Feeling Katrina's grip tighten around him, Caleb tensed.

She saw the marks.

"Kat, this is Aiden Henderson," he quickly interjected.

Talise appeared beside Aiden as he greeted Katrina. Caleb noted the woman's obvious Native American heritage in her appearance and marveled at how vampires seemed to touch all cultures and denominations.

In turn, Aiden introduced Talise to Caleb, whose attention was distracted by Katrina's closer inspection of his neck out of his peripheral vision.

"Are you okay?" Katrina insisted.

I'm so going to make sure that someone regrets this, she vowed.

"Really, everything's fine now, Kat. It was just a misunderstanding, that's all," he reassured his mate before casting a pleasant glance at Aiden and Talise. He didn't want her going on some vengeful tear so soon after their arrival. Instead, he just wanted to forget the entire event.

"The captain of security took care of things pretty fast," Aiden said.

"Paige, that is," Caleb added as his eyes met Katrina's.

Her green eyes turned flat and steely-looking, much like Paige's had been earlier, which caused him to tense slightly.

"Paige is here? And she's on the security detail?" Katrina asked with surprise.

So, that's why she was so hedgy about her contract job, she divined. Leave it to Paige.

"Let's speak more about this back at the room," she suggested.

They excused themselves from Aiden and Talise and made their way to their hotel suite on the fifth floor. On their brief journey, Caleb was taken aback by the sheer number of vampires they passed in the lobby and hallways. He was happy to have made the European trip with Katrina, but wondered if the episode in the lobby portended a dangerous theme for their visit.

As they unpacked their luggage to place items in closets and drawers, Katrina insisted that Caleb explain the earlier encounter in the lobby with the rude vampire. To say that she was displeased was an understatement, and he deliberately tried to soften the edges of his story for her. That was not to say it wouldn't have pleased him to see the vampire brought low by his mate. Rather, he felt as if Paige's response had been appropriate enough for his satisfaction, a point he made by recounting her intervention on his behalf in explicit detail.

When he finished, Katrina sat on the edge of their king-sized bed.

"Well, I suppose that Paige represented me well enough in my absence."

"She was impressive, really," he heartily agreed. "She's surprisingly fierce for her size."

"She's an alpha," she noted matter-of-factly with a slight shrug.

Of which I'm very proud, she thought, once again thankful for the young vampire's helpful presence in Caleb's life.

He walked over to where she sat and kissed her warmly on the lips.

"I so love you, Kat. Thanks for bringing me with you."

Her arms slipped around his waist, pulling him onto the bed beside her. Her lips targeted his almost magnetically, and she kissed him affectionately. Despite the earlier road bump in the lobby, she was happy that she had brought him with her, as well. She merely hoped that her additional duties in the conference meetings wouldn't negatively impact her time with him.

As they kissed, his hand gently massaged the back of her neck. Moments later, his hand traced down her back and slowly slipped beneath her sweater to seek her right breast.

She parted from their kiss and whispered, "I like where this is going, but we need to get ready for the reception."

He recalled an earlier comment from Maddy's consort about the reception. "It's mandatory?" he asked.

She looked upon him sympathetically. "I'm afraid it's expected. Besides, it'll give you a chance to meet more of the human companions."

He remained silent. While intrigued to meet others, some intimate time with Katrina made all other endeavors pale by comparison.

Sensing his dour mood, she kissed him on the tip of the nose and promised, "No worries. We'll pick up where we left off later."

He watched her roll off the edge of the bed and move in a blur to the bathroom to start the shower. After a few minutes, he joined her.

Later, she applied a modest amount of makeup in the bathroom as Caleb finished cinching the knot on his fashionable new silk tie that she had bought for him back in Atlanta. He scoffed out loud at the off-center dimple below the knot, hastily undoing his tie and starting over from scratch. The truth was that he felt somewhat nervous about the upcoming reception, particularly given his earlier vampire-related misunderstanding in the lobby.

Katrina heard him scoff and offered, "I know you'd rather skip this, my love. But perhaps it's even more important considering what happened earlier. Believe it or not, most of the humans in the lobby appeared rather wary from being around so many vampires at once. You'd make quite an impression if you simply treated the vampires just like any other human."

"You think?" he asked as his second attempt with his tie was more successful.

"I'm certain of it," she confirmed while surveying her eyeliner. "Most vampires enjoy intimidating humans. It's a sort of perverse pastime with a number of them, a way of indulging their overinflated egos and sense of superiority. I suggest that you treat them politely, but no differently from anyone else you would meet in public."

Caleb frowned as he stood before the mirror. "I dunno, Kat."

She smiled with self-assurance as she ran a brush through her mane of red hair, letting it cascade across her shoulders.

"Trust me. Do you remember that textbook publishing event that we attended for one of your peers a month or so ago?"

Caleb nodded. One of his fellow professors had partnered with a Georgia University professor to generate a new history textbook that had been adopted for statewide use. The celebration had been a stuffy affair, mostly filled with other professors who were keen to brag about their latest research projects and publishing opportunities. Caleb recalled that it had been a snore-fest of epic proportion, in retrospect.

"Oh yeah, I remember."

"Remember how bored you were passing through the room shaking hands and politely listening to people drone on?" she asked. "Well, just act the same way tonight. Vampires are nothing, if not repositories of past experiences and timelines. Just look at it like a historical research project, of sorts."

"I'll try that," he replied as he peered around the corner into the bathroom. What he saw made him nearly lose his breath.

Katrina looked ravishing in a full-length black silk dress that fit her curves in all the right places. A silver necklace adorned her neck, with a large emerald pendant tastefully suspended above her cleavage. Her beautiful red hair was like a mantle across her shoulders, and emerald earrings sparkled at her earlobes. A pair of black strappy high-heels complemented the ensemble. She was simply gorgeous, and he felt the pull of her amorous nature drawing on him like gravity.

"Oh, Kat," he muttered once he caught his breath. "You're stunning."

"Thank you. And may I say, you look quite the handsome gentleman yourself," she said of his selection of dark Ralph Lauren slacks and blazer.

"Nice tie," she added as she strode up to him and cast a penetrating stare into his pale blue eyes.

The increased height from her heels required him to crane his neck up to meet her gaze fully, revealing his tasty-looking neckline to her. She felt a dual desire rise in her as his body and his blood both called to her at once. Realizing that she had not partaken in blood since their flight, she ran her tongue across her teeth as her mouth watered.

Oh, how I want him right now.

His eyes widened at the predatory expression in her penetrating stare. If he didn't already trust her so implicitly, he might have been concerned for his well-being at that moment.

"Um, Kat. Are you okay?"

With a practiced sense of self-control she reined in her thirst, vowing to partake in a glass of blood at the reception.

Maybe two or three glasses, she amended.

"Fine, my love," she softly replied while deliberately placing a single, soft kiss upon his lips.

He felt entranced as he started to kiss her again, but she abruptly pulled away and led him out of the suite. Though they passed a number of vampires and humans in the hallways leading to the reception room, he failed to focus fully on them as his eyes kept drifting to the beautiful woman beside him who held his hand. A sense of intense pride flowed through him that she had selected him out of all the men in the world.

The reception room in the main portion of the hotel was just off the atrium, a two-story area with a UV-coated glass ceiling. All manner of lush plants, small trees, and flowerbeds presented a relaxing park-like atmosphere amidst the small couches, reading chairs, and various other lobby furniture and fixtures.

The wide hallway leading to the reception room was guarded by three tuxedo-wearing vampires, two men and a woman. Each held an electronic tablet and greeted guests to ensure that their names were listed before allowing their entrance to the room beyond. As Katrina and Caleb approached, each of the vampires looked up and politely acknowledged him. Caleb thought that he recognized one of the vampires from Alton's office building during his and Katrina's trip to London in March.

"Are they Alton's?" he whispered.

"Yes," she answered simply and strode over to one of the vampires.

He politely gestured with one hand for them to proceed.

The eclectic symphonic music of Philip Glass emitted from the room as they approached, casting a stately, yet subdued, mood over the atmosphere. Everyone in attendance appeared to be dressed in either formal or elegant evening attire, and for once, Caleb felt comfortable in his wardrobe selection.

He noticed that a number of eyes, vampire and human alike, turned to acknowledge Katrina as she passed. A vampire waiter bearing a tray of crystal champagne glasses filled with blood approached Katrina, who gratefully accepted one. She savored a swallow of the red liquid as it flowed down her throat, tempering the thirst that had built in her during the past few hours.

Caleb visually swept the large room. It appeared that he and Katrina were some of the first guests to arrive.

The decor was stately, adorned with fresh arrangements of flowers in crystal vases. Along one wall was a lengthy oak countertop sporting a buffet of finger foods and appetizers that appeared to be a focal point for the few humans in the room. An elegant bar was positioned near the food serving area, and a small punch fountain twinkled from the middle of the room.

Small bistro tables were arrayed on the side of the room where the buffet was located, and a number of small tables and chairs were positioned along the wall.

The opposite wall sported what could only be described as a blood bar for the vampires. Caleb noticed that the room was served solely by vampires; no human staff members were within sight. He wondered if that were because of the potentially delicate nature of the conversations that may be conducted.

But wouldn't the human companions be considered a possible security risk, as well?

Katrina watched the intrigue play across her mate's features with some amusement.

He's simply adorable.

She held his hand and gently led him towards a small group of vampires standing close to the blood bar. They stopped chatting as soon as Katrina approached, and each turned to greet her.

"Katrina?" asked a tall, thirty-something-looking brunette. Her red evening gown looked captivating on her shapely frame, and her brown eyes glistened as the light caught them.

Releasing Caleb's hand, Katrina embraced the woman with one arm and warmly greeted her, "Innessa, it's so good to see you again. How is my favorite Greek goddess doing?"

The woman demurred, "Oh, hush. There are no statues of me in the whole of Greece, my dear. They stopped that by the time I was turned, you know."

Then the woman's eyes settled on Caleb. "But I see you've been doing well for yourself."

Katrina stepped back and cast a smile at her mate as he blushed.

I certainly think so, she silently affirmed.

Then she turned to greet the three others in a more formal fashion with simple handshakes.

"My beloved mate, Caleb," Katrina introduced in a possessive tone.

Caleb shook each of their hands and politely greeted them in turn. He immediately liked Innessa, but that might have been because Katrina seemed close to her. Heru was a young Egyptian male with medium-length, straight black hair and a tall, lanky build. Yat-Sen was a short, muscular Chinese vampire with dyed blonde hair and vivid green eyes.

Pekka had long brown hair, gray eyes, and a medium height and build. He claimed to be from Finland, although, in retrospect, Caleb was uncertain if any of the vampires' claimed heritages were indicative of their actual countries of residence. Somehow he doubted it. Katrina once said that vampires had to be itinerant by nature, at least every so often, or people would notice their lack of aging.

He remained silent and politely listened to the vampires' conversations ranging from recent travels to how quickly places and people had changed over the years. Soon additional guests arrived in larger numbers, and he cast a longing look at the inviting appearance of the buffet table across the room. He felt Katrina gently squeeze his hand in hers, and his attention returned to her. He then noticed the other vampires observing him with interest.

"Why don't you go get something to eat, my love?" she suggested.

I'm sure he's as hungry as I was earlier, she noted with a degree of guilt. She was already sipping on her second glass of blood and felt much better for it.

"Thanks. I'd like that," he replied to the vampires before departing.

"Such a polite young human," Yat-Sen noted as Caleb walked away.

Caleb loaded a glass dinner plate with various items from the buffet and glimpsed Dr. Reynolds to his right adding some small chunks of cheese to a small plate of fruit. The youthful-looking doctor was attired in slacks, dinner jacket, and a white silk shirt, but no tie. Much like Alton, the man wore his clothes with the charm of a playboy on the prowl. Caleb also found it amusing that Reynolds was the only vampire on that side of the room at the time.

"Foraging with humans?" Caleb quipped. "That cheese will clog your arteries, you know."

Reynolds fully focused his striking brown eyes upon Caleb with a sparkle of genuine amusement, and he grinned in response.

"I happen to like fruit and cheese, even after all these years. And as for the arteries, I'm not so worried. That's one of the perks of being a vampire, I'm happy to say. However, as your doctor, I must advise you limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly that fried pork on your plate."

Caleb peered down at his plate.

Too true, he conceded.

His attention quickly returned to the suave vampire before him.

"If I happen to see Paige tonight, I'll be sure to track you down for a brief introduction."

Reynolds appeared genuinely pleased by the suggestion. "I'd really like that, Mr. Taylor."

"Please, Caleb," he insisted.

"Caleb, then," the vampire replied. "But only if you'll call me Ethan."

"Agreed," Caleb said with a nod.

"Dr. Reynolds? There's someone I want you to meet," an ebony-skinned female vampire wearing a blue silk dress beckoned from nearby.

"Please excuse me, Caleb. Until later," Ethan offered with a nod as he popped a small chunk of cheese into his mouth and walked off towards the woman who had called to him.

When Caleb finished loading his plate and grabbing a glass of iced tea from a nearby drink table, he spied the throng of humans gathered at the small tables not far from the buffet.

Aiden waved for him to join in, and he made his way to the bistro table where Aiden stood before a plateful of food. Caleb shook hands with him and introduced himself to another young man in his late twenties named Ryan from Ireland and a young dark-skinned woman named Chloe who had a West-African accent.

"Why's everyone clustered around here?" Caleb curiously asked after sampling the food on his plate. Everything tasted amazing to him. In all the excitement of their arrival, he had almost forgotten that he hadn't eaten since before their plane landed that afternoon.

"Are you kidding?" Chloe asked as if he were daft. "Smart fish don't swim in chummed waters with sharks, my friend. My Isaac told me to sit quietly unless called for."

Caleb easily detected that she seemed unsettled by the growing quantity of vampires in the room.

Ryan agreed, "Sabira told me much the same thing. She said to mingle with the humans, so here I'll stay. I'm no chancer."

Caleb appeared perplexed, and Aiden supplied, "Someone who pushes their luck."

"Oh," Caleb said while glancing over at the other humans gathered nearby. Many spoke with each other in hushed tones with wary expressions.

These people honestly look like they're afraid of getting eaten or something.

He continued to eat and engage in pleasant conversation with Aiden and the others and made a follow-up trip to the buffet and drink table. To his surprise, the humans continued to nestle in their corner while the vast majority of the room was interspersed with crowds of vampires who mingled back and forth between the groups like a giant chat-fest. Every once in a while, a vampire would glare over at the gathering of humans, mostly with a hungry, longing expression one might expect from a predator sizing up its prey.

After Caleb finished eating, he focused on Aiden in silent question. The curly-haired man responded with a brisk nod, and they both moved in unison away from the table. Aiden appraisingly looked at Caleb as he quickly surveyed their surroundings.

He spotted Alton talking to two male vampires on the far side of the room, also accompanied by an attractive brunette woman wearing a red dress, who stood next to him with her hand gently draped across his left arm.

"You humans have a good evening," Caleb remarked as multiple people looked up to stare at him and Aiden.

"You two are daft," Ryan chastised in his thick Irish accent.

"Good luck," Chloe called to them.

"You're kidding," one woman commented loud enough for Caleb to hear.

He strode purposefully through the room with Aiden in tow. Some vampires briefly noted the two of them as they passed, others falling silent as they sensed a human approach. Barely halfway across the room, Aiden's mate, Talise, grabbed his arm to pull him aside, leaving Caleb by himself as he purposefully completed the final distance to where Alton stood. The dark-haired vampire immediately focused his full attention on the young man.

"Ah, Caleb, my dear boy," Alton began with overt approval. "It's so good to see you. I'm happy that you agreed to accompany Katrina to Slovenia."

Caleb reached out to shake his hand. "Me too. And it's always good to see you, Alton."

The vampire shook his hand and pulled him into a fraternal half-hug as the woman on his arm stepped aside with a shy smile. Caleb suspected that the two other vampires were taken aback by Alton's unusually warm greeting, though he wasn't certain. As he stepped back, Alton immediately gestured to the beautiful brunette to his left.

"Caleb, I'm pleased to introduce my companion, Dorianne Rousseau," Alton offered with a sparkle in his eye.

The woman was about Caleb's height and appeared to be about thirty years of age. However, her most striking feature was her violet eyes. Though such vivid eyes were normally a telltale sign of a vampire, he was momentarily uncertain if the woman before him were a human or not.

"The Dorianne Rousseau?" Caleb inquired with a hint of awe.

She seemed caught off guard by his hint of reverence and curiously considered him.

"I fear that you have me confused with someone else. I'm not anyone of notoriety," she politely countered.

Caleb demurred, "Ah, but surely someone with as beautiful a visage and name to match deserves to be greeted as such."

She laughed in a delightful manner as Alton shook his head and muttered, "Silver-tongued scamp."

"Please, call me Dori," the woman introduced herself as she reached out her hand to shake his.

"Caleb Taylor. My pleasure, Dori," he offered while accepting her hand and gently grasping it.

The woman stared back at him with a look of approval.

"Ah, so you're Caleb Taylor," she slyly assessed. "I see what Alton meant regarding your charming sense of humor."

He was genuinely caught off guard by her, and he looked to Alton.

"I might have mentioned you to her, actually," the stately vampire hinted.

"Indeed. I've heard enough about you already, Caleb, that I feel I know you," she complimented him. "It's nice to finally put a face to a name, though."

Caleb didn't quite know how to respond once the tables had been so expertly turned on him, so he merely nodded politely.

Alton smoothly introduced the two vampires next to them, but later Caleb honestly didn't recall their names. His attention was repeatedly distracted by Dori and how remarkable the woman seemed. If she were human, she was the most comfortable-looking human in the room.

Why hasn't Alton mentioned her before?

His focus quickly returned to Alton.

"I'm afraid I must circulate the room a bit more to try and greet everyone before the evening passes, Caleb," Alton apologized. "However, I think it important that you and I make some time in the near future. There's much for us to discuss."

"Certainly, I understand. And I'd like that very much, Alton."

"We'll talk more again soon, Caleb," Dori promised as Alton led her away towards another group.

The two remaining vampires momentarily looked at Caleb curiously. Then each made the gesture of shaking his hand again before also gravitating to other groups of vampires. Caleb surveyed the large room until his attention focused on where the majority of humans were still gathered together.

You know, they actually look like sheep huddled together in a flock for protection, he determined. Suddenly, he was glad not to be there with them.

His eyes momentarily met Aiden's across the room, and the young man winked before returning his attention to Talise and another vampire. Caleb couldn't help but feel quite pleased with himself. Amidst the politics and hidden agendas of those around him, he felt that he had discovered a kindred spirit in Aiden Henderson.

"Hey, kiddo," Paige's voice announced, startling him slightly.

He turned to greet his surrogate vampire, noting the curious expression in her bright blue eyes as she studied him, still attired in her official security outfit.

"You looked like you were in a trance for a moment," she observed. "You okay?"

"Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine," he assured her. Then he recalled his earlier promise to Ethan. "Are you off duty now?" he asked.

"Ha! Are you kidding? The major's had me running around non-stop after the lobby incident -" She stopped midsentence, afraid it would sound like she was blaming him for what had happened.

"I should've let it go and just apologized to the jerk," he lamented. He didn't like hearing that the event had caused problems for her.

She took his chin between her fingertips, much as Katrina had done on occasion, and turned his face towards hers.

"Stop," she quietly ordered. "You did nothing wrong today, and I'd do it again without hesitation. The major's just being...well, the major. Nothing more."

"Understood," he said.

She released her grip on his chin, though her serious expression remained.

"Do you have quick minute?" he asked.

Her features relaxed somewhat, and she slyly grinned. "For you? Always."

"Great, because there's someone I want you to meet," he explained as he took her hand and led her around the groups of visiting vampires.

She followed behind him with a curious expression.

Ethan Reynolds had his back turned and was passively listening to two other vampires converse when Caleb reached out to tap him on the shoulder.

Realizing that interrupting a vampire was a bad idea, Paige started to intercept Caleb's arm and snapped, "Don't do -"

Sensing someone behind him, rather than reacting aggressively as some vampires might have, the doctor turned very slowly and surveyed them with a curious expression. Ethan's features quickly brightened when he realized it was Caleb.

He's awfully well-tempered, Paige observed.

"Ethan, I'm proud to introduce you to Ms. Paige Turner, my surrogate vampire," he formally announced.

He quickly turned to Paige and offered, "Paige, this is Dr. Ethan Reynolds.

She warmly smiled at the doctor, sizing him up and noting that his hand was already outstretched in an immediate gesture of greeting.

Well, aren't you just Doctor McDreamy-looking?

Ethan's face appeared to light up even further as he beheld Paige. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Captain Turner. I've only been here for a few days, so we haven't been formally introduced yet."

"No, we haven't," she agreed. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Reynolds."

"Please, Ethan," he insisted.

Paige immediately liked his smile, among other physical attributes. But while the vampire seemed sincere, she was nevertheless always on her guard.

"Well, Ethan," she began, "I suppose that you can call me Paige."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," he sincerely replied. "I look forward to working with you during the conference."

"Hopefully we won't need your services too frequently," she countered.

He shrugged. "True, perhaps. But then, I'm helpful for more than accidents and injuries, you know."

"Really? Such as?" Paige suggestively pressed.

"Well, why don't we discuss that over a drink?" he asked, chivalrously extending the crook of his left arm towards her.

She caught Caleb's attention, and he encouragingly winked back at her.

"By all means, lead on, Ethan," she replied with a gleam in her eyes.

Caleb watched them wander off in the direction of the blood bar.

They could end up becoming very interesting.

His attention quickly shifted to a dark-haired vampire standing a few feet to his left who was glaring at him with slightly glowing blue eyes. He immediately recognized the vampire from the earlier lobby incident, and his body tensed slightly.

The vampire moved slowly towards Caleb, stopping less than two feet from him and displaying a thinly veiled grimace.

"Enjoying the evening, human?" the vampire curtly inquired.

"It's just wonderful, thank you," he courteously replied, not wanting to create another scene reminiscent of the lobby.

Suddenly, Katrina appeared by his side, asking, "Care to introduce me to your friend, Caleb?"

She had been casually observing her mate from a distance and immediately sensed his tension upon viewing the vampire before him. Despite never having met him, she already had an idea who he was based upon her mate's earlier description.

"We're only briefly acquainted, actually," Caleb calmly explained despite the tension he felt inside. "We met in the lobby earlier this evening."

Katrina's left arm possessively wrapped around Caleb's waist, and she stepped forwards to address the vampire before them.

"I'm Katrina Rawlings."

The tall vampire politely inclined his head, though with a smug expression, and grandly announced, "Dominic Ambrogio."

"Caleb's my mate," she firmly noted, ignoring his air of self-importance.

The vampire's eyes widened slightly with a degree of recognition as he surveyed the tall red-haired woman before him.

"He's your mate and not the short blonde's?" he demanded with some surprise amidst a slightly perplexed expression.

Katrina's eyes momentarily flashed bright green, and she answered in a lethally calm voice, "Correct. My mate."

He tried to appear unshaken by the revelation, but was doing a poor job of it.

"An unfortunate misunderstanding earlier this evening, of course," he assured her.

Caleb had the impression that Katrina's reputation had preceded her and noticed that the room had fallen silent save for the ambient symphonic music playing as numerous eyes observed the quiet exchange. He momentarily realized that with a room full of vampires, no conversation was truly private. Then he spied Paige standing just to his left with a stern expression as Ethan stood beside her.

"I thought that might be the case, but one never knows nowadays," Katrina levelly replied.

"Too true," the vampire agreed. "I bid you both good evening," he added before quietly making his way towards the room's exit.

Katrina took a moment to mark the vampire's faces in the room deliberately, content that her declaration had been made to all. Some looked on in silent acknowledgement, while others dismissively looked away. Already she was getting a sense of where a subtle polarization was beginning to occur among her kind.

Although none of that matters where Caleb's safety is concerned.

Paige raised a silent toast to Katrina with a wine glass of blood, while Ethan nodded supportively before turning his full attention back to Paige. Conversations quickly began to strike up again in earnest, and everyone returned to their former distractions.

Caleb's arm reached around his mate's slim waist with pride, and he looked up at her adoringly. "I so love you," he whispered.

"You better...troublemaker," she teased as she bent her head down to kiss him once on the lips. However, her cavalier exterior was merely a façade for the love that welled inside her for the young man in her arms at that moment.

My safe mate.

Thankfully, the remainder of the evening continued uneventfully for everyone, and Caleb remained close to Katrina as she introduced him to more of her peers.

By the time they returned to their suite, it was well after two o'clock in the morning, and Caleb was nearly exhausted. Even the sugar and caffeine from the colas he liberally consumed at the reception failed to curtail his incessant yawns. He noted that he wasn't the only human in attendance who had problems keeping his eyes open. Many of the vampires conceded the evening only after viewing the pitiful state of their human companions, while vampires without human charges lingered to continue their conversations.

Katrina slipped from her dress and high-heeled shoes as Caleb likewise removed his clothes. Despite multiple glasses of blood at the reception to curtail her thirst, Katrina was looking forward to partaking in some of his blood. However, it was quickly becoming apparent by his lethargic behavior that he was simply looking forward to going to bed.

He slid beneath the covers of the bed, and she joined him after turning off the lights. Snuggling next to his warm body, she kissed him on the soft skin of his neck.

"Somebody smells wonderfully tasty."

He groggily acknowledged her and suddenly realized her intentions.

Oh, but I'm so tired, he guiltily thought.

It wasn't as if she asked for much from him, and he felt like a heel for being so tired. Taking a deep breath with a sense of fortitude, he opened his eyes to see her green eyes slightly glowing back at him.

"Want a nibble?" he asked with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

She scrutinized him in the darkness, her vision plainly seeing the tired expression on his face and reflected in his pale blue eyes.

I should just let him go to sleep, she reasoned as she kissed him on the tip of his nose while starting to lie down.

"Never mind. Good night, my love," she offered.

But he managed to reach out and grasp her arm, stopping her from moving away from him.

"Wait. Please, take a little nightcap first," he gently insisted.

Watching him with an endearing expression, she shook her head. "You're amazing, my love," she complimented before warmly kissing him on the lips. "I'll make this fast."

He turned his head away from her, cleanly exposing his neck. He felt her lips part as they formed a seal over his skin, and he sensed her silky warm tongue press against his flesh. The numbing sensation quickly formed and before long he felt her fangs extend into his neck with only the slightest pressure. The euphoria he normally felt when she drew blood from him seemed stronger, and his thoughts quickly drifted on a soothing sea of near unconsciousness. And for the first time since he met her, he drifted off to sleep as she drew blood from him.

She sensed him slip into unconsciousness, which momentarily alarmed her until she measured his steady breathing in conjunction with the strong beat of his pulse.

My dear, thoughtful Caleb, she silently mused as she continued to draw an additional mouthful of his blood.

She loved him totally and once again was impacted by his giving nature and how he strove to meet her needs. After pressing her tongue against his skin to seal the wounds on his neck, she curled up next to him and held him close to her while listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

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