The Return

Caleb thought that he heard voices as he stirred from his dreamless sleep, not the distorted kind of voices that might plague the mentally ill or addicts, but rather a series of muted tones speaking in hurried and urgent fashions. His eyes opened slowly, revealing not pitch blackness, but illumination from a dim glow through the sheer curtains of the bedroom window. While it was still nighttime, moonlight emanated into the room from beyond.

Sitting up in bed, he slipped from beneath the sheets and into his blue jeans. He didn't bother with a T-shirt and went to the open doorway. Caleb no longer bothered shutting the bedroom door unless he was changing clothes. A friendship had formed between him and Paige, bonded forever through a shared sense of survival and the battle for it.

He stood listening in the hallway. The voices came from the downstairs sitting room, across from the foot of the stairs. He could see the open French glass doors leading in, though not the interior of the room itself more than a few feet, and he strained to understand the voices as his heart raced.

Alton's voice registered in his mind. They're back already!

Caleb tip-toed to the top of the stairs and stood statue-like, gripping the banister with his right hand for balance in the darkness.

"...watching him closely after that..." Paige noted.

"...seems like a normal reaction...changes to be expected..." muttered Alton's voice.

"...changes? Don't know the half of it..." Paige countered.

Caleb frowned, trying desperately to hear more.

"...kidding?!...attacked a gunman with a crow bar?" Katrina demanded incredulously.

Upon hearing Katrina's voice, his pulse increased, and his heartbeat pounded in his chest. The anticipation of actually taking Katrina in his arms built.

All conversation downstairs abruptly stopped.

Katrina appeared, staring up at him from the foot of the stairs outside the sitting room. She wore black denim jeans that fit her like a glove and a royal blue, loose-fitted, sleeveless blouse. She stood with her bare feet slightly parted and set, and her arms were folded across her chest. Her shock-red hair was pulled tightly over her head into a ponytail.

Caleb gazed upon her face, wholly unprepared for what he saw. Her pale features were hard, and her green eyes were glowing heatedly. They were angry eyes. She was still a vision of beauty, but her visage was tinged with both fierce and predatory qualities. She stood resolutely, appearing fully as the image of a classic vampire, both beautiful and terrible at the same time. Any normal person would have fled running in terror, but he held his ground.

His heart almost stopped as he gazed fully upon her feral beauty. He felt butterflies in his stomach, and his breath caught in his lungs. Despite her intimidating appearance, she was still the focus of his only desire.

Katrina's features softened slightly, but her eyes still glowed green. Caleb somehow sensed that she was moving quickly from anger to desire. The differences were subtle, but somehow he just knew.

He wanted to leap down the stairs to tackle her, but instead mustered his willpower. He steeled his expression with a frown and crooked his finger at her in a slow, beckoning motion as he tightly held onto the banister railing with his left hand.

"You left me, and I was so angry, but I missed you so much that I wanted to die. Then I almost did," he whispered in a choked voice.

A fleeting moment of anguish crossed Katrina's face as her sharp vampire hearing registered his comment. The corner of her mouth upturned in a feral scowl. Her fangs were already extended, making her look terrifying.

Something blared in his mind like a siren. She looks angry - and hungry!

Katrina heard his heartbeat thundering in his chest from where she stood at the foot of the stairs. In fact, she could smell him from where she stood: his body, his blood.

Caleb swallowed hard once and whispered hoarsely, "Am I worthy of you?"

Her green eyes flared brightly before she launched upstairs at him. He had seen her move fast, but was wholly unprepared for the rapid velocity that she displayed, or for the impact of her body plunging into his at the top of the stairs, causing the air to rush from his lungs. He lost his grip on the handrail, and his body spun clockwise before abruptly stopping, only then able to inhale air sharply.

It was a miracle that he was still standing upright, but he quickly realized why. She held him like a vice around the waist with her left arm while cradling the back of his head with her right hand. Her lips pressed into his as she almost drew the breath from his lungs.

He grasped her shoulders, pulling her to him. They kissed passionately and desperately, savoring the moment. He was both relieved and ecstatic to have her safely in his arms again...finally.

Caleb felt his excitement increase as his heart thundered, and he dug the toes of his bare feet into the carpeted floor and pressed against her with all of his strength, trying to push her towards the wall behind them.

She pulled away from his lips slightly with an entirely surprised expression. Her mouth upturned in an amused manner as she allowed her body to be pressed against the wall. Her lips quickly found his again. I can be gracious, she conceded.

Time seemed to stop as the heat passed to his bare skin in waves from her still-clothed body. Using all the strength in his lean form, he urged her to move sideways until she was in the doorway to the bedroom and then urged her backwards towards the bed. They fell onto it with a bounce. A feverish excitement rose in their bodies, but hers held an additional insistence of thirst.

Their faces parted by mere inches as they lay side-by-side across the bed.

Caleb frowned and asked in a slightly insulted voice, "Why didn't you wake me when you got back?"

"I looked in, but you were fast asleep. You looked exhausted, and I wanted to let you rest," she replied sympathetically. "I knew you were safe, and that was enough at the time."

"Well, it's not enough for me," he endearingly chastised her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a smirk.

"Apology accepted," he said before softly kissing her lips. He pressed the right side of his face towards the bed linens, leaving his neck completely exposed for her. Saying nothing, his intentions screamed, I'm yours.

She bent to kiss him softly on the throat. She kissed him again harder before realizing that her thirst was an intense, animal craving. He felt one of her razor-sharp fangs scrape menacingly across his skin.

"You're insane," she harshly whispered against the skin of his neck. "I can't."

"Why not?" he insisted with confusion. "You're hungry. I can tell."

"It's too much. I'm so hungry. I just want to tear your throat out right now," she rasped. "I have to feed first, or you're going to die."

A pang of shock ran through him as he realized just how close he was to being a meal instead of a mate. "Okay, but hurry back," he urged.

She stared at him with intense, glowing eyes, promising pointedly, "Oh, I will."

The bed lurched, and she was gone.

Caleb lay there listening to his heartbeat racing in his ears. He was filled with elation that Katrina was finally home and safe.

As he sat up, he heard lighter conversation and some chuckling coming from downstairs, though primarily in Alton's and Paige's voices. He moved to the attached bathroom and flipped on the light. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and massaged his fingers back through his hair. After turning off the light and returning to the bed, he lay down in the moonlight and waited. His thoughts drifted aimlessly when he heard Katrina's voice downstairs followed by Paige's giggling.

"I'm waiting, Kat," he teased.

Katrina appeared at the doorway with glowing green eyes, though lit with passion rather than hunger. Her red hair spilled down, framing her face like a mantle, and she held an amused smirk on her lips. "Demanding, aren't we?" she commented while closing the door behind her.

He started to rise from the bed, but she lifted her right leg and used the ball of her bare foot to press against his muscled chest, nudging him back onto the bed before her.

"Lose your clothes," she quietly ordered.

He smiled while reaching for the buttons on his jeans. "The alpha vampire returns, I see."

"Oh, you have no idea," she muttered as she slid seductively from her jeans and blouse in the moonlight.

A shiver ran down his spine as he lay naked before her. His eyes locked onto the beauty of her body as the excitement rose in his.

She moved slowly and deliberately until she was lying atop him. Her lips met his, kissing him hard.

Then time stood still as their bodies conveyed mutual love and longing.

Later, she lay across his body lazily, her hand caressing his face. "It's nice to feel how much you missed me," she murmured with a smile and kissed his chest. She was truly happy for what felt like the first time in an eternity.

He ran the fingers of his hand soothingly through her long hair and across her scalp. "I can't believe you're finally here," he murmured. He was filled with so many emotions: relief, joy, but most of all love.

They lay together in silence for a period of time before he decided to revisit something. He started to sit up, and she moved away from him slightly with a curious expression. Realization played on her face as she watched him turn his face to the right, leaving the other side of his neck exposed to her.

"Safer for me now?" he whispered.

Her eyes flashed brilliant green for a split second, and she kissed him on the base of his exposed neck. She parted her lips, and he felt her razor-sharp fangs press lightly against his skin. He shivered only once before relaxing the muscles in his body as he leaned against his right arm, which propped him up slightly. She made a small murmuring noise in her throat.

"Somewhat safer, perhaps," she said.

Guiding him to lay back down on the bed, she sat up and straddled his body with hers. She bent down to kiss him lightly on the neck, and he turned his face to kiss her. She kissed him on the lips only once and used her left hand to rotate his face to the right again, facing away from her. She gently pressed against his face, holding it in place.

"Kisses later, my love," she whispered wickedly. "Blood first."

Her lips touched the supple skin of his throat before parting slightly. She pressed her tongue against his skin and held it there until the surface of his neck began to feel slightly numb. Meanwhile, the sound of his own pulse raced in his ears.

Seconds later, Katrina's fangs pressed against his skin, and he felt a slight prickling pressure into his neck. He remained completely still and breathed shallowly as her lips sealed against his throat. Then he heard, and felt, tiny suckling sensations as small moans of pleasure reverberated through her.

I love him, and his blood, she thought while drawing his sweet blood into her mouth. He tasted perfect to her.

Caleb noticed that she was pressing into his neck with more pressure than she had used on prior occasions. And while not particularly painful, it was uncomfortable, and he felt stronger nudges of her mouth pressing against his neck. Time seemed to stop again as his thoughts drifted aimlessly. He felt strangely satisfied as he lay completely helpless before her, knowing it was his blood being so casually drawn by her. And yet he felt safe and loved.

She pressed into his neck with a renewed pressure, and he felt an aching sensation where her fangs penetrated for a second time. She had never done that to him before, and his muscles tightened with concern. "Sorry, my love," she murmured as she retracted her fangs and slowed the suctioning of his blood into her mouth.

After a time, he felt her tongue pressed against his throat again, which she held there at length. The numbness spread soothingly through his neck once more, and he welcomed it after her more aggressive feeding. Finally, she kissed him on the neck and moved to lie along his body with her face against his chest.

He turned to stare at the ceiling and whispered with complete sincerity, "I love you so very much."

She smiled, kissed his chest, and replied in a wholly satisfied voice, "And I love you, completely."

They lay together quietly in genuine contentment, both reveling in their reunion. But eventually, his physical and emotional exhaustion took over, and he fell peacefully asleep.

However, while tired herself, Katrina remained awake, just cradling him next to her. She felt so satisfied just being there alongside him, and she wanted nothing more in life than to hold him in her arms.

He means everything to me, she mused while listening to the rhythmic sounds of his heartbeat and breathing.

When Caleb finally stirred, groggily realizing he was alone, he opened his eyes but immediately blinked to make sure that what he was seeing was real. The room was brightened by the growing light of morning emanating through the sheer curtains of the bedroom window. He rolled out of bed and sat on the edge of the mattress for a moment. Getting up, he made his way to the window, parting the curtains to see outside for the first time in days. The sun had only partially risen. Since the room was on the front, western side of the house, he wasn't able to receive any of the direct eastern sunlight. Still, he sighed while appreciating the simple ability to gaze outdoors at the glow of dawn.

For a few minutes, he stared out the window as the morning sunshine spilled onto the far side of the front lawn, well beyond the shadow of the large estate's roofline. He had almost forgotten how bright the outdoors appeared in the morning. He stretched, recalling the reunion the night before between him and Katrina with a giddiness that made him feel like a child on Christmas morning.

He wandered into the bathroom to shave and use some mouthwash before pulling on some blue jeans and a T-shirt. Then he recalled something from before Katrina's and Alton's departure. He went to the nearby nightstand, picked up an ink pen and notepad, and began scribbling down some information. He tore off the sheet, folded it in half, and slipped it into his back pocket. I need to remember to give this to Katrina.

Not bothering with shoes or socks, he made his way to the bedroom door. "Warning, daylight in doorway," he announced.

He waited, but heard nothing and carefully opened the door to slip from the room. He pulled the door shut behind him out of both courtesy and concern for the vampires in the house. One vampire in particular came to the forefront of his mind, and he smiled as his hand released the door handle.

It took only a split second to realize the hallway was pitch black, and he started to fumble for the hallway light switch when he thought he heard something on the stairs. Before he could react, he felt strong arms envelop him, and soft lips passionately kissed him. He recognized those lips and was only too happy to return the affection in kind.

Finally, he forced himself to draw in a breath, and the sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled his nose. It smelled wonderful and instilled happiness because it was Katrina's preferred fragrance.

"Good morning, my love," she breathed wistfully.

"Good morning, Kat," he replied with a smile, knowing full well that she saw it in the darkness.

Her fingertips lightly caressed the left side of his neck where she had bitten him twice the night before. "How are you feeling this morning?"

He understood the implied meaning in both her action and question and replied, "Never better. Very little soreness, actually."

"Good," she replied happily before kissing him again. "I'm sorry for the aggressive feeding on you last night." She made a mental note to be more careful with him until she had firmer control of her recent violent emotions.

"I enjoyed every minute," Caleb replied sincerely.

She started to release him from their embrace, but he tightened his arms around her waist and just held her against his body. He realized just how much he had missed her for those few days. But then, at the time, he hadn't been certain that he would ever see her again. He swallowed hard at how vivid those thoughts were until mere hours ago.

"I know," she said, seeming to gauge his embrace and body language. "I missed you desperately." A warm feeling flowed through her as she relished his body against hers. This is exactly what I've been fighting so hard to return home to.

His embrace slackened, and they slowly unwound their arms from around each other. She turned to lead him by the hand towards the stairs in the darkness, but he immediately tugged against her. "Hey," he quipped nervously. "I can't see in the dark like you, remember?"

"This is a trust-building exercise," she replied slyly.

She pulled on his arm to draw him to her side. Wrapping one arm around his waist like a vice, she lifted him up slightly, and they plunged down the stairs, though to him it felt more like a plummet. Before he could blink, his bare feet touched the cool tile at the bottom, and his heart was racing.

"Do we have trust issues?" Caleb asked carefully.

Katrina's lips once more found his briefly. "Just playing with you," she whispered. She hadd been craving some of the excited feelings of her recent hunt and longed to share some of the tamer sensations from that experience with him.

"Hey, no playing on the stairs," scolded Paige from the kitchen down the hall to their left.

"Um, adults here. Babysitter not needed anymore," chided Katrina.

Caleb adored Paige. He chuckled as Katrina held onto his hand while leading him through the dark to the glow of light radiating from the kitchen area.

"They grow up so quickly," Paige muttered mock-forlornly as they approached the entrance to the well-lit room.

"Too true," Alton agreed solemnly.

Katrina and Caleb appeared in the doorway and released hands.

"Feelin' a quart lower this morning, kiddo?" Paige inquired playfully as she perched on a stool at the breakfast bar wearing faded blue jeans and a black Ramones T-shirt.

He merely grinned back at her.

Alton sat on a stool near Paige and chuckled. He wore casual slacks and a cotton golf shirt and was sipping blood from a crystal goblet. Caleb momentarily marveled how little it bothered him to see that now.

"Good morning, you two," Caleb greeted with a smile. He reached for Alton's hand to shake it, and the vampire returned his firm grip with a perplexed expression.

"Alton, I want to thank you properly for helping Katrina, for helping me," he began earnestly. "I owe you a debt of gratitude, and I don't know to repay you. But if I can ever do anything for you..."

Katrina's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she viewed the exchange with intense interest. Alton smirked, and his eyes darted to Katrina before Caleb noticed.

The stately vampire considered Caleb introspectively. "I've known Katrina a long time, and I hope you realize just how much you mean to her."

Caleb nodded his understanding while glancing up at Katrina. "I think I do."

"Then I charge you with doing something for her each day to make her happy," Alton bequeathed to him. "And in doing so, you can repay a little of your debt to me one day at a time."

Caleb smiled and promised, "I can do that."

Katrina flashed a relieved smile and winked at Alton. She hadn't been certain how he was going to respond to Caleb's offer.

"Hey, what about me?" Paige demanded in a mock-huffy tone.

Caleb grinned, smoothly crossed the short distance to her, and hugged her. "Thanks for taking such good care of me, babysitter. What can I do to repay you?"

Paige hugged him back warmly. "Aw hell, just go out clubbing with me sometime."

"But not by yourselves," Katrina interjected with a raised eyebrow at Paige, who merely stuck her tongue out in response.

As Caleb pulled away from her, Paige nailed a lightning-fast kiss on the side of his cheek and grinned brightly.

"So, Caleb, what are you going to do today?" Alton asked curiously.

"Well, I -" he began before stopping in midsentence to stare curiously at Katrina. "I suppose it'll be up to Kat."

Katrina raised her eyebrow at him, and the beginning of a grin formed on her face. That was unexpected.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," he offered while reaching into his jeans pocket to retrieve the folded piece of note paper he'd scribbled on earlier. "These are my email logons for both home and work and my cell phone and home phone voicemail passwords, so you can review anything that Chimalma may have sent me."

He handed the paper to Katrina with a sincere expression on his face, and she looked back at him with a degree of satisfaction.

"What have you done to Caleb while I was away?" she asked as her gaze shifted to Paige intently.

"Oh, didn't I mention?" Paige asked with a smirk. "In addition to babysitting, I mentor as a big sister now, too."

Caleb's first request that morning was to go outside and stand in the morning sunshine. Though he enjoyed the estate, he was desperate to be outdoors again. Katrina considered his request as she looked to Alton for his initial reaction. The tall, dark-haired vampire shrugged noncommittally.

"Okay," Katrina agreed in a cautious tone. "But we'll go out through the front side of the house, and I'll stand in the shade to watch. However, once the sunlight becomes too strong or directly prevents my observation, I expect you to return inside when I give the word."

Caleb nodded. "Done."

"I want to go too," Paige insisted.

Katrina frowned and asked, "Really? When was the last time you braved a daylight excursion?"

Paige considered her question and conceded, "Been a long time."

"Get our coats," Katrina prompted the younger vampire.

Caleb ran back upstairs to grab socks, shoes, and a jacket and returned to the front entry area just as the two women were slipping into leather winter coats that fell to well below their knees. They buttoned their coats to their necks, wrapped black scarves around their hair, and put on dark sunglasses and leather gloves. Together, the two vampires looked like they were attending a funeral.

Caleb shrugged into his black leather jacket, though he didn't button it. He looked to Katrina, who nodded for him to open the front door. A fairly cool, crisp December morning breeze pressed inside upon the door's opening, and Caleb stepped eagerly outside and took a deep breath. The fresh air was cool to him, but hardly cold, so he didn't bother zipping his jacket. The sky was clear blue without a cloud to be seen, a very welcome sight, to say the least.

He stepped out onto the lawn and made his way to the south side of the house where the sunlight was already shining brightly onto the dormant, brown grass. Katrina and Paige hugged the wall, well in the shade, as they slowly walked to within fifteen feet of the edge of the house where Caleb stood. He closed his eyes as the sunlight shone upon his face, and he smiled with pleasure at the feeling of the heat on his skin.

Meanwhile, Katrina whispered to Paige softly, "How does it feel?"

Paige looked up at Katrina and muttered, "Just like standing on the edge of a volcano and watching it erupt."

Katrina smiled and sympathized with the description. Even standing in the shade of the house was uncomfortable with the growing sunlight bathing the world around them in a bright glow. To their eyes, the ultraviolet radiation from the sunlight seemed to cast a colorful aura all over Caleb's body, particularly where it shined on his exposed skin. It looked to them like he was being irradiated in a fiery glow.

"I'd be a cinder by now," Paige muttered darkly.

Katrina just nodded her head, recalling her experience in the sunlight that day when she first met Caleb as a child. It wasn't a pleasant memory. "Caleb looks beautiful, almost like a shining angel," she whispered in an admiring tone.

Paige looked up at her friend, then back at Caleb. "Yeah, I guess I can see that."

He slipped out of his jacket and let the sunshine rain down upon his T-shirt clad torso. He stretched his arms out from his sides as he slowly turned. It felt exquisite because the house blocked most of the cool breeze, leaving only the direct sunlight to warm him. This feels amazing, he mused appreciatively.

He paused and turned to look with concern at the two bundled vampires standing in the shade of the house. "Are you two okay?" he asked with a frown.

"We're fine," Katrina answered neutrally. "For now."

Paige said nothing but seemed to be looking around somewhat anxiously as she stood in the relative safety of the shade. "If somebody shows up with a mirror, we're toast," she mumbled irritably.

Katina felt the small area of exposed skin on her face begin to prickle uncomfortably with the increasing UV in the atmosphere. She gauged from the youthful vampire's comment that Paige must be feeling the same thing. One glance at her pensive-looking friend confirmed that. She looked back at Caleb and could almost feel the happiness and satisfaction emanating from him in waves. It made her smile, despite her growing discomfort.

After a time, which Caleb lost track of, the sun began rising to a point where it was overtaking the formerly ample shade of the front yard. The light began moving closer and closer to the west of the house, which only increased the anxiety that both vampires were feeling. He continued to stand in the sunshine, taking his time to look around at the outdoors he had taken forced refuge from for so many days. This is freedom, he thought happily.

A few minutes later, Katrina instructed in a firm voice, "Caleb, please return inside the house now."

His smiling face turned to Katrina, and he nodded his acknowledgement.

The women began backing away as Caleb picked up his jacket from the ground and walked towards them with a curious expression. As he got closer to them, they increased their retreat towards the front porch. Paige quickly led the way back through the front door with Caleb close behind. Katrina remained at his back once he approached the steps and followed him inside the house, firmly closing the front door behind them.

"That was fantastic!" he exclaimed as he tossed his jacket onto a nearby chair. "I almost forgot what the sun looked like."

Katrina smiled as she shrugged out of her coat and removed her scarf and gloves.

"You looked like a miniature Chernobyl standing out there," Paige muttered whimsically to him. "Meanwhile, I felt singed just standing in the shade watching you."

"It was so nice to be outdoors again. I bet you two were glad that I didn't decide to go on a jog out there," he quipped with a mischievous grin.

Paige rolled her eyes and retorted, "And you'd be on your own, Mister Blowtorch."

But Katrina simply gave him a wicked smile, pulled herself to her full height to tower before him, and replied ominously, "The sun would set before you knew it, and you'd be free game for me, my love."

His smile faded quickly, and he adopted a more humble expression as he folded his arms across his chest. "Sorry, Kat," he muttered with a tone of respect evident in his voice. "Thanks so much for letting me outside this morning."

"That's what I thought," she replied smoothly with a sly smile. "And you're welcome."

Alton chuckled as he walked into another room.

By late morning, Alton told Caleb that Paige wanted his help in the garage. On his way there, he reflected on his most recent visit there when Paige was interrogating one of the assailants who had attacked them. He wondered why Paige wanted his help and momentarily considered the pile of dead bodies that she had stacked on the floor following the attack. He shivered, anxiously hoping he wasn't going to be handling corpses.

As he slowly peered into to the garage from the hallway near the kitchen, he heard someone pulling something heavy across the garage floor. His vision into the garage increased, and he saw Paige placing a broken china cabinet against the wall. It was one of the larger pieces of furniture damaged in the house during the assault. He let out a sigh, happy it wasn't something of a more grisly nature.

Paige looked up with a smirk and teased, "Hey there, kiddo. Where've you been hiding? I need help clearing some space for all the junk we have to stack out here for disposal."

Caleb gave a nervous grin and asked, "Oh, that. Where's all of the, um, you know?"

Paige adopted a perplexed look and smiled at his intended reference. "Oh, so that's why you had that look on your face," she offered with a knowing tone. "Alton and I disposed of those thugs last night after he and Katrina returned. We found their panel truck and hauled them off in it."

He frowned. "But how did you dispose -"

"We buried the weapons and ammunition in a rural location and burned the bodies inside the truck some distance from the weapons. It's not very tidy, but should be far enough away from Atlanta that our tracks are covered. We returned just before dawn, not long before you came downstairs this morning."

Caleb's eyes widened. "Well, that's impressive."

"Thanks," she replied with a smug expression. "Now, let's clear some space out here."

The perky vampire tossed some gloves to Caleb, but he had to step back to get a good catch angle on them. As he did, he abruptly backed into Katrina, which startled him as he staggered slightly off-balance. Katrina chuckled at his surprised reaction while her left arm instantly wrapped around his waist to steady him against her. She fluidly presented him with his cell phone in her right hand.

"Vampires are too stealthy for their own good," he mumbled with a degree of embarrassment.

"Your voicemail is clean, and there are two messages from coworkers you'll want to listen to. Also, your work and home email inboxes are cleaned out. Again, you'll want to read a number of new messages," she informed him while ignoring his comment.

He leaned his head back against her shoulder as he retrieved his cell phone from her hand. Its return lightened his former irritation at having been caught off-guard by Katrina's sudden appearance. "Thanks," he offered appreciatively. "And was there anything bad?"

She paused and draped her right arm across his upper chest to hug him for a moment. Paige watched the two of them with a curious expression.

"Yes, my love," she replied in a displeased tone. "Three very bad voicemails and some rather unpleasant, graphic emails with gruesome attachments of some unfortunate victim."

He nodded. "You know, it's macabre, but I'm dying of curiosity. Maybe you could just describe one or two things for me?"

She kissed him on the back of the head while considering his request. He's an adult after all, she mused, although she would have preferred not to give Chimalma the satisfaction, even belatedly, of even a cursory level of awareness on Caleb's part. She sighed and offered, "A man was beheaded, and she wanted to share the experience visually. There was screaming from the victim before he succumbed to either death or unconsciousness."

He considered the brief description and quickly decided that he wasn't more curious. "Oh," he replied. "You were probably right not to let me see that. Pretty disturbing stuff. Any idea who the victim was?"

"None."

"And the voicemails?"

Her facial expression turned stony. "Well, Chimalma had some cruel and grisly ideas on which body parts she wanted to remove from you while you were alive to experience it firsthand. There were other messages, but you get the idea."

He tensed and was almost sorry he asked. Pulling away from her slightly, he bent his head up to kiss her soft lips. She happily responded in kind, appreciating the feeling of his lips against hers.

"Thanks, for everything," he murmured.

"Glad to be of service," she replied with a smirk.

"Okay, love birds. Catch-up kissing later, moving stuff now," Paige insisted as she rolled her eyes at them. She told Katrina, "You're distracting my worker-bee, Red."

Katrina released Caleb from her embrace and countered, "Oh, dry up."

He slipped the pair of gloves on and shook his head with a smirk as Katrina stuck her tongue out at her short friend.

Part of the day involved Paige and Katrina's surveying and recording the damage caused from the incursion of the mercenaries the prior evening. Caleb quickly joined in, if only to spend time being around Katrina. Following their forced separation and the dangerous events of the past few days, he was feeling more thankful for her presence in his life.

Katrina looked around the basement area, noting a bucket containing some broken bottles of wine on the floor near the wine racks. As her eyes quickly scanned the room, she stopped and stared at the steel crowbar that Caleb had used lying on the workbench table. She moved towards it and hefted it in her hand.

"Ah, yes, the crowbar," she muttered darkly. She recalled Paige's quick summary of his confrontation at the foot of the stairs. Her gaze swept across the room until stopping on the refrigerator, which was riddled with bullet holes. She noted the scrubbed area of the floor where the spilled blood was cleaned up for the most part. Tightness formed in her chest as she realized Caleb's final moments could have been on that very spot. She shuddered and tightly closed her eyes for a moment. She was grateful fate wasn't cruel on every occasion. However, she also didn't like the idea of the risk he had taken by doing what he did. She sighed as Paige watched her reaction intently.

"That was dangerous," Katrina chastised as she put the crowbar back on the table and turned to look at Caleb directly.

"I refuse to be helpless for the rest of my life," he said as he stood with his arms folded before him.

She reached out to grasp Caleb's chin firmly in the fingers of her right hand and rotated his face slightly upwards towards hers. Her green eyes gazed down into his pale blue ones in a penetrating fashion with an expression that Caleb thought was part disapproving and part contemplative. After a few silent moments, she slowly moved her face to his and kissed him warmly on the lips. He gratefully responded in kind, thankful she had determined not to be cross with him.

"Perhaps being helpless is indeed bad. After all, I can't be everywhere at once," she agreed. "But I encourage sensible caution in the future versus reckless risk-taking. Understood?"

An approving smile formed subtly on Paige's face as she stood behind Katrina, though in clear view of the exchange with Caleb.

He smiled. "Understood." I'm more than willing to concede that.

Her eyes seemed to lighten somewhat as she briefly kissed him again and whispered, "Thank you."

Her attentions returned to the ruined refrigerator next to the concrete stairs. Caleb reached out and entwined the fingers of his left hand into Katrina's right, and she grasped it gently in return as she shook her head.

"I suppose we have shopping to do sometime soon," she noted absently. "New furniture and a new refrigerator."

"And a new garage side entry door," Paige reminded the tall, red-haired vampire.

"I'd love to do some shopping," Caleb remarked brightly. He realized that he must have been dying to get out of the house for a while, because shopping wasn't actually one of his favorite pastimes.

Katrina raised an eyebrow and regarded him thoughtfully. "I'm sure you would."

"There's bound to be a home improvement center nearby," Paige muttered off-handedly.

"We'll make a trip out this evening then," Katrina decided.

Caleb smiled brightly, pulled on Katrina's hand as he moved towards the stairs, and urged, "We'd better start making a list then. I can do some price comparisons on the Internet and check out product reviews, as well."

She smiled with amusement as she allowed him to draw her back upstairs in a hasty manner. Paige snickered as she trailed behind them. I just adore you, Caleb, Katrina thought happily.

"This house is too quiet," Paige complained as Caleb and Katrina began their list of items, tools, supplies, and furnishings needed for repair or replacement in the house.

Alton looked up thoughtfully from reading King Lear in the main living room recliner. "Some music might be nice," he agreed.

Paige grinned. "Katrina's computer has volumes of music on it. I'll pick out something and pipe it thought the house speakers."

She bounded out of the room as Alton shouted, "Pick a variety, at least!" He shook his head and returned to reading.

A few minutes later, The Who's "Baba O'Riley" began to stream over the speakers. Paige danced up the hallway, looking spritely in her jeans and Ramones concert T-shirt as she swayed her arms and hips to the beat.

Katrina and Caleb walked through the house with a clipboard inventorying the furniture, carpeting, and walls for damage assessments and soon found themselves tapping or swaying to the music. It was an odd sort of setting, three vampires and a human going about various seemingly-domestic activities in the window-shuttered house. And while Katrina and Caleb were more obvious about their mutual happiness, it would have been surprising to all that each member in the household was feeling rather contented as time passed.

It became sort of a game, as each person made their way down to Katrina's computer throughout the day to add their own preferred songs into the playlist. Together they made for an eclectic series of selections. Alton chose arrangements by Chopin, Clause Debussy, Mozart, and Vivaldi and then surprised everyone by including popular cuts from Al Green and the Rolling Stones.

When "Let's Stay Together" played by Al Green, Katrina took Caleb in her arms and began to kiss him warmly. He dropped the clipboard to the floor and wrapped his arms around her waist as they began swaying to the music.

Paige selected songs by The Clash, the Ramones, Coldplay, Johnny Cash, and No Doubt. When Garbage's "Temptation Waits" played, Caleb explained to Katrina how she had played that as a diversion technique during the mercenary incursion.

Katrina scowled and commented darkly, "I approve."

As "Train in Vain," by The Clash, played, Caleb was surprised by how well Katrina could dance. He joined in to the best of his ability and realized it was the first time they had danced together as a couple. He happily noted that she seemed to enjoy it as much as he and made a mental note about that for the future.

As "Just a Girl" played by No Doubt, Paige suddenly appeared upstairs and danced past Caleb as she sang the song out loud and abruptly began to tickle him in the ribs. He flailed on the floor, laughing and writhing as he struggled against her swiftly moving hands and fingers digging at his ribs. Katrina giggled contentedly as she watched the display. By the end of the song, he was laying face down on the floor, trying to catch his breath, and Paige strutted away as she danced to another tune.

When Katrina stole away from Caleb briefly to make her own music selections, she queued up some operatic renditions by Luciano Pavarotti, jazz from Miles Davis, and popular tunes from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and U2. But she also surprised him by selecting some songs from Jem and Fiona Apple.

The entire affair was very enlightening for Caleb, providing additional insight into the personalities of each vampire. He hooked his Apple iPod to Katrina's computer and made selections from his own library. He played a number of tunes from Silversun Pickups, as well as some popular songs from Our Lady Peace, Foo Fighters, and Greenday. However, he surprised the vampires by also selecting a few classic cuts from the 1960s and '70s. When "Golden Years," by David Bowie, played, Paige returned to dance with him some, admiring his sense of rhythm.

"You, me, clubbing, soon," she demanded at the end of the song while holding her thumb and forefinger to her ear, making the universal hand symbol and mouthing the words: "Call me."

Katrina rolled her eyes and smirked at the playful vampire, while Caleb looked up at Katrina with a silent inquiry in his expression.

"Not anytime soon," Katrina chastised mildly as she made a final pass over the list of items they would need to shop for that evening.

As the last of the music played, Caleb snuck down into Katrina's room to make one more selection. Coldplay's "Green Eyes" sounded through the house, and he momentarily paused at the computer as the lyrics began. As the song continued, he turned and walked to the top of the stairs to exit into the main hallway. He felt a sudden presence behind him, and Katrina's arms enfolded his shoulders. Her body pressed against him from behind as she held him closely and quietly while the song continued.

He felt her lips at his ear. "Is that song about me?"

"Yes," he murmured as her lips softly touched his neck.

"A declaration, perhaps?" she whispered.

"Just that I love you," he thoughtfully replied as the song continued. "And that I need you."

Her lips lightly kissed at his supple neck and soft cheek as she reveled in his reply. "You don't know how happy that makes me," she beamed as she turned him towards her and passionately kissed him.

They embraced each other until the tune had nearly finished and then walked with their arms wrapped around each other's waists into the main living room as the song ended. Paige looked up at Caleb with a wistful expression as she lounged on the couch, while Alton continued to make some notes in a small daily planner perched on his crossed leg.

"A romantic selection of music, young man," Alton noted without looking up. "I approve."

Caleb smiled at the dark-haired vampire as Paige popped up on the edge of the couch with an excited grin. "Okay, enough crooning. It's almost dark, folks. Time to put our shopping groove on!"

Alton stopped writing in his planner long enough to look over at the blonde vampire with a withering expression. "I'll stay here, thank you," he insisted calmly. "I have some phone calls to make, as well as some Internet activities to tend to. I may take a stroll later this evening, as well."

Paige merely shrugged as she took Caleb by the arm and dragged him towards the front of the house. "Ditch the T-shirt, you hobo," she urged as she dragged him with her. "We're going out tonight!"

Katrina just shook her head and raised an eyebrow as her mate was taken in tow by the perky vampire. She glanced down at her own faded jeans and sweatshirt with a sigh and departed to change clothes.

After changing into fresh jeans and shirt, Caleb grabbed his leather jacket. Paige changed into a denim skirt, blue satin blouse, short denim jacket, and black leather boots. Katrina appeared from the sublevel room wearing black, low-rise knit slacks and a stylish, burgundy, long-sleeved, cowl neck top with a long, trendy leather coat. They all piled into Katrina's Audi, and Paige was kind enough to allow Caleb to sit in the front next to Katrina. He anxiously anticipated his first journey away from the estate in what seemed like forever, and the two vampires easily detected the excitement rolling off of him.

"Please grab him if he tries to flee from the car at any intersections," Katrina dryly instructed Paige.

Caleb just shook his head as the car pulled from the garage and down the driveway. He stared appreciatively out the window at the night-laden surroundings as the vehicle made its way to the front of the edition. As soon as they pulled out onto the city streets, Katrina gunned the engine for his benefit, and they sped down the road as alternative rock music played. He certainly appreciated being out in the real world again.

Paige swayed to the music in the back seat as Caleb's mind began to wonder about the information that Katrina had shared with him about their journey to stop Chimalma. The idea that the renegade vampire had hired so many mercenaries between the retreat facility and the attack against him and Paige at the estate caused him to wonder about plans she may have arranged that simply hadn't been activated yet.

Then again, perhaps his imagination was simply running away from him after all the pent-up stress from their experiences. He sighed quietly as the music played and tried to gaze absently out the car window while appreciating the feeling of traversing the open road. He failed to notice that both vampires were observing him closely.

"I bet that our boy's hungry. He didn't eat much for lunch today," Paige ventured from the back seat.

Katrina glanced over at his subdued manner and frowned slightly. "What do you think, Caleb? Hungry?"

He smiled at her and replied, "Sure. How about -"

"And what is it we're avoiding tonight?" Paige interrupted.

He appeared momentarily perplexed, but smiled as he recalled a previous topic with her. "Garlic: no Italian."

"Good boy," she complimented with a quick pat on his head.

Katrina narrowed her eyes while driving as she tried to determine the nature of that exchange and glanced over at Caleb.

"Um, how about a steak house?" he ventured, changing the subject.

"Done," she replied simply. "But after the home improvement store." She quickly pressed some buttons on the GPS and called up the nearest location.

At Builder Mart, the three grabbed a shopping cart, and Katrina read from the list of items they needed. She pushed the cart to the aisles with the larger items, while directing Caleb and Paige to grab smaller things as they passed. He found it amusing that both Paige and Katrina were getting a number of interested looks from a variety of men they passed by, and he adopted a proud expression as he walked with the two beautiful vampires. His manner and expression weren't lost on the two women, either.

"How about if I paw at you a little bit, kiddo?" Paige teased. "That'll really get those guys stirred up."

He grinned, but Katrina frowned and countered darkly, "Yeah, and I bet half the women in here will throw tools at us too."

Paige chuckled as she called off more items for retrieval.

As Caleb went up a small aisle to get rolls of masking and duct tape, he saw a group of people at the back of the store watching an in-store how-to seminar. He looked away, grabbed the rolls of tape, and rounded the corner to head back to their cart. Suddenly, he heard a series of quick popping noises sounding like small gunfire and jolted in place as he ducked down abruptly. Then he realized the in-store demonstration was showing how to use a nail gun, and he sighed irritably.

"Crap," he muttered with a sheepish expression as he turned to walk to the shopping cart, noticing both vampires staring at him intently. He approached the cart feeling a little stupid at his reaction and dropped the items into the cart without looking at either of them.

"It's okay," Katrina offered gently with a gentle brush of her hand on his back. "It's normal given what you experienced."

Paige glanced up at her with a narrow-eyed expression before he noticed, and she smiled while demanding in a mock southern drawl, "Come on, old lady. Keep rattling off that list. My boy's hungry over here."

Katrina rolled her eyes and called off more items as she steered the cart down another aisle. However, she watched Caleb more closely while they were in the store.

Paige suddenly appeared at her side, dropped some paintbrushes into the cart, and whispered, "Between the two of us we can keep him in sight at all times. But just what are you thinking?"

Katrina considered her answer carefully. "Let him know you're there, but give him some space. I want him to feel safe without being smothered."

Paige nodded. "Will do."

They continued to fill the cart with a series of home improvement supplies and proceeded to the appliances area. Caleb pulled a small list from his back pocket containing preferred models of refrigerators and began trolling the refrigerator aisle. Eventually, they selected a standard white model as a replacement for the damaged one at the estate, and Katrina arranged for a delivery at the sales desk.

"And what time is best for delivery?" the sales clerk asked.

"Evening would be best," Katrina replied.

Caleb spoke up, "Hey, I'm not teaching until next month. I'll be available for daytime deliveries."

Katrina wanted to avoid his being the person answering the door at daytime when vampires were most vulnerable, but she allowed it. "Fine," she replied. "Daytime will be fine."

They arranged for a morning delivery in two days time. At least it will be on the shady side of the house during the morning, Katrina mused as she finalized the arrangements. She would be able to maneuver tactically if needed and still not catch the sun fully.

After they loaded the items into the Audi's small trunk and packed one side of the back seat with the remaining packages, they were on their way to the nearest steak house.

"Kind of cramped back here now," Paige complained as she shoved a plastic bag of items away from her and leaned forward between the driver and passenger seats.

"Better than the trunk," Caleb quipped and glanced over to smirk at the petite vampire.

"Go ahead and laugh, smarty pants," Paige teased with a playful smirk. "I'll shove your butt back here on the way home."

By the time they arrived at the steak house, Caleb's appetite was considerable. His mouth watered at the scent of grilled steak as he exited the car and held the seat forward for Paige to exit. Paige squeezed past him and quickly swatted him on the butt.

"Time to round up some beef for my man," she drawled and scanned the parking lot while he shut the door.

A pickup truck parked in front and to the left of their vehicle had a rough-looking man sitting in the driver's seat, and Caleb noticed the fellow staring at him in the side view mirror as he shut the car door. His eyes strayed to the shotgun hanging in the back window of the pickup, and he paused as Paige slipped her arm around his.

Paige's eyes focused on the man in the truck, while Katrina had already noticed Caleb's stare and stood at the front of their car in a relaxed stance. They gave the truck a wide berth as Paige placed herself on the side towards the truck, and Katrina followed behind them both.

"Hungry, tiger?" Paige asked as they strode across the parking lot.

"Sure," Caleb replied in a distracted fashion as he started to glance back over his shoulder.

But Paige leaned up and kissed him on the cheek to keep his head from turning around, and she felt the muscles stiffen in his arm. "No problem there, kiddo," she reassured him with a smile. "People in the south just love their shotguns."

He did his best to chuckle off-handedly and lied, "Hey, I'm not worried. I mean, that'd be silly and kind of paranoid anyway, right?"

A young man appearing to be a restaurant employee stood finishing a cigarette not far from the entrance next to a decorative ashcan and nodded politely as they passed. Caleb reached out to open the front entry door to the restaurant and courteously let Paige enter before him, but Katrina placed her hand behind his back to usher him before her.

As they stood amidst the crowd waiting in line to be seated, Katrina bent down to whisper in his ear, "You're not silly, Caleb. And don't forget a little fear can be healthy sometimes."

He smiled slightly and nodded as she quickly kissed him on the cheek from behind and placed her hand on his shoulder. Paige looked deliberately back over her shoulder at Caleb and flashed her bright blue eyes and a white-toothed grin.

"Ditto, kiddo," she whispered. "Your babysitter's always on duty."

An older woman standing next to them glanced at Paige with a frown. But Paige gave her a level, unfriendly stare, and the woman quickly looked the other direction as she stepped closer to the man appearing to be her husband.

After a short wait, they were seated at a table in the corner of the large dining room, with the vampires placing Caleb between them so they could see anyone approaching the table. After a few minutes, he relaxed somewhat. It helped that his hunger advanced to the point that his anxiety was outweighed by his desire for caloric intake. He also appreciated the light-hearted southern hospitality of the waitress and the seemingly upbeat customers around them.

Katrina and Paige both ordered salads, while Caleb ordered a large sirloin steak with baked potato and side salad. He also preordered a piece of the restaurant's signature blackberry cobbler. In addition, they each nibbled at the complimentary rolls, though he ate three of them while the women each picked at their roll without actually consuming much of it. As they sat at the table, Caleb noticed the ladies were receiving some tentative glances from nearby male patrons.

"I'm the luckiest guy in this place," he commented earnestly with a proud tone as he buttered one of his rolls.

"We're just happy to make you look good," Paige offered with a smirk as Katrina grinned.

Both women were happy that his mood had improved significantly.

Very soon, their meals arrived, and Caleb dug into his with a vengeance. Katrina shook her head while Paige's eyebrows rose with some surprise.

"Don't forget to chew, kiddo," Paige teased as she smiled over at Katrina, who merely shrugged.

After about twenty minutes, Caleb decided to ask something that had been on his mind all evening. "So, are we really in the clear now?" he asked. "I mean, Kat killed Chimalma, and only one attack on the estate was actually mentioned on the digital recording at the retreat facility. Are we getting back to normal now?"

"I consulted with Alton about this, and I think we're probably okay. But it's best to exercise a little caution for the time being, just to be on the safe side," Katrina offered with a supportive expression.

"Hey, it's not like someone's going to walk up and just shoot you in public anyway," Paige teased with a smirk.

A moment later, two men wearing Atlanta Police Department uniforms walked into the restaurant and scanned the dining room. The taller officer smiled and spoke briefly to the employee who had smoked a cigarette outside earlier. The young man looked around and then pointed to where Caleb and the two vampires were seated. Paige and Katrina took notice almost immediately and exchanged eye contact with each other while appearing to remain relaxed.

"On second thought, just forget what I said," Paige murmured flatly.

Caleb noticed Katrina's and Paige's expressions were pleasant but guarded, and he stopped chewing his steak. He looked up slowly as the officers proceeded across the room towards them. He felt Katrina's hand touch his thigh lightly underneath the table.

She smiled, bent over to kiss him on the cheek, and whispered, "Keep eating, and whatever happens, just don't move from your seat."

He didn't think that sounded very encouraging, but continued chewing his mouthful of steak. He deliberately looked away from the officers towards a tableful of kids and parents sitting at the larger booth across from them.

The two officers stopped short of the table and smiled. The taller officer, whose nametag read Purvis, offered, "Evening folks. We're sorry to bother you, but we were wondering if you'd mind helping to settle an argument my partner and I were having after we pulled up next to your Audi."

Katrina smiled pleasantly and replied, "Sure, how can we help?"

The shorter officer, named Evans, spoke up, "Well, I think you have a 3.6 liter engine, but my partner says that's it's at least a 4.2. I bet him dinner that he's wrong. Who's correct?"

Katrina smoothly replied, "Funny you should ask. It's a 4.2 liter V-8 turbo. So I suppose Officer Purvis gets a free dinner tonight."

Purvis smiled proudly while Evans placed his hands his hips, though his right hand landed at the front of his firearm. Paige shifted subtly in her seat and reached up to brush her hand across a strand of hair at her temple with a smile.

An older waitress approached the taller officer from behind and said, "I've got your booth ready now, gentlemen. I'll take you to it."

"Well, hell," Evans replied amiably. "Thanks for settling things, anyway. You folks have a good evening."

Purvis rubbed his hands together with a smirk. "Thanks so much, in fact. Y'all take care."

The officers followed the waitress across the dining room towards an empty booth against the far wall. Caleb's eyes darted between Paige and Katrina, and he noticed both vampires staring at each other for a moment before looking at him with knowing smirks on their faces.

"I think we're all probably just a little on edge with everything that's happened in the past few days," Paige offered.

Katrina nodded as she reached down to pat Caleb's thigh and muttered, "See? Even vampires get edgy sometimes."

Caleb smiled and felt the butterflies in his stomach start to subside a little bit as their waitress walked up to the table. "You about ready for blackberry cobbler, darlin'?" she asked with a wink.

"Maybe I'll get that to go," he replied.

"Sure thing. I'll be right back with the cobbler and your check," the waitress countered. "Is it together, or will I be splitting it up?"

Katrina neatly handed her a credit card and replied with a possessive arm around Caleb's shoulders, "We're definitely together. Thanks."

Once the three of them exited the restaurant, Paige led the way through the parking lot while Katrina walked beside Caleb with her arm draped around his waist. He carried the fairly sizable container of blackberry cobbler in both hands, but leaned into Katrina for a moment with his shoulder.

"Thanks for dinner, Kat," he offered appreciatively.

"You're welcome, my love," she replied.

Paige teased, "That's a honkin' slab of cobbler you've got there, tiger."

He grinned, but Katrina remarked a little sarcastically, "Yeah, I think our waitress liked him...darlin'."

"You can't be jealous of the waitress. There's just no comparison," he admonished her mildly, before adding with reverence: "You're like an angel compared to human women."

Katrina slowed to bend down and kiss him appreciatively on the lips. He had no idea how happy she was to hear him use that reference. You were only eight when you last referred to me as an angel, she mused.

"We can sometimes become possessive about our mates, Caleb," Paige offered in a serious tone after making certain there was nobody else in hearing range.

"I prefer to think of it as protective," Katrina muttered with a frown as she deliberately tightened her grip around his waist.

Caleb silently considered the brief exchange between them as they approached the car. Paige stopped to walk with him around to the passenger side as Katrina slipped into the driver's seat. Paige opened the door and slid the passenger seat forward as she took his cobbler from him.

"Hey, I thought I was riding shotgun tonight," he pointed out.

Paige smirked and used her free hand to hustle him into the car. "You don't like shotguns, remember? Into the back seat, lover boy. And buckle up, while you're at it."

She handed his cobbler back to him with a grin and hopped into the passenger seat as Katrina smiled and started the car. To everyone's satisfaction, their return journey to the estate was pleasantly uneventful.

Back at the estate, Katrina took Alton aside in the sitting room to relay their evening's experiences while Paige and Caleb unloaded the car. Alton listened thoughtfully and paused for a few silent moments before commenting.

"I think your approach is prudent for now," he agreed. "But it's important to begin moving back to a state of normalcy as soon as possible. Being overprotective will likely just encourage unhealthy behaviors and reactions. And I mean for both Caleb and yourself, you understand."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Fine. I understand."

"You can't just hide the two of you away from the rest of the world and expect anything healthy to come of it," he challenged. "Besides, I seem to recall there's much of the world you want to share with him. Remember the cabin?"

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I remember," she replied. I want to show Caleb so much of the beauty the world holds and share each moment with him to renew the experiences for myself, as well.

Caleb popped his head into the room and said, "I'm going to take a shower."

He bounded halfway up the stairs, but Katrina barked, "Caleb!"

After a moment, his head peered back around the corner with a grin. "Yeah?"

"Move your things to the sublevel room first," she instructed him with a satisfied smile. "I want you in my bed tonight."

He winked and quipped in his best southern drawl, "You got it, darlin'!"

He disappeared, and Katrina shook her head as her eyes looked to the ceiling.

"Darling?" Alton asked curiously.

"Just never mind," she responded flatly.

By later that evening, everything seemed to have gone well. The house was in an improved state of order, and Katrina placed some calls to an out-of-town firm to perform maintenance on the more substantial damage inside the house sometime before the end of the year. Having utilized the company on a number of occasions, she appreciated their sense of flexibility and discretion to accommodate special requests or nighttime working hours, which were handsomely rewarded with high bonuses upon completion.

Caleb slept soundly in the sublevel room snuggled in Katrina's arms when he abruptly awoke sometime after 2 am to the sound of growling. His eyes popped open, and he quickly realized that she was the source of the growls behind him. Must be having a bad dream, he thought sleepily.

Katrina's body abruptly lurched, and she made a harsh snarling sound as her arms tightened around him. He felt the sudden clamping of fangs into his upper left shoulder and yelled out in pain. It felt like someone had jammed two spikes into his flesh, and the pain seared through his shoulder and neck. He automatically tried to thrust himself away from her, but realized too late that her teeth merely tore at his flesh, causing him to gasp for breath before shouting in agony.

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