Chapter One: New Blood

"Julian Luna's affinity for seduction is no secret . . . I don't understand your apprehension, Elena."

"What apprehension?"

"I can hear it in your voice. Don't play tough with me." A silent growl felt in the hammer of the words. Elena shuddered:

"I'm sorry, sir. It's just – there's just a lot that could go wrong."

"Of course there is, but I have never known you to allow anything to go wrong," he laughed – meant to be an assurance, I trust you, still it came out as a mocking exhalation. "This task will be carried out with the finesse I've come to expect of you, Childe, regardless."

"Yes sir."

"Matthew has been sent for. He'll be with you shortly to watch your back."

"That makes me feel a little better."

"Keep this device with you. I shall check in on you regularly."

"Understood."

ooo

Lillie offered the Prince of San Francisco some wine as he continued to gaze out the window overlooking the Haven. Dark velvet framed the picture, bodies moving to music, sitting, drinking. Predators and prey caught in normalcy. After a moment, Julian accepted the glass but neglected to take a sip. Lillie's pale eyes took in his hands, grasping the stemware casually; tension lurked in the veins and tissue, motes of foresight caught in non-chalance.

"You're thinking about the clans," she began. "What's going to happen now –"

He took a sip if only to quiet her. "Cameron's Brujah . . ."

"They're here every night," Lillie muttered, deciding to play along with the dull chatter.

Julian nodded towards the booths that lined the back wall of the nightclub. "She's here again tonight?"

Half-lidded eyes revealed the Toreador's distaste. "I'd rather the ill-bred did not frequent my domain."

A smirk pulled at the corner of the Prince's mouth. "Your snobbery surprises even me, somedays." A final sip of the alcohol-infused vitae and he returned the glass. Lillie watched him leave; he could sense her eyes at his back, two points pressed into the small of his back. More eyes greeted him as he descended the stairs to the club. Brujah, Gangrel, Toreador eyes mortal in the glow of the stagelights. He followed the scent of the new blood.

Elena continued to type away on her sleek laptop. The Prince's footsteps distinct against the background music of the Haven; she wondered if he was doing this on purpose for her benefit. When he stopped an arm's length behind her, she closed the laptop.

"You must be Prince Julian Luna." She made a show of not facing him as she spoke.

"Interesting," was all he said.

Elena sat there waiting.

Finally, he moved closer – standing at the end of the table, hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants haphazardly. She eyed the pronounced widow's peak of his hair line and his dark eyes before averting her gaze; it was a glance of periphery. Julian smiled.

"I might have overlooked your coming into my city without asking for permission first if you were Brujah or even Gangrel," he said lightly.

"I'm just passing through," Elena stated evenly, feeling the weight of his gaze.

He sat down opposite her, regarding the little white laptop curiously. "Consider yourself lucky. If you weren't of my clan, I doubt we would be having this conversation."

Amidst the stir of bodies and hum of music, their voices were simply another ephemeral layer to the busy caucophony. Elena surveyed her surroundings, noting the eyes of one Gangrel in particular placed firmly upon them. "You speak rather candidly, given the environment," she commented. "I thought it was taboo to speak of such things so openly."

"I'd like to know what a childe of Marius Franco is doing in my city." Direct. Elena smiled rebelliously,

"I'll leave if that's what you want," she replied.

"I've already told you what I want."

"And will your bruisers kindly escort me out of here if I don't answer to your liking?" she clasped manicured hands around the barrel of her glass, bringing it closer for a taste. "I'm here because I want to be, Prince. Shouldering this lineage means that I've had to pick up a nomadic lifestyle. I don't mind moving on already, if I've over-stayed my welcome."

Julian watched her as she drained the glass; slender fingers around the thick highball, dark lips that wrapped around the Scotch. "I'm not of the mind that the sins of the sire should be visited upon the childe, however I do have a city to look after," he waited until he had caught her gaze before continuing, "and your presence here, already, has stirred some tension." Elena discovered the mismatched colour of his eyes as he stared at her pointedly. The look was neither a glare of warning or an examination of her, rather it was simply a statement. I am Prince here.

"This is where I point out that the elders of Boston did find me innocent. I had nothing to do with what my sire and brothers and sister –"

"You wouldn't be here otherwise if that were not true," Julian stated flatly. He tapped the on the laptop between them for emphasis, "This is where I warn you to watch yourself."

"Will do, my Prince." She extended her hand slowly, wrapped it around his own, and brought his ring to her lips.

Julian bowed his head respectively – amusedly – in response, laughing softly. "Welcome to San Francisco."

Elena returned the gesture, allowing her eyes to linger on his and smiled again.

ooo

"Julian Luna's affinity for seduction is no secret. Mortal and kindred alike, it makes no difference. He's a creature of conquest –"

"He is Ventrue," Elena remarked, only partly in jest.

"Too true. You, my dear, are perfectly suited for this."

"Is that some veiled compliment at my wit? Or do you mean because I happen to bear a resemblance to his human wife?"

"Both will serve you well. Elena, I spared you the fate of Tobias, Anthony and Mariella for this. Boston will be nothing more than a footnote after – San Francisco is soon to change hands . . ."

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Author's Note: So, here t'is. This is a random idea that popped into my head – an outlet for all of those guilty aspirations I have had about wanting to write a sexy romance (with some serious vampire intrigue toboot!). And, seriously, who wouldn't want to be seduced by Julian Luna? Anyways, we shall see how it goes. Thanks for reading – k.ramsey

version 2.0 - revised and refocused for your delight . . .