The room smells like her. He sighed, turning in his bed. He'd thought she'd be the one. He really had. He could see her in his mind's eye, remembered her smile. The way she smiled with her eyes more than her mouth. It's been two years, and he's still stuck on her.

There's a knock at his door. It's faint, but easy for him to pick out with his enhanced hearing. With a sigh, he forces himself out of bed. There's a picture of her on the nightstand. He stares at it a moment.

Megan Reed. Brilliant witch. Leading researcher on vampires. He'd thought she was his mate. But that was before. He put the picture face down. He pulled on a loose pair of pants, and jogs through his manor to the front door. He knows the scent a moment before he opens it. Cold earth, saffron and chives tanged with blood.

"Boss," he said, letting his sire in the room. David Sarif was an old vampire. He was turned older, hair graying at the temples. He scented the room as he walked in, then turned, smiling thinly.

"Adam, son, when was the last time you left the house?" he asked. Adam sighed. He knew this would happen eventually, but he had hoped for more time. He walked away, to the kitchen, Sarif trailing behind.

"Two years," he said, opening the fridge and pulling out a blood packet. Fresh blood was fantastic, but Adam hadn't had his heart in the hunt since Megan left. Besides, having packets delivered was less conspicuous. Sarif leaned against the counter as Adam poured the blood into a mug, and puts it in the microwave.

"Adam, this is insane," his sire said, and Adam knew he was right. They hadn't even mated. He had been going to ask the question when… it happened. But Adam didn't feel like being logical.

"You took your time when Athene passed," he said. It was a low blow. Athene had been Sarif's mate for some fifty years or so. It was true there mateship had been platonic, as was his current partner, but vampire mates were a special bond of trust. They guarded vampires in their resting hours, provided them with regular blood, and, most importantly, kept them in touch with reality. Eternity was a long time to go alone.

"Yes, I did," Sarif said, softly. Adam felt sorry for the comment, but didn't apologize. He just took out his hot blood and drank. It was too hot, scolding his tongue, but then his healing kicked in and it didn't matter. "But I'm older than you are, and we were mated."

"I'm fine, Boss," Adam said.

"No, you aren't," Sarif replied, and Adam looked at him, hard.

"... Darrow sent you," he said. Sarif sighed. Darrow was Sarif's sire, and founder of their coven. He was responsible for all the members of the coven; making sure they followed the Laws and didn't push themselves into insanity. Which would explain Sarif's visit.

"Yes, he did," Sarif replied, standing and holding out his arms. "But I'm worried about you myself. I know what happened with Megan was… difficult. But you need a mate, Adam."

"I don't want a mate," Adam said. Sarif was instantly a hair's breadth away, knocking the mug of blood out of Adam's hand and to the floor. His eyes glowed golden, the color of the Darrow clan. He poked Adam in the chest, expression grave.

"Don't say things like that! You know the Laws, Adam," he said. Adam glared back, then sighed, bowing his head in acquiescence. He did know the Laws. Don't kill humans. Don't let humans know we exist if at all possible. Don't endanger your fellow preternaturals. Don't reveal more of yourself than necessary. And then, specifically for vampires. Find a mate as soon as possible.

"I know," he said. Sarif backed off, leaning against the counter again.

"Listen, son, I know things are… hard, but you can't just lock yourself up in here. It isn't healthy," he said. Adam met his gaze again. As far as sires went, Sarif was lenient, relaxed, even. Sarif wasn't even allowed to look his sire in the eye. If Darrow had heard Adam, he would probably have lost a limb for it. And those took time to regrow.

"What do you suggest, then?" Adam asked. He hated the way he felt lost without her. He'd had mates before her, but they had been platonic partnerships. It felt too strange, like her absence was a physical thing inside of him. It made it hard to function, to go on the way he had before. Sarif smiled softly, like he knew what Adam wouldn't say.

"Why don't you go out with Faridah tonight? You two never really got to meet," he said. Faridah Malik. David's new mate. A werewolf. They'd met at Sarif's mating ceremony, but hadn't spoken since. What Adam had seen of her made him wonder why his sire had chosen her as a mate. Compared to Athene she was so… different. Before Megan, his mates had followed the same general pattern. Quiet, artistic types. People who could keep themselves entertained and didn't crowd him.

Adam was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his sire. Sarif raised his brows at him. Adam sighed.

"Alright," he said. His sire smiled, clapping him on the shoulder affectionately and stepping back.

"Don't worry, I don't expect any miracles tonight, I just want you to get out there again," he said. "It's important that you at least try, son."

"I can't promise anything," Adam replied. Sairf sighed, scratching the back of his head. "But… I'll try."

"That's all I ask," his sire said, smiling. If it hadn't been for Sarif, he would have died centuries ago. In a way, it could have been a blessing. But at the time, he'd had something important he'd needed to finish before he died. And he was grateful to Sarif for giving him that chance. So he would try. Or at least pretend to.

"Then get ready; I'll send her by in an hour to get you," Sarif said, turning to leave. Adam watched him go with a mix of resignation and dread. When he heard the door shut he sighed. He looked at the shattered cup and blood spilled on the floor. He bent down, collecting the pieces.

He'd always enjoy prowling. Looking for new blood, tracking them down, the dance of seduction. It was why his mates had been platonic. He'd never felt like he could settle on just one romantic interest for a human lifetime. Or longer, depending on species. But with Megan, he'd stopped hunting. He'd been too focused on her, he realized. It had thrown him off his game. Maybe if he'd taken a step back sooner, he would have realized…

He shook his head, dumping the broken crematic into the trashcan. It was no use thinking about it. Vampires were prone to obsessive behavior, it was one of the reasons mates were so important. It forced them to move on, to not stay rooted in the past. No wonder Sarif had been worried. With a sigh, Adam walked upstairs. He needed a shower and new clothes.

There was a knock on his door, right on time. Adam pulled it open warily, to be greeted by a bright and smiling face.

"Hi," Faridah said, holding out her hand. Adam hesitated a moment, then shook. He scented lightly. Motor oil and what could only be described as sunshine. Surprising, given her kind was more given to the moon. The woman was scenting him as well, and not being discreet about it.

"Mind if we skip the formalities and just get this over with?" Adam asked, pulling out his sunglasses and putting them on. They stood out at night, but less so than his eyes did. Bright gold wasn't exactly typical. Faridah moved so he could shut the door. She seemed amused.

"David said you wouldn't be too thrilled about tonight," she said. Adam didn't smell his sire on her, so he hadn't fed tonight. It wasn't that they needed to feed every day, nor did most vampires. Still, Sarif's scent had enough blood smell to indicate he had fed, just not on his mate. Which was unusual for his sire, who found prowling to be troublesome and preferred to simply feed off his mate.

"He was right," Adam said, deciding to store the question away for later. Perhaps Sarif had a new lover. It happened every couple of decades. But then why hadn't smelled another's scent on him? Sarif had never been secretive of his lovers. In fact, he usually paraded them. It offered them a certain amount of protection, if the coven new about them.

"Well, I hope I can change your mind," Faridah said, still smiling as Adam turned to her. The vampire breathed in through his mouth. Her scent irked him. It was so… happy. With a sigh, he waved in her direction.

"After you," he said.

"Oh, a gentleman?" Faridah asked, taking the lead with confidence. That was almost any werewolf for you, though. They did everything with confidence, even the low ranking ones. It seemed David's new mate was no exception to the rule. Adam stuck his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat.

He actually liked modern clothing. It was easier to put on and move around in. A pair of pants, a sweater, and a trenchcoat. Barely any buttons to speak of. His sire tended to dress in an older fashion, but that was his choice. Faridah was modern herself, with cut off shorts and a tank top. It was a cold night, but werewolves ran at higher temperatures. Vampire's just generally didn't notice temperature either way. Faridah practically skipped ahead of him as they entered the city proper.

"I know a couple pret bars around here, but I imagine you already know the area pretty well," she said, looking back at him. Adam shrugged.

"Cities change overnight," he said. And it was true. Faridah laughed, surprising him.

"Sorry, you just sound so old," she said. "When were you turned?"

It was actually a very personal question. Most preternaturals wouldn't ask another it until they knew each other well. But… she was Sarif's mate, and it wasn't a particularly invasive question.

"1627," I said. Faridah whistled.

"You're only a few centuries younger than David then," she said. "I'm pretty young; I was turned in '21."

"Six years ago?" I asked. It was easy to lose track of time when it meant nothing to you. Faridah nodded, grinning. Like all werewolves, she had pronounced canines on both the top and bottom of her mouth. Not so much that it would stand out terribly, but definitely bigger than a human's. Vampire fangs only grew when they were starving or ready to feed.

"Yup," Farida replied. "I was studying to be a pilot, and went to this rave after finals to blow off some steam and well… let's just say werewolves and Sweets don't mix."

"A… rave?" Adam asked.

"Uh," Faridah said, blinking. "You know, a big party with loud music and flashing lights?"

"Sure," the vampire said. He hadn't realized they'd needed a new name for it. Which meant 'Sweets' was probably some kind of drug. Which stood to reason, with their enhanced metabolism, most werewolves tended to take too much at once to get high and stay there. And sometimes they lost control. It seemed Faridah was a victim of this.

"I know where we should go!" Faridah declared, making Adam jump as she took his wrist and pulled him through the streets. She was going a little fast for a human, but that was typical of younglings. Adam used his own strength to slow her down. It didn't seem to put her off.

"So where are we going?" the vampire asked.

"There's a rave going on tonight in an abandoned warehouse! It'll be awesome!" Faridah replied, seeming to follow no clear path through back streets, up fire escapes and over rooftops. She'd dropped Adam's wrist when they'd gotten to the roofs, which was generally safe practice. He had a little trouble keeping up with her. He wasn't sure what her rush was, but it made him feel old.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Adam asked. Faridah laughed.

"Well, I don't plan on taking any drugs, and they'll be plenty of people to lose yourself in," she said, stopping on a roof. There were lights and music pouring out of a building nearby. Adam winced. This really wasn't his scene. But the werewolf had already shimmied down a ventilation system and was waiting for him on the ground. Looking around beforehand, Adam jumped.

"I don't know about this," he said, looking up at the building. Faridah laughed.

"Don't tell me a guy who's four hundred years old is scared of a little party?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and cocking a brow at him. He raised a brow at her. For a youngling, she was certainly sure of herself. Adam sighed.

"Let's just get this over with," he said, and brushed past the woman to enter the building.

It was incredibly loud. It was hard to hear the actual music over the bass, and the press of bodies created a menagerie of scents. People seemed to be wearing glowing things as well, and Faridah joined in with gusto. She tried to explain things to Adam, but he couldn't hear her. He just nodded, and stuck to the outskirts of the crowd. People didn't seem to notice him, which was relatively new. He was used to standing out.

He could smell alcohol and drugs on the air. That probably accounted for the general sense of abandon of the crowd. This was not Adam's prowling ground, that much he gleaned right away. But he gave a shot at it. He really did. But he prefered the game; talking, wooing, actual seduction. Going after the senseless just felt… wrong. It was easy and useful in a pinch, but it wasn't his forte. So, after a few hours, he found Faridah to bid her goodbye.

To his surprise, she left with him.

"You can stay, you seemed to be enjoying yourself," Adam said. They could still hear the music, but it was getting fainter.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," the werewolf agreed, tucking her hands behind her head. She'd picked up several glowing bracelets and a necklace. "But tonight isn't about having fun. It's about helping you."

"... thanks," Adam said, genuinely surprised by her kindness. The werewolf grinned, skipping ahead.

"Anytime," she said. Then she paused, sniffing. She made a face, and I stopped next to her, scenting. I understood as the smell of alcohol, cheap cologne and frankincense.

"Von Bruggen," I said, and Faridah made an annoyed growl of agreement. Arie Von Bruggen was this city's resident hunter. No one was fond of hunters in general, but the Von Bruggens were an old family. Which meant there was a lot of bad blood between them and the local preternatural community. And Arie did little to ease tensions.

Hunters were generally seen as a necessary evil. A few centuries ago they had made a pact with the preternatural community; they would only hunt prets that stepped out of line. Which had caused the founding of the Laws. It was important that humans could defend themselves, and the only humans equipped to do so were hunters. That didn't mean that hunters thought any better of prets.

The hunter in question stumbled around the corner, clearly inebriated in some fashion. He looked like he was dressed for a patrol, which meant he wasn't after anyone in particular at the moment. He spotted the pair of them and wandered over.

"Hey, Darrow man, wolf girl, how's it?" he asked. Adam frowned. They'd met on several unfortunate occasions, but the hunter refused to remember his name, addressing him by coven instead. The man also seemed oblivious to how the preternatural community thought of his kind.

"Von Bruggen," Adam said. He found the least aggravating approach to the man was to be civil and curt. Faridah just growled. The hunter held up his hands.

"No need for that now," he said. "Just trying to make conversation."

"Don't," Faridah said. There was real malice behind that, and it caused Adam pause. This was completely different from how she'd been before. It made him wonder what Arie had done to piss her off.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," the hunter said, which was probably for the best. Except, as the man turned, something happened. Something flashed, jutting out from the shadows, aimed at Arie's head. Adam grabbed the back of the hunter's collar, jerking him back and out of the way. Except that meant the thing was coming for him, and he could tell he wasn't going to grab it in time to stop it.

And then, as if in slow motion, the vampire watched as a crossbow dart hit the flying object. It was a shard of ice, and the dart, aimed at an angle, knocked it aside just enough that it zipped next to Adam's ear instead of into his skull.

"About damn time," someone muttered, and another man dressed as a hunter jumped out a nearby window and rolled into the street. He leveled the crossbow at a patch of shadow next to a wall and fired.

The shadow moved, just barely avoiding the bolt. It shattered on impact with the wall, some drops hitting the shadow and sizzling. Holy water. The other hunter didn't miss a beat, tossing what looked like a glass grenade at the screeching shadow. It hit part of it, and burst into frozen water.

"What the fu-" Arie started, staring from the ground where he'd fallen.

"Wraithe," Adam said, relaxed where he stood. Wraithes were beings made of concentrated negative energy. They looked like moving shadows, and could freeze the air around them. They were very tricky creatures to deal with; young ones were entirely mindless, consuming whatever humans they came across. They were also common in the modern age, and Von Bruggen should have known what it was. And he especially should have known there was one in the area.

The wraithe tugged around, trying to dislodge itself from the ice. The other hunter was approaching it cautiously, crossbow drawn and ready. Adam watched him, impressed despite himself. He'd seen hunters work before; he'd even had some after him at times. There was always a certain kind of grace to them, like a large cat on the prowl. Adam could respect that. What caught his interest was that he'd never seen a hunter quite like this one before.

Hunters, as a rule, did not use magic. It was what separated them from preternaturals, afterall. But this one did, without hesitation. They were also arrogant, using brute force to win confrontations and rushing their opponents head on. Granted, most preternaturals employed the same strategy, so it usually equaled out in the end. But this one had hidden, lying in wait. He'd been tracking the damn thing, waiting for it to make its appearance. And yet, when it was pinned, the man was still wary.

For all that hunters acted like predators, they were clumsy and straightforward. What Adam say now? This was what hunters should be. Using all available resources, utilizing tactical advantages, keeping their guard up until they knew their prey was dead.

And the hunter's vigilance did him well, as the wraithe shot free from the ice and launched itself at him. The crossbow hit the ground, firing on impact as the hunter and wraithe collided. The two rolled, and Adam put out a hand to stop Faridah from jumping forward. She looked at him in surprise, then seemed about to protest when the wraithe shrieked.

Adam had seen what she hadn't. The hunter had pulled out a blade, most likely made of blessed iron, and found the wraithe's head. And then severed it. As the shadowy body dissipated, the hunter pushed up on his elbows. He let the blade fall, wiping his hands against his jacket. They had a layer of frost over them from the struggle, and there were other patches on him here and there.

Adam walked over calmly. There were still rogue hunters, that hunted down any pret they saw. But if this one was like that, he could have just let the wraithe's ice shard hit Adam in the head. Would have made it easier to take him out afterward.

"Nice work," the vampire said, offering the man a hand up. The hunter looked up at him. Adam was struck by the way the light reflected off the blue eyes, making them brighter than they probably where.

"Thanks," he said, but ignored the proffered hand in favor of retrieving his weapons. Adam frowned, but let it pass. Not everyone was trusting of prets, especially not hunters. And given some of the history between the three, he honestly couldn't entirely blame them. "It's Jensen, right?"

"Someone's done their homework," Adam replied, walking around the hunter as the man stood and replaced his weapons. He was shorter than the vampire by a couple inches. Adam scented the air, softly. He couldn't pick up a scent. The hunter had to be using a masking agent then.

"Only an idiot would enter a new territory without learning the local population," the hunter replied. He seemed bothered by the vampire's frank inspection, and turned to glare at him. Adam felt his brows raise. He was certainly a bold one.

"True enough," the vampire said, and stood still. There was something… irritating about the hunter. Adam could easily have said it was his rudeness or his audacity, but he wasn't sure that was it. "And you are…?"

"Pritchard," the hunter said, folding his arms across his chest. "Satisfied?"

"I thought the Pritchard clan died out," Adam said. It hit him, what was irritating him. The man was hiding something. He could feel it.

"It did," he said. "All the legitimate heirs are dead."

"Then you're the bastard," Arie said, suddenly nearby. Adam glared at him.

"Yes, I'm the bastard," the other hunter said. Adam looked back at him. He was still hiding something. That was too easy to be the only thing he was hiding.

"We were expecting you a week ago, bastard," Arie said, throwing a companionable arm around the other hunter. Adam felt a twinge in his hand, but schooled himself still.

"Well, as you can see," Pritchard said, extricating himself, "I ran into some trouble."

"A wraithe made you a week late?" Arie asked, laughing. Pritchard frowned.

"A nest made me a week late," he said. Arie made a choked noise and coughed. Adam felt his eyes widen.

"You took out a wraithe nest by yourself," he said. Pritchard looked at him, then smiled coldly.

"I'm just full of surprises," he said. He glared, and Adam returned the look. An illegitimate lone hunter took out a nest of wraithes? Even full hunters worked as a team against odds like that. There could have been anywhere from fifty to two hundred wraithes in a nest. What was he hiding?

"Well, uh, it's time we go," Arie said, leading the way towards the Von Bruggen estate. Pritchard's glare lingered a moment longer, then he turned and followed the other hunter. Adam watched them go, feeling the blood stir in his body. It was an odd sensation, and something that didn't happen to vampires often. Adam could feel his fangs lengthening as well. It had been a while since he'd had a real challenge.

Faridah skipped in front of him, and smiled up at the vampire. Adam looked down at her, and raised a brow.

"What's that look?" he asked. Faridah grinned.

"You like him," she said. Adam started.

"What? I-"

"Can't fool this nose!" the werewolf declared, poking her own nose as a demonstration. "You're giving off pheromones like crazy. What a whammy!"

"I'm just… excited," Adam said. Faridah chuckled.

"Oh, really?" she drawled, clearly mistaking his meaning.

"That hunter is hiding something," Adam said, turning to head home. "And I intend to find out what."

"Whatever you say," Faridah said, shrugging as she followed.