Chapter 1

I was walking down Guilford Ave on a chilly September evening, trying to remember what it was like when the cool night air actually bothered me. It seemed so long ago. Suddenly I got the feeling that I was not alone. You know, when the hair on the back of your neck stands up and the voice in your head puts you on alert? I turned around and saw, what appeared to be a eight inch tall elf. I decided that it was the effects of a bad meal ( You should be careful when you have a snack at a club) and turned back around to continue on my way. To my surprise, where there should have been a hole in the wall store with a sign hanging from it reading To Live Again, there was instead a large smoky swirl.

"This can't be good."

I said to myself as I wondered if Jean was up to something. I always thought she was pretty cool. Then the swirl rippled a little and a combat boot poked its way through followed by a pair of dark colored Tripp pants, a black trench, and a magenta corset with black ribbons on it. Who ever this was definitely had my attention. I followed the outfit upward with my eyes and saw her face. She looked so familiar.

"Uh, Rorie?"

It had been somewhere between fifty and a hundred years since I had seen her. We were such good friends back in the day. We would run the streets all night and mess with the humans. It was definitely good times. Granted, she was not a Kindred like me, but she was definitely a kindred spirit. I mean, don't get me wrong, Lupine in general, are trouble for vampires and we as a rule do not usually engage the filthy beasts as close friends, but Rorie and I were never very good at following the rules. Come to think of it neither are the other guys in the band. It also helps when the Prince of the City looks to you like a friend . That tends to make him more tolerant of such foolishness. In exchange, I do his bidding whenever he asks. This has made me unofficially one of his main assistants, a position I greatly enjoy.

I looked at her for what seemed like a long moment before I spoke. I had to make sure it was really her and not some mage throwing a glamour or some shape shifter trying to pass for my friend. I know that sounds a bit strange being as she is one herself, but I knew her before she received the bite, so I know her true form and her tells. This was actually her. I smiled at her.

"It's been a while, my Insoli friend"

"Only sixty years or so, that's not so long. I have been busy lately, you know, checking out the scene in Los Angeles. I saw one of your shows out there, not bad, but you could use a new lead on guitar.."

"Conveniently she just was recently asked to resign. Are you asking for an audition? Oh, you may want to close that." I said while I motioned toward her portal.

"You're really going to make me audition? Do you doubt my mad skills?" She pretended to be offended as she turned and mumbled something mortals would not be able to understand. Then the portal shrank and disappeared. I asked her what she had been doing with her time lately, and she pretended she didn't hear me so I changed the subject after making a mental note to revisit it later.

"So, I'm headed over to Friendly Farms for a snack, you interested?"

"Friendly Farms? What is that?"

"Local blood bank / donation center. There is a crazy looking girl there who runs the place. The diversity in stock is amazing. You name it, she either has it or can get it."

"You have my attention..."

"She even packages in V8 bottles and cans for discretion. She is awesome. I'm just going for 20oz. I forgot to grab one as I lit my house."

"Shae, you always seem to have the hook up, but where can a girl get some decent game around here? Is there any safe hunting?"

We continued to walk as we talked. Friendly Farms was just up the street on the corner of Guilford and Westfield. I thought for a moment and remembered a flyer I saw at the Farm.

"If I remember right, I believe Celeste has a delivery service for fresh meat, but if you want to have some fun with your food, there is a place south of the city called The Howling Ranch, or something like that. It's owned by a couple of Shifters, and I hear it's always well stocked and the rates are supposed to be good. 100 bucks per person or something like that."

"That's more like it. You can have your 'V8', I need real food!" Rorie then laughed loudly and poked me in my ribs. She always did like to tease me.

We walked into The Farm and I got my 'juice' and we talked to Celeste for a little bit about the ranch and options for Rorie. I suppose I could have just asked my drummer, she is a were too after all. Rorie and Celeste were lost in conversation while I was thinking this. Then I realized I had been so distracted by the sudden appearance of my friend that I had almost forgotten about the party Maximo was hosting at my club,The Hole In The Wall. I told the girls and asked who was going. They both said it sounded like fun, so I told them it starts at 10:00 which was in about an hour and a half so if we were going then we all needed to split and get ready. I then turned to Rorie and asked if she was planning on staying with me until she got settled and she said

"yes, if that is ok with you…" so we went to my place to get ready. It was only a short walk from the Farm.

When Rorie saw my place she looked disappointed. I guess she expected something more lavish than my little three bed three bath cottage style home with a small yard, garden, green house, stone fence, den, and two car garage with Volkswagens in it. We walked through the wooden front door into the front room where I could see her taking everything in. She looked intently at the stone floor in the entry way, the cherry wood floors in the den, living room, and dining room, and down the hall to the stone floor in the kitchen. The walls in the kitchen were sage and, the hall, dining room, and living room were merlot and eggshell, and the den was eggplant and sand. Each room had both silk sheers and lush velvet drapes, with floor tapestries in the den, and living room. The stairs were in the living room and made of the same cherry wood as the rest of the floors. Upstairs were three bedrooms with private baths. The two guest rooms were simple and light, my room was an explosion of violets and black in velvets, satins, and laces. I loved it. The best part was the huge closet. It was a third the size of the room and held a very diverse wardrobe consisting of formal wear, business, business casual, casual, comfy, club wear and other. The furniture was all hand carved with intricate flur de leis and scrollwork in dark cherry wood with plush velvets and satins to match the colors of each room.

She walked into my room and went strait to my closet looking for something to wear. Luckily we were both the same size. She finally pulled out a pleated black mini skirt, red lame' halter, and a pair of knee high, lace up, black boots. I grabbed a pair of 24 inch cuffed jeans, a corset, a pair of boots, and a scarf for a belt. We both checked our hair. My multi colored streaked black hair hung beautifully down my back and Rorie's blond curls hung just past the small of her back. We were definitely ready. We were about to go to the club and I realized, I hadn't fed my guest yet.

"Hey, do you need to eat something before we go? I know I had a snack, but what about you?"

"Actually, I am a little hungry, what do you have in mind?" She asked me. I looked at her and told her,

"Get in the car, we're going to Cakes -N- Ale. You'll love it." So we got in my Ghinster Yellow VW Thing and headed to the restaurant.

We walked in and Nicholas, the manager, greeted us.

"Hello, Miss McDougal. We don't get you in here much… who is your friend?" he said as he looked at her.

"This is Rorie, I thought she would enjoy one of your specials before we go to the club. You got time?"

" Of course, any friend of yours is always welcome here and we always have time for one more!"

He looked at Rorie and inhaled deeply. Then he winked and showed us to a table. He then brought me a glass of warm O Negative, a glass of sweet red and a menu for Rorie and made a recommendation. She ordered some venison dish, rare, and a half hour later we were on our way.

The music was so loud we could hear it as we passed The Darkness Inside and came to The Dark Roast. The music at the Hole In The Wall was a pleasant mix of rock, industrial, goth, punk and just a touch of that emo crap. Maximo had asked my band, Guilty By Gender, to play a short set around midnight. I found this amusing because he was using my club for his party, but I was touched, he usually only liked our slower stuff. We, Marie, Zoe, MJ, and myself, were excited to do a local show. We loved small venues. They allowed us to feel closer to the fans.

Rorie and I went through the large steel door into the black building. Once inside the atmosphere changed drastically. Inside, there were fake holes and cracks painted on the walls with scatterings of chain link fencing. The seats looked like they had been ripped out of cars and vans. The tables looked like overturned boxes and milk crates and the floor looked like weather worn, raw concrete. The dance floor was asphalt with a thick coat of clear gloss and the bar was made from cinder blocks. The stage was on the far back wall and the V.I.P. spot was in the balcony right above the door.

The only thing on the black brick outside was a purple neon rune. Most humans wouldn't recognize it, but the rest of us knew it meant it was a safe house. The majority of the businesses in the part of Broad Ripple by the Painted Bridge were friendly to non-humans. We would jokingly refer to that part of town as 'The Rez' because there was such a high concentration of us that 'The Ripple' felt like a Reservation. You wouldn't think there would be so many of us in the Midwest, but The Res was home to more of us than any other place in Indiana. There was something about the neighborhood of Broad Ripple. It could have something to do with Maximo being the Prince and the fact that his mansion is in The Ripple, who knows. I was just looking for somewhere to watch life pass by for a while.

When we got inside I showed her where the bar was and then went looking for Max to tell him there was a new were in town and make sure it was ok for her to stay for a while. I found him quickly but he was surrounded by a large crowd, so I decided to wait and find him again later and see who else was there instead. As I scanned the room, I saw many clusters of were packs and vamp clans with a scattering of loners all over the place. A waitress came up to me and asked if I needed anything and informed me that Max was picking up the tab for the band. I ordered my usual and found a spot to chill out until Max had a minute.

Around eleven o'clock my phone started to vibrate. I looked down at it and saw Maximo's name and a text that said "look up" I turned around and saw him up in the VIP loft, so I headed up there. The view from the balcony of the VIP area was definitely nice. Any one who stood up there could see the whole club much like the view from my office. I found Max sitting on a over stuffed cushion in the middle of a couch with his arms stretched out across the back on either side. Conveniently there was an empty spot next to him so I sat down .

"Hey there, thanks for inviting me to my own club." I laughed as I said it.

We sat and talked for a while. I told him about my comrade and her wanting to stay for a while, and he said that was acceptable as long as she stayed out of trouble and followed the Laws laid out for his city. I promised to do my best to keep her out of trouble.

Max then reminded me that it was about time for us to take the stage. I looked around and saw the rest of the band and motioned for them to meet me back stage. I grabbed Rorie and we were off.

Back stage I introduced Rorie to the rest of the band.

"This is Marie, our drummer, Zoe, our pianist, and MJ, our rhythm guitar… Guys, this is Rorie, she is a friend of mine. She is auditioning for a spot in the group, she plays guitar."

The first thing I noticed was Marie scenting her, the second was a flash of gold eyes and then it was just a blur of growls and claws. I looked at MJ and noticed that she was fighting to control herself.

"Oh, Hell…" I muttered to myself.

I then reached in and grabbed both of them by their scruffs, pulled them apart, and allowed my eyes to flash silver-green as I growled at both of them. After a quick smack to the back of the head for each of them, I informed them that type of behavior would not be tolerated.

"Marie, this girl is my best friend and will be treated with respect, Rorie, you above all should understand a little territorial pissing. Come on girls, play nice… and MJ, don't even think about it. She may be Insoli, but she is family. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, I got you. Sorry…" both Marie and MJ said.

"Good, now do you think we can get this started?" I asked.

"Are you guys going to get out here, or do I get to play tonight?" Skye, our head roadie shouted at us. "come on ladies, we are ready to go here."

I stepped out onto the stage and grabbed my matte black 6 string Bass and positioned myself in front of the Mic. The rest followed me out and settled into their spots. The DJ got on the P A system and announced us.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for our own lovely ladies, Guilty By Gender!" The curtain parted. I turned to wink at Rorie and began to play the first part of the bass line in one of my favorite songs. Rorie recognized it right away and followed suit along with the rest of the band.

I leaned toward the mic and announced,

"this is our new single from the 'through the looking glass' album." before we started playing our first couple songs.

Then we covered 'Hello' by Evanescence and 'Face Down' by RJA before we launched into some more tracks from our last two albums.

When our set was finished we all met up in the VIP balcony and had our meet and greet with Maximo's friends, then we all sat off to the side to vote on Rorie joining even though we all knew I was going to get what I want anyway. Eventually everyone parted ways for the evening. I decided I needed another drink so I bid Max good evening and headed down to the bar.

"another Shae Special, please." I signaled Juniper, the new girl I hired the week before. She was ready with it before I got the whole request out. I was beginning to wonder if she was gifted. So many of the humans that worked on the Rez' were. Either that or she was going for employee of the month. Either way, she was tolerable, for a ginger. She just needed to cut back on the patchouli. She wore it every day.

Just then we noticed a commotion on the floor. I made my way through the crowd to see what was going on only to find a group of people in black silk suits with various weapons on their persons were attempting to apprehend Rorie. I asked what the problem was only to be ignored by three of the agents. The fourth finally acknowledged that I was there, let alone speaking. She informed me that my friend was being detained to assess her involvement in an incident that took place in Los Angeles that endangered the veil and then they loaded my friend into the back of a blacked out Chevy Tahoe with orange lights, and peeled out of the parking lot.

"Just fabulous." I said to myself. I really was not wanting to have to call Max and ask for any favors, but she was being taken to a containment facility at Haven & Locke. Their Special Ops team was a bit intimidating and I was not in the mood to mess with them tonight.

Maximo Esposito had such a presence. There definitely was no denying his rank in this area. He ran the majority of Central Indiana. His official title was Prince. Some called him Master, or even Lord. Me, I just called him Max. We had a strange relationship. He was not my Sire, but I looked to him like he was. I had a bond with Max, even though Xander was my true Sire, but he had abandoned me long ago when I chose to study the arts. And thus, I was cast out of his home and left to wander on my own like a Caitiff. I had no official House. I believe Xander was Ventrue, like Max. Max had known me since before my embrace and we were lovers for a while and on and off since then. The result of that being the bond we share now. When Xander abandoned me, Maximo took me under his wing and introduced me to friends of his. I think they looked at me as sort of a pet at first, but I learned anything they were willing to teach me. I was fortunate enough to have access to a wide range of mentors, so I was able to learn everything from fighting to magic to performing arts. I used to joke about starting my own House, but instead I decided to just embrace the eclectic hodge podge that was my unlife and follow my own ever looping, twisting, turning path.

That September, my path had me getting ready to ask Max for a huge favor. I sent Max a message asking to contact somebody back at Haven & Locke and tell them not to take Rorie to the lab. I knew they were always looking for new 'volunteers' for their 'clinical trials'. I just wanted her safe until I could figure out what was going on and get her out of there. I was about to put my phone back into my pocket when suddenly it started ringing. I looked at the screen and saw a picture of Max.

"Yes?" I said hopefully.

"Let me get this strait, dear. You introduce me to your friend who mysteriously showed up in town tonight with no warning. Ask me if she can stay a while, and give her a spot in your band. Then a couple hours later, she is arrested by The Order, and is now being held at Haven & Locke. And you want me to step in and get her out?" He asked in a rather authoritative manner.

"well, when you put it that way, I guess it does sound a bit outlandish, but yes, that is what I'm asking…" I heard a slow intake of breath over the line

"you do realize, Shae, that you are one of the few 'people' I know with a big enough set to ask something like this of me with a straight face and actually have a chance of getting what you seek…"

"yes, I know. And I may be taking advantage of your generosity a little, but if you can help me out on this one, I can owe you a favor… you can call in any time."

"Watch what you say, small one, I just may call you on that." He chuckled.

After a few more minutes on the phone, he agreed to help, but told me it would take a few days. He promised she would be safe and under the watchful eye of one of his people inside until then.

Having made sure my friend was taken care of, I decided to check in with the manager to be sure all was well with the club, did some paperwork, bid farewell, and head back to my place. It had been one hell of a night. I climbed back into my Thing, and headed down Broadripple Ave and made a right on College. I was 2 minutes from my house.

I woke early in the evening. It had been a few days since my friend Rorie had been taken to Haven & Locke and I had scheduled a phone meeting with Elliotte, her lawyer, to get a full update on the situation. So far all I knew was that she had met with Mr. Price a couple times, and that she got my care package and was doing well. This was not enough information for me. I was definitely not satisfied.

I stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen and popped a bag of blood into the water I had boiling and turned off the heat so the blood would not over cook, and then poured it into my favorite mug. "Ah, breakfast of champions" I said to myself as I downed the thick warm liquid and realized that was not what I wanted tonight. Then I made my way back upstairs to make myself ready for the night. (ready meaning big jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie)

I made my way outside just as the sun sank beneath the horizon, walked over to lean against my Thing and pulled my phone out to stare at it. (as if that would make it ring faster) I waited a few minutes and then decided to head to the club and work on some paper work that had been piling up on my desk. I hopped into the VW and pulled out onto Sanguine Alley and then made a right onto College, a left on Broad Ripple Ave, and finally a right onto Guilford. It was a very short drive, but I liked my office being so close to my home.

I pulled into my spot at the front of the parking lot on Dead Horse Dr. and slid out of my car. I looked around and saw 'people' everywhere. The village seemed to be busy, which was ok with me. I took a closer look and saw a wide variety of creatures out and about. There were Fae, Elves, Kindred, Lupines, Halflings, Witches, Mages, good old fashion Shifters, and even some Kine. There was definitely an eclectic mix in the Rez' tonight. As I looked around I wondered just how many of those humans knew what was around them. I was betting not very many, although, most of the humans who hang around this area after dark tend to be able to accept and suspect most anything. Granted, there are always the ones who just want to be around us 'Others' because it makes them feel special, but they are usually pretty easy to spot. Then there are the ones who are trying to rebel against human society. Sometimes they are ok, sometimes they are just crazy. The crazy ones are easy to deal with though, just a little 'glamour' and they can be sent away with no recollection of what they were doing. I couldn't wait to see who came into my club that night.

I unlocked the door and walked in to find the lights were already on and my new bartender, Juniper, had the place almost ready to open the doors.

"you're here a little early…" I said to her, waiting for an explanation.

"got into a fight with an asshole at the tat shop, so I'm suspended for a week. Didn't think you would mind if I came in early to do some cleaning. I didn't clock in, I just needed to blow off some steam." she explained as she handed me a warm blood. I decided that was it, I had to know what her gift was.

"I have to ask…. " I said.

"yes, I see, I read, I communicate, and if the price is right, I can be at your beck and call any time, anywhere." she laughed as she said all this.

"I knew it. You give off a signature that is not quite human, but not quite Other, either…"

"my mom was human… as for the other half, I have no idea"

" that makes sense… if you are serious, you let me know what kind of salary you need to be able to quit the tattoo shop and we can negotiate…"

And then I was on my way to my office, which was upstairs and overlooked the whole club. I opened the door and looked at my desk. It was covered. I decided I needed an assistant to handle the little stuff that way I could focus more on the important things. After I made that decision I skimmed through the mail, saw that there was nothing important and turned to walk out. And ran right into Max. "oh hell" I said. "don't sneak up on me like that."

"if I didn't know better I might think you were trying to hide something," He said "but I know better and so do you… right?"

I gave a short bow of respect and invited him to have a dink with me. Max accepted and we headed down the stairs to sit at the bar. This seemed like a good time to test Juniper's skills. I was very lucky that he was not a reader himself. Not that I would ever dream of deceiving Max, it just seemed like a good opportunity to test her.

We sat down at the bar and Juniper refreshed my usual, took a minute to look at Maximo, and handed him a tall glass of A positive. He looked at me and smiled.

"So, you finally got a reader working for you, it's about time. What are you doing wasting her skills behind the bar?" he asked me. I responded with "actually, this is her audition… and I think she just passed." I turned to look at the freckle faced redhead, "if you are interested, we can talk numbers and benefits after close tonight"

"hey, if the terms are right, I am all yours." She said. "I would rather work for you than Haven & Locke, that's for sure!"

I gave her a questioning look after that last statement, but she had already moved on to a phone call. I tuned my hearing a little to eavesdrop, and learned she was quitting her position at Metamorphosis. I did a little happy dance in my head. Juniper and Max both looked at me and smiled. I kept forgetting that our bond allowed him to read my thoughts and feelings. This realization caused me to be a little embarrassed, but that passed quickly. Max looked at the redhead and then at me and asked the obvious question. "what I want to know is will you allow me to borrow her services from time to time?" At this request I looked at her waiting for an answer. While I am her Mistress, I will not force her into servitude. I want her happy and compliant.

"if Miss Shae doesn't mind, I'm good with it."

"It's all set then, but Max, please keep this quiet… I don't want to have to kill anyone for kidnapping one of my retinue."

Max asked if I had gotten an update on the whole Rorie situation yet and I had to tell him that I had not. Luckily he decided to fill me in. over the next few hours I learned that she was basically in a posh holding cell made for politicians and celebrities. And that she had been given the best treatment, but it looked like she was actually going to have to stand trial for endangering The Veil. (most of the human population had no clue about all of us and didn't really want one.) after hearing this, I was glad that the tour was over and GBG was taking break so everyone could get some R&R. It was a selfish thought, but I didn't need any extra drama for or from the band. And it seemed that this trial may bring some.

"Elliotte is going to represent her for the whole trial?" I asked.

"yes, those were his instructions, now lets hope he is a good little boy and follows them."

"ok, well I guess I have taken up enough of your time, I will let you get to your business." Max said and got up to head toward the door.

" thank you for coming to see me and put my mind at ease. I really do appreciate it. Is there any tribute I can offer to show my gratitude? Or are you going to surprise me when you come up with something good?" I asked. It was always a good idea to offer tribute to your ruling parties. They being the ones who determine just how easy life was in a particular area for a particular 'person'.

"oh, don't worry, small one, I will definitely let you know." He said, and with that, he gave me and Juniper a quick nod and was out the door.

I looked at the clock and realized it was time for the rest of the crew to arrive and open the doors and then realized I was still in jeans and a hoodie. This would not do, so I ran up to my office and rushing right past my over piled desk, I went to the back door and opened it. On the other side was my private chambers there at the club which included a shower, vanity, sleeping area and a full closet. I couldn't have my customers see someone in the club dressed in jeans and sweats, especially not me. I pulled out a dark red flowing shirt that had been shredded and had black straps and buckles all over it, and a black skirt that looked like it was made from layers of shredded lace, and some knee high, black, leather, strappy boots. I was really into the goth stereotype sometimes. I threw on some smokey eyes, shimmer, and plum colored lipstick, stood back, looked at myself, and said "Yeah, I'd do me…" then emerged from my office to inspect the crew's appearance for the evening.

For the first time in weeks, I didn't have to send anyone home to change clothes. All were dressed to kill, so to speak. My employees were supposed to look hot, flirt, appear available, and make sure everyone wants to come back. I had 50 employees at this location alone, between the door, the bar, the dancers, the DJ, B Lac Thie, and the attendants. It was not my only business, but it was my favorite and it was the one where I had my office. I also had rooms for rent on the lower levels for visitors who get caught by the sunrise or other complications.

Ten O'clock rolled around and the doors opened. The flood of bodies through the door actually surprised me. There was a line of about 50 or so waiting to get in. It was a good opening crowd, B Lac started things off with some Disturbed, a little Evanescence, KoRn, Zombie, and then threw me off by playing some Dropkick Murpheys. I could tell it was going to be a good night. Since there was no band tonight, there was a big screen on the stage showing clips from different ' Monster' films and various music videos. It was synced with smaller screens all over the club. I thought it was a nice touch, given our main clientele. After doing a round of the place to say hello to guests and see who was there that was noteworthy, I noticed that Max had returned. I gave him the V.I.P. loft again for himself and his party. (What the Prince wants the Prince gets.) He also got his own server so that he didn't have to wait.

There is one table at the club that is always reserved for me, and that is where I sat with my mountain of mail and paperwork. In front of me was a stack of junk mail, time cards, contracts to go over from my record label, invoices, stock requests to consider, and much more. I motioned Juniper to come over and decided that was the best place to start. So I handed her a note pad and told her to write down what she wanted and I just sat there and waited quietly. When she was done she handed it back and all it said was 1500.00 a week, insurance, and a business credit card. I obviously thought that was more than satisfactory, but just to have fun I added one of my rental properties, and 500 more a week. Employees like this should be kept happy, and she quit her other job before she even knew my offer, that was loyalty. I wanted her to stay around. She looked at my suggestion, smiled, and just stuck her hand out for a key and address. I shook my head and laughed. Then I gave her a 'welcome' packet. It had in it a Hole in The Wall credit card, note card with an address of a small but nice house, and a set of keys. I then indicated that she should formally make a request of Max to live 'on the Rez' and sent her up to the loft. One thing done.

Next, I grabbed the time cards and went over them matching them with the printout I had from the computer. I was almost done when I smelled someone absolutely delicious standing close to me. I looked up to see a tall, dark haired, grey eyed, man. He reminded me of an incarnation of Dionysus, and he smelled amazing. I could feel my fangs coming out. I smiled at him and asked if there was anything I could do to him. He laughed. Then he sat down at my table and said he was looking for a girl named Heather. And wanted to know if I had seen her. He showed me a picture and the first thing I said was

"and your interest would be…?" I hated it people came through looking for random person 'A' who broke their heart or stole their widget or some such nonsense. Of course I had seen her so I asked if we could negotiate a trade. I give him a clue and he gives me a taste. Much to my surprise, he agreed. Right about that time Juniper came back to the table and just stopped and looked at mister tall and tasty. Then she looked at me nodded, smiled, and walked away. I stood up and asked his name.

" Michael, Miss, Michael Skillington" He said.

"well Mr. Skillington, follow me…" I said as I took his hand and led him up to my office, which was cleaned up now thanks to Ginger, the 'house keeper'. I led him over to my desk and leaned over it pulling up a file I had stored on it. I kept a log of every one I met and added to each file as I learned more about the subject. This Heather person had no last name listed and her species had not been updated yet, but she was one of a set of triplets and I had last seen her about two weeks prior. She was in my club with some elf. Michael seemed happy with the sighting info and said that I had confirmed some other things he had heard. The next thing I knew I was in his arms and he was guiding me over to my couch. His lips tasted like strawberries and were warm. His tongue was just as warm and tasty. Before I knew it, I found myself allowing him to undress me and getting intimate. When I could wait no longer, I sank my teeth into a beautiful climax. He tasted better than he smelled. I had to control myself so as not to take too much. Afterward, I made sure to give a healing lick so he didn't walk out with marks on his neck. Before he walked out my door, he turned, took my hand, kissed the back of it, and looked me in my eyes saying

"it was an honor to make your acquaintance Miss Shae and I hope to call on you again in the near future." and walked out my door. I hardly knew what to do with myself. I put myself back together and went back downstairs still in a bit of a daze.

"damn, I still have to finish payroll" I muttered to myself.

Lucky for me, the rest of my paperwork only took about two hours, so I had the rest of the evening to myself. I spent quite a bit of it thinking about my new chew toy, and wondering when I might see him for another play date. When I was done with that, I began making rounds of the club making sure that the sanctuary spells were intact and checking on my guests. Once I was sure all was well, I passed the reins to Juniper and decided to try to visit Rorie.

I grabbed my keys, and bag and headed for the village. I stopped at a few of the shops and grabbed what I thought would be needed things and packed up another care package of food, clothing, music, some more books, and a 'thinking of you' card. I packed it all into another giant silvery reflective bag with tissue on the top and made it look all pretty and silver. I loved having a Were for a friend. Let alone one who appreciated the joke. I just didn't want her to think I had forgotten her. For someone who, for the most part, doesn't like people I was very worried that she would think I had overlooked her. I headed to the house first so I could grab some cash and stopped right in front of my driveway. There was my friend sitting on my porch. I was out of the car and on her at vampire speed with a hug. Then I paused stepped back and looked at her…

"what are you doing out? I was just about to go see you." I held up the bag so she could see it.

"I am out for now as long as I show up for the trial. It looks like the trial is just going to be a formality. Elliotte said the video was on a phone, grainy, and looked fake. I should be ok, but I am to report to Maximo for instructions. After the Trial it will be up to him if I am allowed to stay or not. I am hoping to be able to stay in the area for at least a couple months."

"well, ok then…" was all I could come up went inside and got her settled into the spare bedroom and the first thing she did was take a bath. I walked into the room and asked if she planned on staying with me while she was here, because if she did, then I was going to put off hiring a new day person. She said she would handle the day to day stuff around the house while she was here. That sounded like a workable plan for now. I told her I would put the paperwork in and we would discuss pay tomorrow evening but left her some cash for the time being. I bid her goodnight and headed out the door for some fun. Somewhere in this city there was mischief to be had and I wanted in on it, so I headed toward downtown Indianapolis.

Things were quiet for the next couple weeks. Rorie had gone on a couple dates with Mr. Price and things seemed to be going well between them. Rorie was an exceptional Day attendant. She handled everything and even anticipated some things I hadn't. She and Juniper were collaborating to take care of business for me through the day. It was a nice change for me.

I sat at the desk in my office at home and began looking over the many things the girls had laid out for my approval. Most important to me were the invitations for the Samhain celebration I was hosting at my club. I looked at the options before me and decided to go with one that was a nice combination of traditional harvest theme and beautiful gothic. It was on thick, hand made, dark red stock, with cornucopias embossed one the bottom, fall leaves embossed along the top, and in darkest brown, gothic writing it read

Mistress Shae McDougal

Requests your presence at

Her 33rd annual

Samhain Festival

Held at 'The Hole In The Wall'

Dress is Formal

Masks are optional

RSVP

I made my necessary notes and set that aside. Next on my list was payroll. I was so glad I had finally linked my offices with my home. This made it so much easier. After about an hour of thinking I paid some of my employees way too much, I was finally done. Once I finally got to the bottom of the stack I saw a cream colored envelope with a dark red seal on it and no return address. Cautiously I opened the envelope.

"Oh my Goddess…" I gasped.

It was a note from my Sire, Alexander.

My Dearest Shae,

Long have I watched you from afar, only intervening when absolutely necessary. I have come to the conclusion I can stay away no longer. I know you think I abandoned you, but I promise I did not. I have always known where you are and what is going on in your world. I have to say I am not happy to see you running around with that wolf again, but you are your own woman and will do what you please no matter what. I am pleased that Max has also kept an eye on you. He is a good friend.

I will be visiting your club on Guilford this evening at midnight. Please be there. I will find you. I am not sure that you will recognize me.

Love,

Your Sire

Alexander Odin Aesir

I looked up at the clock on my wall, it was only 9:30. I still had time. Rorie was out on a date again this evening so she would not be back until at least three or four in the morning. I would have the place to myself. I checked the other guest room to make sure it was company ready just in case. It was. I ran into my room, stripped, jumped in the shower and scrubbed and rinsed. So much for being able to work in my pajamas tonight. After my shower, I threw on a pair of black, pinstriped, straight legged slacks, and a red short sleeved button up dress shirt with tiny black skulls all over it and a fitted vest that matched my slacks. I then looked at my shoes to see what I would wear and decided to go with my old stand by, my black chunky healed boots. After all that I looked in the mirror and fixed my eye and lip make up, and after trying several styles, decided to leave my streaked hair in a braid hanging down my back.

Again I looked at the clock. This time it said 10:48. I grabbed my bag and keys and headed out the door. I was so uneasy and surprised by the whole situation I didn't know what to think. I hopped into my yellow VW Thing and headed down College Ave. to Broad Ripple Ave. and then turned on Guilford and pulled up to the club. There was a line down the sidewalk of humans waiting to get in. All I could think was that they had my money in their pockets and they needed give it up.

"please don't let there be any trouble tonight…" I said to Luna as I walked to the door and greeted Christopher and Juniper.

She was ready for me and handed me my drink right away. She walked with me to my booth and sat down looking at me. She waited until I had finished my first drink and motioned for another before asking if I wanted to talk about it.

"not yet" I said. "just promise me that you will take care of things for me if need be"

She looked at me with a sad expression and told me it would be alright and that she would keep the peace tonight so I didn't have to worry about it.

"thank you" I said.

She then looked at her watch and said it was time for her to go but she would be around if I needed her.

Not 5 minutes after she got up a tall blonde man came over and asked if the seat was taken. I told him it was free for about two minutes and then it would be occupied. Then the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen winked at me and said "it already is my Childe." as he sat down. Oh Hell, I thought.

I sat there and took a big swig from my O-neg. looking at the striking man sitting across from me. I signaled for Juniper to come over, and she immediately appeared by our table.

"this is my assistant, Juniper." She bowed low and waited for him to acknowledge her.

" Juniper, my name is Alexander, I am your Mistress' Sire." He said as he eyed the small redhead.

"You will call him Master and inform everyone else of the same. Understood?" I explained.

"Yes Mistress." she replied. I was glad she picked up on the need for more formal etiquette while he is here. She then turned to him and asked

"Master, do you require anything? I can have Lafayette mix you up something, or I can find you a donor if you like." She waited for a response, head slightly bowed, eyes down. She was magnificent.

"I will take a donor if you have one."

"Right away Master. I will send one up to VIP to wait for you. Any specific requests?"

"Find him something with a little Fae in it." I instructed.

She looked at me and sent the question to my head, 'shall I offer myself? Will he need much?' I gave her a reassuring nod and thought, hoping she would read it, 'if you are comfortable with it, you should be fine, he is old and won't need much. I would even be willing to offer a bonus if you so choose.' Juniper looked at me and then looked at my Sire and offered her hand saying,

"Master, if you like, I will escort you up to VIP myself."

He looked from her to me and back, and with raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face he took her hand and bade me follow. So just like that we were all on our way up to the privacy of my own VIP loft.

When we got up there I sat down on a chaise and signaled for another drink, while Xander pulled Juniper onto his lap and whispered something reassuring in her ear. She blushed and informed him that she could not be glamoured and he once again raised an eyebrow looking from me to her. After that it appeared that he was going to use her arousal to soften the bite. My second in command did not seem to mind. I excused myself for a moment to give her some privacy and see if that was actually Mr. Skillington down there on the floor.

Almost as if he knew I was staring at him, he turned around and looked right at me. I motioned for him to come up and in what seemed like seconds, he was there. My own incarnation of Dionysus. I took his hand and led him over to my chaise and sat down, he was instantly on me. Just his smell and smoldering eyes were enough to triggered a reaction as I felt my fangs run down. And then he reached out and slipped his fingers into my hair while cradling my neck in his palm. He slowly kissed his way down my throat to the base of my neck while his other hand was unbuttoning my blouse. His kisses extended down to my chest as he slid my bra to the side and cupped my breast in his hand. I felt his tongue tracing the curve of my breast and circling around to my nipple. His teeth gently teased while his other hand slid and caressed its way down the other side of my body. It was all I could do to just hold on to him. My hands were feverishly trying to remove his shirt without tearing it. His shirt open and hanging at his sides I began kissing, nibbling, and licking every part of him I can get a hold of. He pushed me back on the chaise and settled his gorgeous form on top of me. I could feel his arousal as he was grinding his hips against mine. Then he backed off just a little and I could feel his warm hand unbuttoning my slacks and slipping its way into my undergarments. I could not suppress the moan of enjoyment that escaped my lips. Immediately after the sound was released, his lips claimed mine in a soft but demanding kiss. At the same time his fingers found their way into my core while his thumb circled my sensitive little nub. His other hand left my breast and embraced my neck and hair. Unwilling to wait any longer, I moved my hand down to help him out of his black silk slacks. I slipped out of his grasp and removed his pants and my clothing at vampire speed. I climbed on top of his body, straddling his hips and working him with my hand. His hand returned to my nub as I lifted myself up just enough to slide myself onto his hardened length. We moaned together as I felt his other hand rest on my hip. I slowly moved up and down and back and forth. Our speed increases as tension builds and just as he is about to release I sank my fangs into his neck and found my release as I took those first couple pulls from his wound. He was magnificent.

I had completely forgotten that my Sire and assistant were just on the other side of the curtain. I could tell they have been done for a little while and had just been listening to us. Oops. I hurriedly dressed and fixed myself while Michael did the same. Just as I was adjusting my vest I saw the curtain move and I heard a roar of laughter escape my Master's lips as he pushed the curtain all the way back. I stand there with my head down looking at the floor. I was too embarrassed to look up at him. Yes, up at him. He has got to be at least 6 feet tall, maybe more. I heard him walk over to me and I felt his hand lift my chin so I was looking into his eyes.

"Do not be embarrassed little one, you are the Master of this house, I did not come here to subjugate you, I came to befriend you and see if we can work together. I did not abandon you, I set you free and watched from a close distance in case you needed help. You did not. You are a free spirit and always have been, that is what I love about you. So many times I have wanted to present myself to you but I was afraid you were not ready to receive me. We have too many overlapping contacts and associates now, I could not wait any longer. We both owe fealty to the same Prince and I hope to earn your fealty as well." And then he just stood there looking at me.

" I…. I … I need to go home. Are you coming with me?"

"I will meet you there, I must make sure Miss Potts here makes it to her home ok." he replied. I then turned to look at Mr. Skillington. I opened my mouth to ask if I will see him again and he held his hand up to silence me, saying

"I must be going my love, it was a pleasure as always." he took my hand in his and kissed it, giving me goose bumps, and whispered,

"until next we meet…" and then he was gone. He didn't walk away, he was just gone.

I made sure all was well at the club and grabbed my bag and headed out to my car. There was that blonde man again, just standing there leaning against it, shaking his head.

"what?" I asked.

"all the wealth you have amassed and you drive this."

"what would you have me drive? I like Volkswagens and this is one of my favorites. It has been fully restored and tweaked. Would you like to give it a run?" I threw him my keys. We climbed in and after many detours, we arrived at my house.

"it is misleading" he says.

"it's called a sleeper" I reply. "it looks old and stock, but it is actually quite the bad little car!"

"it suits you" was all he said.

I opened the door and invited him in, giving him the grand tour and asking him not to wake my room mate. He asks why I would keep such company and I explain

"she is a loyal friend and she is my Daytime Manager. She works hand in hand with Juniper to take care of what ever I need them to handle."

I show him to the other guest room and tell him it is his to use if he chooses. I show him how thick and heavy the curtains are and how well they block the sun.

We sit in my bedroom and talk all night. I mix him one of my favorite drinks and he graciously accepts it. After a swirl and a sip, he seems to like it. We lose track of time and end up both sleeping in my room for the day.