Still damn hot here but I'll hold on. Here's the next chapter. It was so great again to read your reviews. Love that so much and at hot times like this it really helps to still sit down in front of the PC and go on writing. Not that easy at the moment… But I'll try to keep this pace and post the next chapter at Sunday again as I promised. See you then, Jenna

Translated by: Jenna

Beta read by: SG6169

Masquerade

"We are not the masks we wear… But if we have to do it for too long, won't we become like them?"

Aya Yven, (*1986)

To read emotions from the face or the posture of a vampire was usually a difficult task, for the low blood pressure and extreme control over their bodily functions allowed them to stay in most situations expressionless and unemotional - at least until the moment of transformation. However, very young vampires were not really able to control their bodies to this degree and in some excited situations almost slipped back into their previous human behavior patterns again.

Jason was so shocked by my appearance in his small, glass-enclosed private office above the dance floor of his club, that he, as I stepped through the door, not only noticeably lost color, but also transformed at once out of sheer fright. I knew it was a defensive hiss that caught in his throat, as I walked towards him with an appreciatively cool smile on my face, effortlessly pushing his bodyguard out of the way, who hesitantly tried to block me.

"Jo... Josef," Jason stammered freeing himself from the half-naked blonde who still clung to his neck, not willing to part with him now. The young girl looked at me coquettishly before lasciviously settling down on the couch behind her, pulling her extremely tight fitting top up just enough to cover the nipples of her ample breasts so I was no longer distracted by her.

Jason's eyes grew dark again and I noticed how he breathed in quickly, struggling to regain his composure. "Have you..."

"... tried to make an appointment with you?" I asked especially friendly, as I could see how he tried to turn back with great difficulty. At the same I focused my senses on what would usually remained hidden from normal people: The atmosphere in the room, the behavior of the other attendants, the signs Jason's tense body gave off. It was good that I was here, especially today. Something peculiar was going on. Jason was hiding something and I was sure that these three people before me, had just, a few minutes earlier, talked about something they hadn't wanted me to overhear. Even vampires could sometimes behave overly conspicuous. The look Jason gave his bodyguard was brief, but I knew immediately what it meant, and turned quickly to the large, dark-skinned man who was about to move towards the door.

"Oh, please, it would be so nice if the door remained closed first of all and that no one leaves," I said quietly and let my eyes flash bright. "This might confuse my friends out there a little..."

The man stopped and looked at Jason with a questioning expression. The young vampire had no other choice but to give him a nod, for he knew just how powerful the vampires behind me were.

"Then... have a seat," he suggested with a slightly husky voice, pointing to the cozy seating area he was standing in front of. It didn't escape me that his eyes flew briefly to the clock next to me, before he himself settled on one of the soft, pale leather armchairs.

I sent the bodyguard a requesting gesture and the man obeyed with a pinched expression, sat down beside the Blonde who was eyeing me up noticeably. I took the other armchair, and turned immediately to Jason. The plan had been in reality to make this all seem like a nice surprise visit just to exchange information, but somehow the urge to get down to business had struck me this evening.

"How's business, Jason," I asked kindly and the addressed one tried to smile back just as friendly.

"One gets by," he replied evasively. "In these hard times it can be pretty difficult. I sometimes wonder how you manage it. After all, you have so many other things to take care of..."

"I have some very trust-worthy and capable employees who keep my business running smoothly when I'm otherwise tied up," I said calmly and leaned back a little in my very comfortable chair. Again I caught Jason sliding a quick glance at the clock. It was only one breath, but I was sure I saw something like worry flash in his dark eyes. It seemed as though someone had an urgent appointment that I was not supposed to know about. Very interesting...

"Why are you here exactly?" Jason came right to the point. "I wouldn't think it was just to have a little chat with me. Do you need my help with something... or money?"

"No, no," I said and tilted my head slightly, eyeing him up noticeably. Let's see just how nervous I could still make the man.

Jason waited, looked at me tense, but no further words slipped from my lips. Confusion was shown on his boyish features.

"Well… what then?"

I smiled and took another minute to look at him at length. I watched as his Adam's apple move up and down, his eyes wandered again to the clock and he ran his tongue a little erratically over his rosy lips.

"Josef?"

"There are some ugly rumors..." I brought out with a serious expression and said nothing more again. I could feel just how much my vague statement tormented him.

"Rumors about me?" He acted surprised, raised his eyebrows and pressed his hand in an exaggerated gesture against his chest. What an amateur performance!

"What do you think?" I replied with a false smile.

Jason acted as if he needed a minute to think about it. He knitted his brows thoughtfully and avoided my gaze by looking at his blonde girlfriend, who plucked absent mindedly, at the thin strap of her glittering shirt, while she thoroughly inspected her well-formed breasts. She didn't seem to be all that concerned with her boyfriend's misery.

"Well, I'm rich and successful. I'm sure there are plenty of envious people in the world who might want to put one rumor or another in circulation...," Jason evaded me again somewhat helpless. "What exactly am I accused of?"

"Oh..." I took a deep breath taking my time by looking around the room. Walls covered with crimson silk - the retro look was probably extremely popular with the young rich people again. "...this and that... your decadent lifestyle, cowardice, sprawling selfishness... ah, yes..." My eyes flew back to him and bored into his. "... and cooperation with the enemy."

There it was, the twitch in his eyes I had been waiting for. And yet, it still shocked me, for it told me that we had in some way been right about our assumption. Either Jason himself was involved in the transactions with the Legion or knew the person who had betrayed the community in such a threatening manner, and was an accomplice, so to speak. Of course he tried to act as if my words had not bothered him to any great extent - he could not have known that it was already too late to do so. Not only had he betrayed himself, but also his two friends, who all of a sudden looked at me a little more carefully.

He laughed artificially. "That's not only stupid, it's outrageous! Why should I cooperate with the Legion? That would be downright suicidal! Quite apart from the fact that this organization would never do business with vampires."

"What was it a wise man once said?" I replied, smiling, and leaned forward slightly toward him. "Two wrongs don't make a right. It may be because you're still too young to know about these things Jason, but the common history of the vampires and the Legion is full of treachery and deceit, of dishonesty and selfishness. Vampires may belong to a species which could in reality have an edge over the human race but the problem is that they don't usually change their character after being turned and therefore have the same mental weaknesses as humans do: Greed, selfishness, cowardice and so on..."

I let him know with one single glance that in my opinion these attributes fit his character perfectly. "It's happened over and over again that in critical situations, vampires, as well humans, have changed sides in order to save their own necks, or - even worse – tried to make a profit out of the whole affair. For example by selling things to the Legion, they urgently need - no matter what damage this trade may cause the Vampire community... "

Jason Adam's apple began to move once again and the fear in his eyes was almost impossible to ignore.

"What you might not be aware of is that these traitors have always been caught and have, for their unscrupulous trade, received their fair punishment." I shook my head sadly and pretended to look at Jason with compassion. "A distressed community of vampires can be so cruel... All the aggression and the uncontrollable rage... Death sometimes takes awhile..."

Yes, there they were, the first drops of sweat on Jason's forehead. The fear began to leave marks on his body, seemed to affect him now almost like a human. Young, weak vampires were still so easy to see through...

"However, some, have been smart enough to make an about-face in time to help, by providing information, to catch the real perpetrators of the crimes against the community," I added seriously, and the long break I took between my words affected him even more. So it wasn't I, who broke the silence between us again, but Jason's small cough.

"Let... let's just say I know one or two vampires who have done business with the Legion," it slipped very quietly from his lips. "Let's say, I might be able to lead you to these people... would that be sufficient to... to take the burden of these false accusations from my shoulders?"

I looked at him for a moment with a thoughtful frown. Actually, I had him right where I wanted him. I just found it incredibly hard to believe that I had actually achieved my aim so quickly. "It all depends on whether we can do anything with the name provided," I replied.

Jason nodded overzealously, and cleared his throat again. "Cynthia Xavier Davis."

The club was one of the most elegant Beth had ever set a foot in, in her life; it was huge, ornate and expensive, both in the architecture and interior design. And it was incredibly well attended. The queue outside the entrance had been surprisingly long. Beth and Simone had, only to quickly, been admitted into the nightclub mainly because of their revealing, but still expensive-looking clothes, as well as the special ID cards they showed, which had left the ogling doormen, stepping aside so fast, that one of them nearly knocked over the barrier.

The round, fully mirrored tunnel, through which they entered, led directly to a large platform with a cloakroom, overlooking the large dance floor, on which already many sweaty bodies were dancing to the rhythm of the booming beats of the powerful sound system. The dance floor was framed by a long bar and several sitting areas, separated by foliage and stone walls, which were equipped with plush sofas, chairs and glass tables. The light there was, in contrast to the bright flashing lights of the dance floor, subdued and most of the couples who came there quickly moved much closer to each other.

Beth, however, wasn't interested in all of that. She had only approached the railing to allow her gaze to wander searchingly around the room, while Simone brought their jackets to the cloakroom. Beth's hand clutched the strap of her bag nervously, as her eyes slid restlessly over the many faces below and her heart was again pounding almost painfully against her ribs. As far as she knew, Mick and Josef were already here, but she wasn't sure whether Mick was in the private room in the VIP area of the club, opposite to where she stood, or if he was looking for suspicious persons somewhere in the middle of the crowd of visitors. Unfortunately, the windows of the posh rooms were mirrored and she was unable to see what was going on inside.

"And...?" Simone's gentle voice close to her caused Beth to wince slightly. "Have you located your sweetheart yet?"

The young lawyer gave her a coy smile and raised her eyebrows a bit.

"No," Beth replied with slight resignation in her voice. "It's just too crowded and dark in here." She sighed and turned back to the dance floor.

"What about the bar?" Simone suggested and now also stepped up to the balustrade. "Surely he wouldn't be in the middle of that madness..."

Beth didn't respond to her friend's question. She was frozen in place and her heart suddenly stopped its work for a moment, only to restart in record time. 'Bar' had been an excellent suggestion. A tall, dark-haired, incredibly attractive man leaned on the counter there and watched, from a safe distance, the lively bustle of the other patrons. Beth recognized him right away. His figure, his posture, and the way he now and then sipped at his drink and let his eyes wander...

She could feel her mouth go totally dry, and her legs became wobbly. Good Lord, this was really ridiculous! That was Mick, her Mick, her friend and soul mate, the man she loved... Oh, God, it really was Mick!

"So, what are you waiting for?" She only vaguely perceived Simone's voice but wasn't able to tear her eyes away from Mick's face long enough to turn to her. Instead, she just nodded and automatically set into motion, walked down the stairs with her wobbly legs and prayed to God that she didn't stumble in these high-heels and break her neck in her love frenzy. She was relieved when she finally reached the solid ground of the lower floor, even when the throng of people robbed her of the opportunity to target her sights on Mick. Surrounded by the chaos, she could only see the neon sign above the stately bar, which she now headed for slowly. She felt the other men's interested gazes, who again and again let their eyes roam eagerly over her body, gaining with each step she took, more and more confidence.

'You're Amber Patricia Rudwell,' she told herself inwardly. 'You're here to catch the hottest guy in the club and as always, you will get what you want.'

A tall blond man, she was trying to push past, touched her arm with a long-drawn out "Heeeey…" and beamed at her. "Where ya headin to in such a hurry?"

Beth smiled back, but moved on in the direction of the bar. "At least, not into your arms," she replied with a slightly smoky voice and turned away from him. She knew he would follow her, like the other dark-haired guy, who grinned broadly at her when she was forced by the crowd into unwanted physical contact with him just to be able to move forward. The interest of the male population was flattering – though, for the most part, it was probably due to her choice of clothes and the promises, one could easily associate with them concerning the rest of the evening - but that would not diminish her excitement and the tension. She was accustomed to men's interest in her, for with her feminine curves, she fell into the predatory patterns of many men. But, what she would probably never get used to was the emotional storm that overcame her each time she met Mick after a long separation.

The bar was now within reach. She could see Mick's shape... and another person's! A person with long, slender legs that ended in a very short skirt.

The jealousy surfaced quickly and fiercely, allowing adrenaline to shoot into her bloodstream and anger boil up inside her. She had lost sight of this guy for just one minute and the next moment another woman was hanging in his arms! Well, she wasn't actually hanging in his arms, but only sitting next to him, but for Beth, she was leaning towards him much too close for her comfort and now even touched the forearm he briefly propped himself up on the counter with.

"Did it actually hurt?" Beth heard a deep voice next to her.

"When I fell from heaven?" Beth answered back unnerved and didn't even bother turning around to the next candidate trying to win her favor. Instead, she simply walked on towards Mick, watching like a hawk, as he said something to the admittedly very pretty brunette, and the young woman threw her head back in laughter, again groping his arm. Heat rose in Beth and she unconsciously clenched her hands into fists.

'Stay cool... just stay cool,' she told herself. 'This is quite harmless. He's only trying to be friendly. And he's crazy about you but if he sees you like this...'

There it was, the glance in her direction, as if someone had whispered to him right at that moment to turn around. His gaze was glued to her, roamed with growing admiration over her body, down and up again, and caused every single hair on her skin to stand up. Instantly it was there, lit up in his beautiful eyes, intently looking at her, the desire that she too felt at once, that made her pulse rise even more and sparked a strong urge in her to simply rush to him, to throw herself into his arms and kiss him passionately.

But she held strong and remained composed. She could resist this temptation, these blazing eyes, and this terribly attractive man, who nearly devoured her with his eyes, as she - again all in her role - overcame the small distance between them with swaying hips and a lascivious smile on her lips. The brunette was trying to win back Mick's attention by touching his arm once again, but this didn't bother Beth anymore. She knew she had won even before she had spoken a single word. Mick's glance sank into her deep cleavage as she stopped before him and she took the opportunity to also eye him up now in more detail. His hair had grown noticeably and no longer seemed to be handled as easily as it had been a few weeks ago. A few hairs stood away from his head a little and with difficulty Beth resisted the urge to smooth them down, even though she knew that this was not possible. Curly hair, even in this short state was not easy to handle and besides it gave Mick, along with the stubbles, that natural sex appeal, which she found so irresistible. And he had become so tanned, looked really healthy and relaxed as if he had just arrived from holiday. Her gaze wandered on down, over his broad shoulders, his chest... shirts like these should actually be banned, for the silky fabric clung so temptingly close to his skin and emphasized every muscle hidden beneath it.

Beth lifted her face when she noticed that Mick's eyes had long since returned to her face. His lips - oh, damn, those sensual lips - had lifted into a mischievous smile.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked with a strikingly hoarse voice.

Beth smiled back, in such a seductive manner, that she almost surprised herself. Her eyes wandered down his body provocatively and then found themselves on his face again.

"We'll see," she replied in this smoky tone of voice that really wasn't like her, and pushed past him up to the counter, leaned over and immediately had the attention of the bartender. The fact that she pressed her breast for a moment against the back of Mick's hand was more intent than chance.

"A Sex on the Beach, please," she ordered and pulled back, searching Mick's gaze again. Of course, his eyes rested on her face and the glow that was so clearly evident in them now caused a pleasant warmth in the lower part of her body. She could feel how much he longed to touch her, to pull her close to his body and to kiss her...

"I really like this," she whispered to him, underlining the ambiguity of her remark by another seductive smile. She saw Mick swallow. His eyes wandered to her lips and then down again.

"Uh... excuse me?" she heard an indignant voice behind her and turned around reluctantly. The pretty brunette's brown eyes bored furiously into hers. "We were talking here!"

It was hard to say what upset the woman more, the disruption of their conversation or Mick's obvious interest in Beth.

"Oh..." Beth looked innocently from Mick to the young woman. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you were here together..."

"We're not!" Mick replied at once to Beth's complete satisfaction and she rewarded him with a small smile.

"But we were just about to get to know one another," replied the brunette with a false smile.

"Ma'am..." The bartender made himself felt behind Beth and she turned to him, took the drink with a beaming smile from his hand. To her surprise, he raised his hands as she reached for her bag to get her purse out.

"This is from the man over there," he explained, pointing to the blond guy who had tried to gain her attention earlier and now sat, not too far away from her, at the bar, holding up his drink in a cheer to her. She nodded to him with a coquettish smile, ignoring Mick's disapproving snorting and turned instead to her 'rival'.

"Then I won't bother you two any longer," she said charmingly, turned slightly and looked at Mick with a gaze that could cause the blood of any man to boil. A gaze that could only mean one thing: 'You want me? Then come and get me!'

"Perhaps there may be another time when you'll have the opportunity to help me...," she smiled at him and enjoyed the intensity of the growing sexual tension that was clearly building between them. She decided not to touch him, even if everything in her screamed for her to do it. She knew this was exactly what was needed to further fuel his desire for her. She simply walked away instead, pushing her way through the crowd of people amusing themselves and in doing so, produced this sensual sway with her hips, which brought most men to very indecent thoughts. Her wicked side had awakened and this time without having to resort to a certain drug. Her real mission was almost forgotten. The long separation had taken its toll on her mind and her instincts took control over her actions. 'Seducing Mick' was now the number one objective on her priority list and she was sure she would achieve this goal very quickly. She could sense that he had followed her like a hypnotized rabbit.

Jason's sudden change of mind and the resulting openness not only surprised me it almost knocked me over. For a few heartbeats, I wasn't sure how to respond to his betrayal of his allies and stared at him in disbelief. I shook my head to free my mind from the grip of astonishment.

"You... you know where Cynthia is?" I asked, not nearly as cool as I would have liked.

"Not directly," Jason gave back quickly. "I only know of someone who may know where she is..."

"Henry?"

Jason almost winced and his eyes widened in horror. "Why... why Henry? I haven't mentioned him at all! Henry has nothing to do with this affair, nothing!"

It was hard for me not to laugh. But his facial expression and the excitement that came over him proved him a liar. If he wanted to get away with lying to a Josef Kostan, he'd have to be a little cleverer than that. I slid forward slightly on my seat and propped my elbows on my thighs. Jason's bodyguard also straightened up a little more and looked at me warningly, which didn't bother me in the slightest.

"Listen, Jason," I asked of him gently. "We can solve this whole thing in one of two ways: Either you are lying to me from start to finish and I'll listen to that for a little while before breaking your neck or you cooperate with us and I put in a good word for you with the Council. This means that you'll need to be honest with me and answer all my questions truthfully..."

I watched his eyes fly to the clock on the wall again.

"... and finally you're going to tell me exactly who you're expecting here," I added with a piercing voice and this time Jason in fact winced.

"Expect? I..." He trailed off as he received my threatening gaze.

"So?" I probed and he looked desperately at the ground, as if searching for a hole he could crawl into at the last second.

"Who's arriving here, Jason?" I jostled.

"Henry," he replied very quietly and lifted his eyes, looking at me tormented.

"Surely that's not all!"

"Maybe a few other people," Jason muttered reluctantly and I pricked up my ears. That was indeed not good.

"What people?" I probed immediately. "Other vampires? Cynthia?"

He shook his head and I had a sense of foreboding.

"Legionnaires," I hissed.

No reaction. But that said it all. "A strike force?"

"No, no," Jason exclaimed in a slightly whining tone. "They're always the same, one man with a few bodyguards. All together, there are six of them and they're only coming here to pick something up..."

"Something you're providing them with?" I growled furiously.

"Not me! Cynthia! She brings it to me and I... I just pass it along to them!"

"And I'm sure there's a nice little profit in it for you." I got up and Jason ducked his head, made himself very small in his chair, while his bodyguard jumped up and immediately stepped in front of him. I, however, only reached inside the pocket of my jacket, frowning, pulled out a small device that Max had quietly passed to me earlier during our brief meeting in the club, and pressed one of the buttons.

Jason pushed his gorilla aside, and rose now as well. "Listen, Josef, don't think I've betrayed the vampire community all the time. I stopped these transactions, when the battles started up again. But they came here and threatened me and set a deadline for me to get the stuff for them. I had no other choice, you really have to believe me..."

"When are they coming?" I interrupted him brusquely.

Jason needed a moment to collect himself. "Any moment," he admitted softly.

"Will they walk through the club?"

Jason nodded and I gritted my teeth. Not good. Mick was out there among the guests. He'd already admitted to being somewhat strained and would probably not handle this trial of Jason's so well. If the Legion appeared down there now and Mick recognized any of them... I really didn't want to end that thought.

I felt Max and Kurt near the door and turned to them at exactly the moment they opened it and entered.

Max quickly surmised there was no imminent threat and gave me a questioning look.

"Seems as if this whole task is becoming a real operation," I said. "We need reinforcements as quickly as possible. A few of the Legion's people will be showing up any minute to pick up a package. They'll most likely belong to the part of the Legion that's captured Peterson, so it's incredibly important to take them alive."

Max proved that his mind could work as fast as mine. "What about Mick?" was his next question. "He has to leave and as quickly as possible!"

Max nodded to his friend, who immediately disappeared out of the door and I turned to Jason.

"Is there anything else that we better know about?" I growled at him and he quickly shook his head.

"What about Cynthia? Will she be showing up here too?"

"No, she was here last night."

I had to breathe deeply to push back the wave of hatred that swept over me again. The fact that this woman had still dared to continue contact with the Legion, even though half of the vampire community was after her, was simply outrageous!

"And what does Henry want here?" I brought out pressed.

"He wanted to talk with this man, this Kinley or whatever his name is and ensure that it's the last time he appears here," Jason explained with a shaky voice.

I frowned to show him how much I doubted his statement. Henry was an outright coward. Hard to imagine that he'd show up here as a hero who just wanted to free his fledgling from the iron grip of the enemy. At least that's what Jason seemed to believe because he didn't give me the impression he was lying.

"The stuff the Legion wants - where is it?" I asked sternly.

Jason inhaled resigned and walked toward the small safe that was inset in the only non-glass wall. He turned the combination lock a few times, opened the door and pulled out a small, simple package, which he handed to me without further resistance.

I sat down again in the armchair and felt Max step up beside me, watching tense, as I opened the package with flying fingers. I couldn't help it. My heart was beating a few beats faster. I had never held the 'Cure' in my own hands, had only heard of this mystery...

I was all the more confused, when I next found to two small glasses with a strange, crumbly red substance and few vials of blood. Vampire blood - I could smell this immediately. Old vampire blood, with a smell that was strangely familiar to me...

"Vampire blood?" Max voiced my own confusion. "Haven't they collected enough themselves by now?"

The gentle vibration of my mobile unfortunately kept me from giving Jason another grilling. It took me only a few seconds to respond to the call and I uttered a not too friendly "Yeah!"

"I need a little help here," roared Kurt's voice towards me next to the painfully loud music in the background. "This club is too big even for me and too crowded to find Mick so quickly. He's not at the bar anymore."

I closed my eyes for a moment unnerved. "Okay, I'll come down," I replied and ended the call. My eyes flew back over to Max. "Don't let him get away. I'll be back. And if Henry shows up, ask him to kindly have a seat and wait."

Max nodded and I turned on my heel and left the room. A queasy feeling deep inside me told me we didn't have much time.

Beth headed purposefully for the area of the club, which was far less crowded and bathed in a dim twilight. Just before the wall, covered with dark blue silk, she stopped, turned around and leaned against it in a highly seductive pose, holding her cocktail coolly in one hand. She was enjoying every minute of her role as a man-eater and it caused this energetic tingling in her body she loved so much. Of course, her need to simply enclose Mick in her arms and hold him, to let him feel how much she had missed him, was still incredibly strong, but since she wasn't allowed to let herself go and was forced to play this role... why shouldn't she make the best of it and enjoy their roles as two complete strangers and quickly get a little closer to each other?

Her heart sped up its pace once more, as Mick pushed past a few other guests and headed straight towards her with a look in his eyes that shot cold-hot showers through her body. Apparently he was more stirred up by this little role-playing game than she had planned. His eyes clearly devoured her and suddenly Beth had the feeling that his movements had become inherently predatory and lurking. The heat in the lower part of her body grew steadily until Mick finally stopped directly in front of her. There it was, this irresistible half-smile that caused, along with the immoral glint in his eyes, a pleasant pull in her abdomen. And his wonderful smell: soap, aftershave... Mick ... so undeniably Mick...

It was hard for her to resist grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down to her to kiss him deeply, but she could still refrain, was still strong enough...

Apparently he was not, because he raised his hand to the height of her shoulders and touched one of her dark red curls, dangling just above her deep neckline and let it slowly slip through his fingers.

"Is this permanent?" he murmured to her with a slight hoarseness to his voice. She wasn't sure if he meant her hair color or her behavior.

"Perhaps," she lied with a small smile and put her cocktail down on one of the small glass tables that stood nearby, bringing her closer to Mick in doing so, which was really not intentional at the time. She could feel how he inhaled her scent, could feel his warm breath on the sensitive skin of her neck and quickly leaned back against the wall.

"Do you like it?" she asked with that seductive tone of voice, now considerably more shaky on her legs because Mick had moved even closer and the heat of his body became obviously noticeable to her. He supported himself with one arm over her head against the wall and leaned in a little towards her. "I actually fancy blondes," he whispered to her and his eyes drifted once more down to her neckline.

"What a shame," she replied softly and allowed her eyes to also roam over his so delicious body. It seemed to her as if he had made up for the loss of muscles from last year, at least the silky fabric of his shirt could barely conceal the rippling of his seductively taut body through it. And he was so enviable tanned... this beautiful brown skin, which was presented by the open top buttons of his shirt. It was slowly becoming agonizing not to touch him. Beth forced herself to lift her eyes again and look at his face, into his sparkling, in this light, almost dark brown appearing eyes. Had his face been this close before? Had she felt his breath on her lips before?

"But I can always make an exception," Mick let her know and his eyes slid slowly over her lips. Beth's heart didn't just beat anymore, it hammered all the way up into her throat and her need to kiss him, to finally feel him, taste him after these four tormenting weeks of separation became almost unbearable. Yet she persevered, stayed where she was, and smiled at him seductively.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly, and this time she was sure that his face was closer, for it was now only a few millimeters away. She also moved as well, tilted her head slightly, just before their lips could touch, and brought her mouth close to his ear.

"Me too," she whispered, and felt a strong urge to add something more, something that she had said to him once before in a similar situation.

"I wanna be close to you," she whispered and in doing so her lips grazed his ear lobe, causing small shivers to run down her spine.

And just like then, she stopped again, feeling that he wanted to kiss her, and pulled back from him to savor the allure of the situation even further. Only this time there was not as much space as then, for the wall was directly behind her. It was the heat of his quick breath that first met her lips, then his lips followed, pressed impetuously on hers, took hungry possession of her mouth and challenged her to a kiss that took away Beth's breath and eliminated every spark of reason in her mind. Her longing and desire forged ahead in a deep moan and she automatically dug her fingers into the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. It was her tongue, which pushed between his so wonderfully warm, soft lips and eagerly sought contact with his tongue, deepening the kiss that soon they both had barely enough air to breathe. When she got a little dizzy, she pulled back, pushed him slightly away from her and tried with a deep breath to inhale air into her lungs, her eyes still resting on this sensual lips, so close to her. She had to touch them, had to follow their contours with her fingers, enjoying it, as these touches caused his blood to boil even more. Mick's chest rose and fell with two further, uncontrolled breaths. He pulled her hand gently out of the way and closed the small gap between their bodies to not only press his warm lips to hers again, but to create a much closer more intimate physical contact, that another soft groan escaped Beth's throat and this time she could do nothing else but to wrap her arms around his neck and cling to him. He felt so wonderful, so firm and strong, so warm, so exciting. She wanted him... immediately. Forgotten were all the other people around her, her innocent fantasy of a dramatic-romantic reunion. What she needed now was sex. Quick, breathtaking sex, somewhere in a quiet place, quite near here.

Only she could not tear herself away from Mick's lips long enough to look around. She just had to go on kissing him, deeply and hungrily, had to press her body to him, feel him in every possible way through the thin fabric of her dress. Oh, God, he felt so good... caused a state of arousal in her body that was unbearable. She uttered a small sound of protest as he broke his lips away from hers and acted as if he was moving away from her. With a violently beating heart she perceived that he was looking around, breathing heavily turned a bit in her possessive grip. Then his eyes found her gaze again. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, there was no doubt about it, and apparently the same thought had come to his mind as hers, for he ran his hands up her arms and gently pulled her firm grip from around his neck. He didn't let go of her completely. His large, warm hand closed around hers, as he turned, and again pushed past the other people standing on the edge of the crowded dance floor, heading for one of the exits in their vicinity, leading her there carefully.

Beth followed him all too willingly and the closer they came to the door, the more excited, the more aroused she got. 'Vamp' Beth got what she wanted, and 'good' Beth was more than glad.

Surprisingly Mick stopped in his tracks shortly before they reached their destination, so that she almost bumped into him. Not that she would have disliked it – any kind of physical contact with Mick was currently welcome - but she noticed at once that he was suddenly completely tense, and his gaze was not directed at the door, but aimed at a much more remote area of the discotheque. He let go of her hand.

"Mick?" she asked worried, but he did not respond, just continued to stare past her, with an expression on his face that troubled her deeply. There was horror in his eyes, horror that quickly evaporated and made room for something else. Something that Beth was afraid of: hatred and bloodlust.

She tried to look over the heads of the other people to see what Mick had discovered there in the crowd, but she had to give up in resignation. She was simply too small. She laid a hand on Mick's arm, trying to regain his attention, but he didn't respond, was still petrified, as if someone had pushed a button inside him.

Beth looked around again, now with a fast beating heart, peering past the other guests over to the VIP area. Where the hell was Josef?

She swirled around shocked, when her hand lost contact with Mick's arm and found with dismay that he had set into motion, pushing smoothly and fairly quickly through the crowd.

"Mick!" she cried out loudly and tried to follow him. But that was easier said than done. She was not nearly as strong and tall as he was and had much more problems moving forward. Desperation was added to her fear now. Someone had to stop Mick before he did something stupid. And somehow she knew that she herself would not be fast enough or strong enough to be that someone.