We pulled up to the old, dilapidated house with way too many emotions filling the air in the car. Wulfe had clapped his hands excitedly from the backseat when Stefan explained the situation, which made me even more concerned for the young vampires. I'd been in Wulfe's house in the Tri-Cities and it wasn't much better than the house we were in front of now, certainly nothing like the mansion Marsilia maintained.

Stefan was out of the car and opening my door before I had even unbuckled my seatbelt. I didn't mind his overprotective behavior at the moment, though, not with Wulfe inhaling deeply from the backseat as if he were scenting me.

"Tell me, Stefan, how do you plan to protect your precious walker now that you've revealed yourself to us?" Wulfe asked as he stepped out of the car.

I shot Stefan a questioning look as I stood up next to him and closed the car door. He had never mentioned anything about being in hiding.

"Marsilia has no reason to search for me," Stefan said more to me than in answer to Wulfe. "She had no objection to me returning to America."

"Ah, yes, but she will be most offended when she discovers why you have not answered her summons. Now that she is losing her Wizard as well, she will be looking to gather her strongest back to her side."

Warren stepped around the car taking a protective stance next to me while glaring at Stefan. He didn't look thrilled at the idea of Stefan putting me in danger with Marsilia again. She had wanted to kill me until she and her seethe had crossed the ocean returning to Italy. Apparently, she will be back to hunting me slowly soon.

"Revealing myself was a necessary, though unwanted, step required to fulfill our obligation to find these vampires a new Master." Stefan said to me. He touched my face gently as he added, "I never intended to put you in harm's way, my love."

I nodded and turned to start walking towards the house. He could explain this after we got rid of Wulfe. Warren stepped in front of me to take the lead and Stefan stepped in line directly behind me, placing himself between me and Wulfe.

The ghosts surrounded us warning of danger as they had the last time I visited this house. From behind me, I heard Wulfe whisper, "Do you hear them? I feel them all around me whispering their secrets in my ear."

His words made me stop abruptly and turn to face him. Wulfe was leaning around Stefan, like a child would lean around an adult, looking at me with a strange gleam in his eyes. I'd met a vampire that could speak to ghosts and he had gained that ability by feeding from a walker. This realization did nothing to reassure me of Wulfe's interest in me.

Warren placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts and turning my attention back towards the mission at hand. Just as we were climbing the steps, the front door opened revealing Melinda and the odd looking vampire, whose name I had just learned was Mitchell.

"Good evening, please come in." Melinda greeted us. Even as malnourished as she was, she was still attractive with her long wavy hair and bright green eyes.

Wulfe moved past Warren and I to examine the vampires that greeted us, but he was more interested in Mitchell than Melinda. He circled Mitchell looking him over from head to toe, even taking Mitchell's hands in his own and examining them front and back. "You have an affinity for magic, yes?" Wulfe asked.

Mitchell nodded his head nervously, which made Wulfe clap excitedly again. "Oh! This will be wonderful. And you, dear girl, are quite lovely." He said to Melinda as he put an arm around her waist, pulling her against him so he could lick her neck.

Much to my surprise, she didn't seem put off by his behavior at all, but acted somewhat excited. "You will be our Master?" She asked as she twined her arms around his neck with a look that said she was already completely captivated by him.

"Yes, I think I will. Show me where the others are." With just those few words of acceptance, I could feel magic in the air reaching out and connecting the vampires of this seethe together. I looked back at Stefan but he didn't seem affected by it at all.

We entered the house and walked through the hallway I'd already seen once before. The smell of death lingered in the air, though I could see they'd removed the two dead bodies from the last room on the left. Wulfe inhaled deeply as we past that room and said dramatically, "I love what you've done with the place."

I couldn't hide my disgust at that and looked at Warren to see he felt the same way. My eye rolling earned a smirk from him, which eased my nerves a bit. If Warren felt at ease enough to smile, I didn't need to be so worried.

Melinda, who still hadn't stopped touching Wulfe, led us to the dining room where I'd found Stefan only a few nights ago. The sight of the table I'd found his emaciated body secured to brought back a ghost of the panic I'd felt that night. I had been so close to losing him.

A comforting hand touched the small of my back as Stefan came to stand close to me. His touch was reassuring, reminding me that this crisis would be over soon.

Raymond, the vampire that had been protective of Melinda outside my apartment, was standing next to a chair where the last vampire was seated. This must be Leon, the one I'd staked. He looked terrible with his skin an unhealthy gray color and a sunken look to his features.

"Will he be ok?" I quietly asked. Seeing what I'd caused made guilt swarm over me, though I had only done what was necessary to bring Stefan home.

Raymond didn't look away from Leon when he said, "With the help of our new Master, I hope so."

"He needs blood and not only from a vampire." Wulfe said to me, making his request clear. Before I could say anything, Stefan said, "No, Mercy will not give her blood to him."

"It's my fault he's suffering," I said as I turned to look at Stefan. "I don't mind giving him some."

Stefan looked as if he was going to argue, but Warren stepped in and said, "I'll do it."

Without waiting for a response, Warren crossed the room and knelt next to Leon, extending his arm to Leon's mouth. Leon latched onto Warren's wrist immediately, making Warren grimace in reaction to a bite I knew was painful. The sucking and moaning noises coming from Leon were disconcerting, though Warren held still through the feeding.

After a minute or so, Warren forcibly removed his wrist, earning him a hiss from Leon. Warren growled back and returned to his spot next to me. The blood he'd taken had helped to fill out his features, but Leon still looked an unhealthy gray color as he licked his lips clean of the last drops.

"It wasn't enough," I said and moved to take the place Warren had occupied, ignoring the frustration I felt coming through my connection with Stefan. As I placed my wrist next to Leon's mouth, I glanced up to see Wulfe smiling as he stepped closer to Leon's other side. His expression made me wonder if I should have listened to Stefan, but it was too late now.

Leon's fangs sunk into my wrist and he began sucking greedily against the wound. His bite was nothing like Stefan's and I found myself struggling to remain still against what felt like a violation of my joining with Stefan.

An eternity later, Stefan stepped forward and pulled my wrist away then licked it to close the wounds. Quicker than anyone could react, Wulfe leaned forward and licked the last bit of my blood off Leon's chin and lips.

"You dare to take what is mine?" Stefan snarled at Wulfe.

Looking completely unfazed, Wulfe said, "What was given freely to my child is rightfully mine."

For a few tense seconds, Stefan glared at Wulfe with malice filling the air. Finally, he spoke, "Then you will complete the exchange."

"Whoa, wait a minute." I said with my hands raised, taking a step back. "I do not want to take any of Wulfe's blood."

Stefan turned to me with a look of regret and said, "It is a necessary precaution. Wulfe's unusual abilities will allow him to find you anywhere as if you were one of his own, even with such a minimal amount of blood. With a complete exchange, you should at least be able to sense him seeking you."

Seeing no way around it, I walked around Leon and stopped in front of Wulfe. He turned his head to the side, exposing his neck to me. I couldn't contain the sound of disgust that slipped out, to which Warren snorted in amusement. There was no way I was standing pressed up against Wulfe's body.

"I'd rather not take blood from your neck."

Wulfe shrugged and said, "I had to try." He placed a finger in his mouth and sliced it open on a fang. "A few drops should do it."

Doing my best to ignore the thoughts warning me that I have no idea where Wulfe's fingers have been, I took the digit into my mouth and swallowed his blood.

For a brief moment, my awareness expanded and I had a glimpse at who Wulfe really was. Behind the crazed exterior, there was a quiet intelligence and strength forged by centuries of hardship. This vampire had once been a talented young man who was too trusting for his own good.

There will soon come a time when the Soldier cannot protect you. You may call on me for help.

His voice in my mind made me suck in a breath. The unexpected breach left me feeling vulnerable, making me desperate to leave this house and return to the safety of my little apartment.

Returning to his usual character, Wulfe helped Leon to his feet then moved to stand behind Melinda. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he leaned forward and licked her neck, though his gaze was locked on mine. He ushered her forward, swatting Mitchell on the rump as he walked past saying, "Come, come children. It's time for us to consummate our union."

That was our signal to leave.

The drive to Warren's hotel was fairly quiet. He seemed a little unsettled by feeding Leon, though I know he had fed Stefan before without such a reaction. When we pulled into the lot, Warren turned to me before getting out of the car and said, "If you're up for it, I'd like to ask Kyle to fly out tomorrow for a visit."

I couldn't stop the small smile that spread across my face as I thought about seeing Kyle. The man was wild but fun. "That'd be great. Just call me and let me know when he'll be in town."

Stefan moved to the front seat once Warren was out of the car and took my hand in his. He hadn't spoken since we left the seethe's house and I didn't feel much coming from him through our bond. I wasn't sure if he was mad at me.

He held my hand the rest of the way to the apartment without speaking a word. When we were locked safely inside our home, he took me in his arms and held me silently.

"Are you ok?" I asked, though my voice was muffled from being buried in his chest.

Without letting me go, he finally spoke, "I was afraid. Wulfe is much more powerful than he lets on. I thought his intention may have been to take you away from me."

I hugged him tighter against me as I said, "You don't have to worry about that, Stefan. I'm not going anywhere."

He nodded and released me, then took my hand pulling me further into the apartment saying, "Let's shower and wash his smell off of you, then I'm going to remind you why you won't be leaving me."