Author's Notes: I've quoted or paraphrased Moonlight again. Most, if not all, of the quotes come from episode 16, 'Sonata.' I still don't own those words. They belong to the copyright holders of all things Moonlight.

Chapter 010

Even if Curiosity Killed the Cat

Saturday, February 02, 2008; 7:00 a.m. PST

Josef's Home, Beverly House, Beverly Hills, California

Ugh, it's just not natural for a vampire to be waking 10 minutes after the sun rises, but I have things to do today, catastrophes to avoid and a secret to keep. My phone beeps at me at precisely 7 a.m., and I blink a few times. Did I set my phone's alarm to go off at seven? I don't recall doing it, but I must have.

I amazingly slept through the whole night which is incredibly rare for me, and honestly, it's rare for most vampires. I can't remember the last time I slept more than four hours, and a significant injury caused the last time I slept more than two in a single night.

My maker said the Belladonna would make me act like I had too much sun exposure, so I figure the stress of the day combined with the poison and drained me of all my energy.

I feel entirely rested now, so I open the freezer door and then sit up and get out. Despite the cool air in my freezer room, I release a heavy sigh at the loss of the sub-zero temperatures. I think I'm going to go particularly hard on whoever is the reason I need to spend the day out under the sun.

My thoughts drift while I shower. Yesterday was a highly informative day. Beth, my future childe, isn't even a tiny bit human. She's half air faerie and half demon. Then, as if that wasn't surprising enough, Josh was a shifter and not just a run of the mill shifter but a supreme supernatural shifter. Then to top the surprises off, Beth almost died and unbeknownst to us her unborn twins almost died too.

Twins. How on earth am I going to be the father Beth so obviously wants me to be for this little boy and girl? My father died right after my tenth birthday. I barely remember him.

I step out of the shower and dry off before dropping my towel into my hamper, striding back into my room buck naked, and then grabbing my clothes from the closet.

I don't bother with underwear, so I slide my jeans on and zip them and then sigh before I slip my t-shirt over my head.

Being a father now is probably entirely different than it was in my human days. If you believe the television, mothers expect fathers to be actively involved in all aspects of child-rearing. I want that, but I don't have the first clue how to raise mortal children.

Then again, Beth isn't mortal and is at least long-lived, and regular shifters can live to be more than 300 years old while the supreme supernatural shifters can live to be anywhere from 900 to 1,800 years old if they choose to do so. Chances are good Josh's children will be incredibly long-lived. Then, throw in that Beth and I will both eventually be vampires by the time they reach adulthood, and it stands to reason they might follow in our footsteps in that regard. I've known two supreme supernatural shifters who shifted into vampires and then just stayed that way. They both still exist, too, some 2,900 years later.

Either way, I have all the knowledge and resources I might need to teach them about the supernatural world. I figure with Beth turning around their third birthday they'll have to know about us early on, so they'll be thoroughly knowledgeable about all things supernatural at an early age.

My only regret is it's not my seed that helped create them. I wish I could have impregnated Beth, but I suppose I'll just have to make do with being her children's five millennia old dad. Goddess, I'm going to be a dad if Beth gets her way, and I know her well enough already that I realize she almost always gets her way. We have that in common, she and I, which could prove interesting in the years to come.

I sit on my bed and put first one and then the other shoe on and then tie the laces before standing, slipping on my leather jacket, grabbing my phone, wallet, and keys, and heading into the hallway.

I forgot to call and arrange for a freshie to be available this morning so after I leave my bedroom, I head down to the kitchen and grin at Susan who returns the smile with one of her own.

She points to the door of the breakfast nook so walking over to the doorway I glance in and incline my head at Beth when she notices me. She beams at me in between taking bites of her requested bagels, lox, and cream cheese. She's making these beautiful little moaning noises with each bite.

She giggles a moment later and asks, "Uh, Josef, is there a reason you're all, 'Grr,'" and she bares her teeth and holds up her hands like claws when she says 'Grr.'

I take stock of my body. Damn, my eyes are ice blue, and my fangs are down. How did I not even realize that?

Chuckling, I tell her, "I'm waking at my usual bedtime, and I'm hungry. It's nothing a bit of blood won't fix. Unfortunately, I'm sure all the freshies are either asleep or getting ready for work, and I didn't call ahead, so I'll have to settle for bottled."

Just then Mona walks into the room from the other entrance right beside where Beth is sitting and says to her, "Beth, sorry I'm late, I'm not used to getting up this early. I usually keep vampire hours so…"

I glance between both women and raise my brow at Beth, so she shrugs and says, "I figured you'd be preoccupied with Mick and our mystery and everything else and wouldn't think to call ahead, so I managed to get my phone to work and called the freshie wing. Fortunately, I got Mona on the first try, and she was more than happy to help us this morning, so why don't you go feed, Josef, while I finish my breakfast, and then we can find out what Murphy's discovered while we slept."

I tilt my head to the right and raise my eyebrows while offering a bemused smile before asking, "You know I'm supposed to take care of you, not the other way around, right?"

She bites her lower lip and shakes her head before saying, "So far as I'm concerned, you're family, now, Josef, that makes your happiness and wellbeing my number one priorities. Besides, you wouldn't be awake this early if it weren't for me, so I figured I'd try to help make it as easy for you as I possibly can."

I grin and then stride to her, lean down, and kiss the crown of her head before telling her, "Thank you, Childe."

She beams and takes another bite of her breakfast, so I turn to Mona and say, "The living room perhaps?"

She leads the way out of the breakfast nook. When we get to the living room, she sits on one of the couches and after smoothing out her skirt, she says, "You know, I like her and not that it's any of my business, but I like how you are with her. You smile and laugh more, and I don't care what the other jealous bitches say, I like Beth."

My brows raise into my hairline, so she holds up her hand and says, "And for the record, the number of jealous bitches is pretty low. I've only heard three other freshies making comments they shouldn't and I'm no tattletale, but I told Vincent, so he can keep them away from Beth as much as possible. I can't imagine this situation is easy for her, so I'm doing my best to make it easier on the freshie end."

I sit beside her and reach over and squeeze her hand gently before telling her, "I appreciate that Mona. I'll make sure your weekly stipend reflects my appreciation."

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head before saying, "Oh, no, I didn't do it or tell you about it for money or anything else. I just wanted you to know I've got Beth's back if need be. I figured maybe you'd worry a little less if you knew I'm looking out for her on my end of your world."

I wink and bump her shoulder with mine before telling her, "Even so, I reward loyalty, so you will be receiving a sizable thank you."

She sighs and after narrowing her ice blue eyes, asks, "There's no talking you out of it is there?"

I chuckle and shake my head no, so she shrugs and says, "Then I guess I'll just have to suffer a shopping trip on your dime. Hey maybe if you'll allow it, I could bring Beth."

I lean into her neck and breath in her light scent of hibiscus and citrus and then tell her, "Her immediate availability will depend largely on our solving our mystery. Either way, provided her guard goes with you, I won't object to you taking her shopping or becoming her friend. She needs all the friends she can get at this point."

She beams at me and leans in closer, so I brush her medium light auburn hair from her neck, kiss it, and then lick her jugular vein before gently biting down. She moans and clutches at my arm while I allow my fangs to suck her blood from the wound.

I never understood the myths about us that have us swallow the blood. Our fangs are hollow, and when submerged in a liquid such as blood or alcohol or inserted into flesh they suck the liquid present into our bodies.

I don't know the more exceptional details of how our bodies work or don't work, but I'd think if we could digest blood or alcohol in our stomachs, we'd be able to digest human food, too.

Anyway, I keep my fangs inserted for a minute or two before pulling them from of her flesh, and after biting my tongue, I lick the wounds until they heal.

She beams at me when I sit back and asks me, "Feeling better, Josef?"

My vampire features melt into my human ones, and I stand and stretch towards the ceiling before saying, "Immensely."

She beams at me, so I hold down my hand to her and help her rise before telling her, "Come have breakfast with Beth, and then you can go to sleep."

She smiles and follows me back to the breakfast nook. I don't usually socialize with freshies unless absolutely necessary, but Mona may be worth interacting with. If she's this loyal with the minuscule contact we've had so far, then I can't imagine how loyal she might be with a bit of effort on my part.

She might even be loyal enough to ask one of my underlings to turn her if they're both willing. Vincent might be the way to go because she said she told him of the three jealous freshies, so that means she has at least one way to contact him. He wouldn't dare feed from one of my freshies without permission, so that means he gave her his number because he enjoys her company and possibly respects her.

I'll have to watch them and see if they're as compatible as I believe them to be because, as I said, I reward loyalty. I'll keep an eye out and see.

Beth and Mona spend their entire breakfast talking and just getting to know each other. When they're done eating their meal, and they've both drunk down large glasses of apple juice, Susan comes into the room to collect their plates and hands an insulated bag to Beth and says, "Here you are, Dear. I made you a smoked turkey and Brie sandwich on cranberry bread with orange marmalade as a relish. Dr. Ludwig assured me the small amount of orange in the marmalade won't hurt your babies, so I included it. There's an apple and a bag of Frito's in there, too. Do you want me to pack something for you to drink?"

Beth smiles and says, "Thank you, Susan. I don't need a drink. Usually, I just drink water or coffee during the day."

Her brow furrows before she shrugs and says, "I guess coffee and caffeine, in general, are out for the rest of my mortal life."

She holds up the water bottle that had been sitting on the table beside her and wiggles it before she finishes, "Anyway, I've got this, so I'll be good."

Susan inclines her head and then Mona excuses herself after saying, "It's time for me to head to bed. Josef, thank you for allowing me to join you both for breakfast, and I hope you solve the mystery before it becomes an issue. Beth, I'll talk to you later, and we can pick a time to go shopping on Josef's dime."

We both nod, and Beth hugs Mona before she leaves the room through the kitchen entrance to head to the freshie wing I had added on when I moved back in during the mid-1950s. It's not really a wing but a separate building altogether. It has a living room, kitchenette, game room, movie room and 12 bedrooms, 10 of which currently house freshies, though I may be rethinking the employment of three of them if they're openly bad-talking people I have allowed into my life.

Anyway, the freshies only come to the main house to eat or feed me, and I'm never in attendance when they eat, so my sitting with Beth and Mona probably seemed out of the ordinary for Mona, but she is polite enough not to mention it.

Beth stands from her seat, and after turning and staring at me for a moment she asks, "Has Murphy called yet?"

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I check for messages, and there is one message. I put the phone on speaker and dial my voicemail, and then we both listen while Murphy says, "Sheriff, I just wanted to let you know it took a few hours, but I got in to speak with Mr. Bishop. He told me what he saw, and then I glamoured him to forget what he witnessed. Instead, he will say he ran because he was scared he'd be accused of wrongdoing because he had a fight with the victim shortly before he died."

He pauses then says, "I've glamoured the detectives working the case, the A.D.A. and the coroner to all believe the death was accidental, and as of 10 minutes ago, it has officially been ruled an accidental death. The blood sample has been destroyed and all record of it ever existing has been removed."

He sighs into the phone, which is a habit even I still have despite not needing to breathe for over 5,380 years. After a brief pause, he continues and says, "I think it best I speak to you in person to break the news of who is responsible. Please call me back when you get this, and I'll work my schedule around yours so you can deal with this at your convenience, but the immediate threat should be neutralized at this point."

The message ends, and Beth narrows her eyes and frowns before asking, "Why didn't he tell you over the phone?"

I rub the back of my neck and tell her, "I'm friends with every vampire that was present at the dedication. In fact, I invited most of them, except the Monaghans and Lisa who was the blonde cheerleader hanging off Dominic's arm most of the night. That means no matter what, the vampire responsible for putting us in danger is a friend of mine. Most of who I'm friends with is public knowledge among our kind, so he probably doesn't want to drop that bombshell over the phone."

She releases a heavy breath but nods, so I call Murphy back, and he says he can be at my house in half an hour.

After I hang up, I grin and lead Beth to my office, and then we sit down. We just stare at each other for a minute before we both laugh then I ask, "How did you sleep, Childe?"

She loses some of her smile and says, "I'm not gonna lie, I woke up a couple of times from nightmares, but I managed to get a few uninterrupted hours in the end."

My eyebrows draw together, and I lean towards her before I ask, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shrugs and stares at the floor in front of my desk, and while her lip trembles, she says in a tiny voice, "It was mostly Mick successfully killing my babies and me and laughing at me while I suffered and died."

I open my mouth to counter that Mick wouldn't find any of this funny, but she holds up her hand and says, "I know he didn't find it a laughing matter any more than you or I did, but my subconscious decided to haunt me with his laughter. I'm okay, though."

My mouth goes dry at her words, and I rub my lip a handful of times before leaning my elbows on the top of my desk and telling her, "If you want to talk or vent further, I'm here for you anytime, Beth."

Her hand quivers while she raises it and rubs above her heart as if it physically hurts, so I grimace and tell her, "My maker will discuss what he will do to Mick with us later today. He wants to allow us to solve our mystery and deal with the reckless vampire who failed to tell me they killed a human in an incredibly public setting before we go worrying about Mick's fate."

Beth frowns and leans back in her chair before she latches onto the change of subject and asks, "What will you do to them?"

It's my turn to shrug before I sit back in my chair and thread my fingers together over my stomach telling her, "Normally they'd be fined and then staked for a period. My maker has mentioned he plans to bring formal charges against them for failing to report the death to me, so I imagine they'll be fined, tortured, and staked but only after their fangs have been pulled."

Her eyes are wide, and she sits forward in her chair and leans towards me a little before asking, "You'd pull their fangs out? Is that permanent like with humans or do they grow back?"

I cover my mouth with my hand to hide the grin that fights to break out on my face at her ever-eager desire to learn new things. Her eyes narrow at me, so I don't think she'd appreciate my amusement, so I take a moment and wipe my face clean of all emotion before lowering my hand and telling her, "They regrow like any other part of our bodies. The only amputation we can't survive is a beheading. We can even survive a heart extraction, though, that paralyzes us until the heart grows back. Everything else will regrow. Though, a limb, organ, or even fangs, growing back is terribly painful. An organ would take a few days to regrow and is even more painful than a limb or fangs growing back."

She's listening intently, so I kick my feet out in front of me under my desk and then tell her, "Fangs, on the other hand, take months to regrow, and in the case of entire limbs it can sometimes take years depending on the size of the lost limb. For instance, a finger would take a few days to a few weeks to regrow, but I once knew a vampire who lost his leg, and it took him over four years to get the whole thing back in working order."

I shrug and drum the fingers of my right hand on the top of my desk and say, "No one's sure why fangs take longer than a finger, but Daphne thinks it has to do with the complexity of the fangs. They're not like human teeth. They're hollow and somehow know when to suck liquid, i.e., blood, or in some case alcohol into them. They're connected to our circulatory system, which is probably the part that causes them to take so long to heal."

She's still leaning towards me, so I shrug and tell her, "Furthermore, our fangs are terribly sensitive, which is a product of them needing to know when they're surrounded by a liquid or embedded in blood rich flesh. Usually that's an enjoyable part of being a vampire, however, the pulling itself is horribly painful, or so I've heard, and then the growing back is even more painful, but that's not the actual punishment. The punishment is, in fact, two fold. The first part is the humiliation of not being able to bite or feed naturally. The second part is the pain of starving until enough of the fang grows back in to allow them to feed by taking the blood into their mouth and allowing the stump of their fangs to suck the blood out of the mouth cavity."

Her head is nodding slowly, so I thread my fingers over my stomach again and tell her, "My sire and I will make sure the entire community knows who is responsible and what their punishment is. Everyone will know they're fangless until their fangs grow back, which will be slowed by the fact they'll likely end up staked for some time. For whatever reason, our bodies don't heal, or at least not much, while we're staked. We haven't been able to figure out exactly why that is, but most believe it's because of a mixture of our inability to feed while staked and our hearts not beating even the slow amount they usually do. Anyway, their fangs won't begin growing back until after we remove the stake."

Her eyes are wide and round, but she nibbles on her lower lip and narrows her eyes before she says, "I sincerely hope I never have to experience that."

Giving a gentle smile, I tell her, "I doubt you'll ever do anything to warrant that particular punishment."

I want her to go into this all with eyes wide open, and she needs to understand the truth of her future situation, so I lean towards her and say, "For the record, if you do, you will have far more to worry about than having your fangs pulled because Jorge and I will privately punish you, too. You should keep in mind your future grandsire led the Inquisition and has taught me everything he knows about torture and punishment. While we can make torture pleasurable if that sort of thing interests you, we both know how to make it excruciating and debilitating, too, so have no doubt public humiliation will be the least of your troubles if you behave badly enough to have your fangs pulled."

Her eyes are so wide and round the whites of her eyes are visible all the way around her irises, but she gives a slow, deliberate nod and says, "I'll definitely keep that in mind."

She brings her thumb to her lips and nibbles on her thumbnail for a minute before adding, "And uh, maybe some other time you can tell me a bit about pleasurable torture. I've, uh, read about BDSM, but I've never tried anything of that sort, so I have no clue if that type of thing would interest me or not. I mean, the idea is appealing, but I don't know if the reality is anything I'd want to get involved in."

I smirk and lean over my desk a bit before lowering my voice to a sultry purr and telling her, "Then I'll be sure and show you what's possible."

Her natural aroma strengthens and hints of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg carry over the air to me, signaling at least some arousal. I raise an eyebrow while the scent tickles my nose and tell her, "Of course, if you ever don't like something I do to or with you, and it's not meant to be punishment then all you have to do is say so, and I'll stop. I'll give you a safe-word before beginning any type of play that you may not like, and I'll respect the use of the word."

She sits back and crosses her legs which sends a delightful whiff of her spicy arousal towards me. I do my best not to moan while she rests her hands on her knee and says, "I know. I trust you, Josef even despite your mentioning possible punishments."

I lean back in my chair again and then change the subject just a bit, "I'm not sure we have enough time to discuss the possibility of forming a blood bond. However, the doctor said I should feed you my blood at least twice a day, so if you're willing, now might be an appropriate time to get the first dose in before we go out for the day."

She doesn't respond beyond the slight widening of her eyes before she stands and almost sashays around my desk. I turn the chair to face her, and when she's standing in front of me, I reach for her hand and pull her onto my lap. Brushing my hand along her cheek, I tell her, "Drink until the wound heals, okay?"

She gives another slow nod but with wide eyes this time, so I bring my wrist to my mouth and bite down before presenting the bleeding wound to her. She wraps her lips around the injury, and while holding onto my wrist with her petite hands, she drinks my blood. I moan at the feel of her soft lips moving against the sensitive skin of my wrist. Then I shift her in my lap, so she won't feel my erection that is quickly growing.

Other than sharing between those of my grandsire's line, I've only ever shared my blood to turn my 15 childer and a few humans dear to me after they suffered an injury or illness. I've never shared my blood with a mortal without it being either part of the turning or healing process.

Turnings are nerve-wracking, even at my age, and worry over whether the healing came too late have always made the exchanging of blood a somber experience for me. So, an exchange of blood with a mortal has never turned me on. Beth drinking my blood, though, causes a quick and extremely noticeable reaction in me.

I moved her, not because I think she's a prude or because I'm embarrassed but because we don't have the time necessary to explore the ideas my libido wishes I would entertain with Beth.

When the wound heals, she pulls away but then leans in and licks off any blood left behind. I groan while I watch her little pink tongue reach out and then stroke my skin.

She leans in, and with a hand resting on my chest to help support her, she then kisses me on the lips, and it's unlike any kiss we've shared before. All the others were closed-mouthed pecks, but this one, well, our lips glide against each other, and then I take a risk and lick the seam of her apple juice flavored lips which causes her to open her mouth to my searching tongue just like I had hoped it would. My tongue rubs along hers tasting my own blood, and she responds in kind before moving closer to me which causes her bottom to rub against my painfully hard erection.

Moaning into the kiss, she runs her hands up into my hair, but before things can go too far my phone rings, so I reluctantly pull away from her lips. I peck her lips twice and then sit back long enough to get my labored breathing under control so I can answer my phone. I never did understand how a vampire can have labored breathing when we don't need to breathe, but I assure you we can.

Beth brings her fingers to her lips and rubs them before whispering, "Wow."

I chuckle and tell her, "Wow, indeed."

A delightful blush blooms across her cheeks, so I give her another peck, and then I grab my phone off the desk and push send before bringing it to my ear and asking, "Hello?"

It's Murphy, who doesn't introduce himself or question why I'm out of breath, but says, "Sheriff, I'm here, but it's probably best that the humans who work for you don't see an L.A.P.D. Detective at your house, so can you let me in instead of my buzzing the gate?"

Nodding even though he can't see it, I tell him, "Hold on a moment," then I open a panel built into my desk, and after I press a button, the wall across from me moves to reveal a closed-circuit security system. There are five rows of six television screens showing different rotating views of the compound.

Murphy is standing at the gate, so I push a button and the gate swings open. I tell him, "Just come in," and then I push another button unlocking the front door, so he can enter.

When I hang up, Beth reaches her hand out and wipes her thumb along my lips. She smiles before sitting back and looking my face over. She gives a slow nod and then says, "I think I got all my lipstick off your lips."

I chuckle even while she gets off my lap and straightens her clothes quickly before taking her seat in front of my desk. I, in turn, adjust my jeans slightly and thank the Goddess I'm the sheriff, so I don't have to stand when Murphy arrives if I don't want to.

Murphy's been here before, so he knows the way to my office, but I keep an eye on him on the monitors while he stalks down my halls and up my stairwells. He avoids the most traveled parts of the house, effectively staying out of sight of any of my staff.

A few seconds after Beth retakes her seat across from me, Detective Thomas Murphy enters the room and stands in front of my desk. He's wearing a stone-grey suit. The dark shade makes him appear bigger than his six-foot-four-inch frame. His barrel chest stretches his jacket to its limits and when he crosses his arms over his chest his jacket sleeves bulge and threaten to tear.

The color of the suit is only a shade or two darker than his storm-cloud-grey eyes. He runs a hand through his strawberry blonde short, spiky hair and then bows his head and says, "Sheriff, thank you for seeing me."

I incline my head and tell him, "You're welcome. First, this is Beth Turner, my future Childe, and the new area investigator. She'll be needing an assistant both for the area investigator position and for her work with the D.A.'s office. If you both approve, I figure you can try working together for a couple of weeks and see if you are compatible. Either way, for the next few weeks you should glamour whomever necessary to have you teamed up with Beth in the D.A.'s office. If you decide later you don't fit well enough to continue the arrangement, I'll ask one of the other Detectives we have on the force. However, you, Thomas, have proven yourself repeatedly in recent times, so I thought of you when I realized Beth should still share her caseload with a vampire. You will, of course, get compensation from Area Two for your time and effort helping Beth solve her cases."

He shifts and brings his hands behind his back, holding them there while he says, "Thank you, Sheriff, I'm willing to give it a try if she is," then he turns and gazes at Beth telling her, "Pleased to meet you, ma'am. I look forward to seeing if we can work as well together as you and St. John seemed to. His improved solve rate, not to mention the increased speed of his case closures, makes me think I'll enjoy working with you if you're willing to give me a chance."

She leans towards him and says, "It's nice to meet you, too, and if you're willing to work with a non-vampire then I am definitely open to giving a working relationship a go. This case has shown me that having a partner, particularly a vampire partner, is immensely helpful to not only solve the case but to keep me from running myself ragged trying to do everything and be everywhere all at once."

He inclines his head, so I ask him, "Fabulous, now, what is so horrible you couldn't tell it to me over the phone?"

He stands straighter and informs us both, "I'm sorry, Sheriff. I just felt you would want to hear this news in person. I didn't mean to trouble you."

I hold up my hand and tell him, "Thomas, it wasn't a complaint, and I was mostly teasing you. Tell me what you discovered, and I'll let you go glamour those necessary for you to begin working with Beth as of Monday morning."

He releases a heavy sigh and shifts on his feet before he says, "Thank you, Sheriff. So, um, the kid, Hank Bishop, saw what he thought was kinky sex between Dominic Michaels and his manager, Emma Monaghan. It wasn't until she began throwing the victim around the room and snapped his neck that the kid realized anything was wrong. He also saw her fangs and knew she wasn't human. As I said on the phone, he's been glamoured to forget the whole thing, and he now believes he ran because he feared suspicion would fall on him."

Emma? Dammit. What would possess her to cheat on Jackson in the first place, but beyond that, why didn't she report it? She's old enough to know better than to keep her actions from me. I like to think she knows me well enough to know I wouldn't have gotten involved in her personal affairs and only would have dealt with the human angle leaving it to her as to whether she told her husband, so there is no excuse.

Now, I'm going to have no choice but to involve Jackson, and Emma will force me to publicly humiliate him because I won't be able to keep Emma's identity a secret from the community.

I inhale deeply and then slowly let it out through my nose while I contemplate the mess my friend has made for all of us before asking, "Anything else I need to know?"

He shakes his head and says, "As I said in my message, everyone involved in the investigation has been glamoured to believe it was an accident and I personally destroyed the blood sample and removed all traces of it from the system records, so we should be covered from detection both before and after the future revelation."

I incline my head and tell him, "Excellent work. Thank you, Thomas."

He grins at my praise and then after he and Beth exchange information and arrange to meet at her desk first thing Monday morning, I dismiss him and then stand and pace back and forth behind my desk.

Of all the stupid, idiotic things. Emma knows better. She should have told me as soon as the situation would allow. She should not have let the human authorities or me go chasing after our own tails for a few days.

My maker is going to have a field day with her, and I can't see any way to keep Jackson from having his heart publicly broken.

Beth shows wisdom beyond her years by keeping quiet while I pace. A moment later I exhale a jarring breath and stop before turning my gaze on her and asking, "Is it wrong that I'm getting awfully tired of friends of mine making stupid decisions and betraying those closest to them?"

She shakes her head and says, "No, it's not wrong. From everything I know about you, Josef, you have always followed the law and a strict honor code, so I can understand why you'd be so frustrated by people you care about going around and acting without honor Willy Nilly. Do you want me to leave you to vampire business or do you need me to be present? Whichever you want, I'll do."

I don't verbally answer her and instead sit down and lift my cell phone off the desk where I put it earlier before dialing Jackson's phone number. I don't think I can keep my displeasure from showing through in my tone if I talk to Emma. So, I'll speak to Jackson because my tone of voice shouldn't spook him.

Even if he tells her I sounded angry, if I word myself correctly, I'll be able to allow her to think my displeasure is someone else's fault which should keep her from trying to flee.

He answers on the second ring and says, "Josef, what can I do for you?"

I frown because she didn't truly betray me, not the way she betrayed him anyway. Mindful of that fact I tell him, "I need to see you and Emma at my office at 1 p.m. This is official area business, so don't anger me by being late."

The frown on his face is evident in his voice when he asks, "Sheriff, if I've done something—"

Oh, he's definitely not the one who has done something he shouldn't have, so I cut him off and tell a tiny fib, "You and Emma haven't done anything to my knowledge. We have a suspect in the murder of Dominic Michaels, though, and we need all the information we can get from anyone who might know anything before we bring formal charges against the individual. This person has caused the new area investigator and me to waste our precious time, so I'm in a bad mood, and I won't put up with tardiness."

He exhales audibly and says, "Very well, Emma and I will be at your office at 1 p.m."

Frowning I tell him, "Thank you, Old Friend."

I hang up a moment later, and then take my MacBook Pro out of the desk drawer. I open it and then turn it on, and once it's booted up, I click the icon to open my address book and then after finding the number I need, I pick up my cell phone again and dial Lisa Schaefer's dorm room. She's the vampire cheerleader from the party.

I don't usually call her in her dorm room, which is why I didn't already have the number in my phone, but I've known Lisa for a few hundred years, so I'm not surprised when she answers and says, "Josef, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

I smile despite the situation and tell her, "I need to speak with you before noon today. When are you available?"

She is obviously frowning when she says, "I have cheer-leading practice this morning, but if you don't mind coming to me, I can dismiss them early, and we can speak about whatever you need."

I sit back in my seat and run my free hand through my hair before I tell her, "My future childe and I will be there around 10 a.m."

I picture her narrowed sky-blue eyes in my mind while she says, "We're practicing inside the new arena, so just come down to the court when you get there, and I'll dismiss the humans."

I let out a soft breath and tell her, "Thank you, Lisa."

Her smile is evident when she says, "Even if you weren't my sheriff, you're my friend, Josef, so I'll help you in any way I can."

I'm grinning, too, despite myself, before I tell her, "I will not forget that."

She says "Good, I'm going to see if I can get the girls together early, so we don't miss too much practice. I'll see you when you get there."

I hang up before making one more call to my second-in-command. I put it on speaker-phone so Beth can hear, and he answers on the third ring and says, "Mr. Kostan, do you need something?"

I let out a ragged breath and tell him, "Vincent, I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off, but I have an emergency, and I need you to be in the office by 11:30 and ready to accept guests by noontime."

I easily picture him in my head looking over his calendar with furrowed brow when he tells me, "I had some work I wanted to finish, so I was going to go in today anyway, so I'll just come in a few hours earlier."

I release a heavy sigh and tell him, "Thank you, and I'll make sure you get overtime for your work this weekend."

His frown comes through loud and clear when he asks, "Are you going to need me for more than just this afternoon? If so, I'll cancel my plans for this evening."

He's an exceptional childe and an excellent friend, so I know deep in my soul he doesn't really mind. Still, I tell him, "I'm sorry to disrupt your plans, but it may be necessary, however, wait until after my 1 o'clock to change your plans. I'll know shortly after that appointment what my needs will be tonight."

In my head I imagine him nodding with a furrowed brow while he rubs the back of his neck and says, "Of course, Mr. Kostan."

I let loose a booming laugh and ask him, "Vincent, since when do you call me anything other than Sire, Josef, or Master when it's just us? You are my second-in-command, and although most of the time you pose as an essential and extraordinarily valuable employee we both know you are above most others I interact with and beyond that, you are my childe and friend."

He chuckles and says, "I know all of that, but you sound like I'm on speakerphone and I hear a heartbeat in the background, so I wanted to err on the side of caution in case there is anyone present who might be able to hear me but doesn't know about us."

That right there is why he has been my trusted second and acting as my assistant since before the term became fashionable. We've been together for 4,279 years, and his discretion is only one of the many reasons I would be lost without him by my side. I beam and tell him, "The heartbeat you hear is your future blood-sister, Beth. We are alone, so you can be less formal, but I thank you for your discretion. You're worth every penny I pay you."

He snorts and says, "I still think you pay me too much, Josef."

I snicker, and after leaning back in my chair, I tell him, "Consider it—"

He interrupts me and finishes my sentence, "…Back-pay for the centuries I worked for you for little to no pay. I know, but still."

Chuckling, I wink at Beth and then say, "You know me well, Childe, now, I will let you go and see you in my office around 11:30."

The continued smile on his face is evident in his voice when he says, "Of course, Sire. I'll be there with bells on."

I bark out another laugh and then hang up.

Beth raises her eyebrow and asks, "Vincent is coming in? I always liked him. He never treated me as less because I'm human or thought I was human, whatever. He was always respectful and even made small talk with me a few times when I had to wait to be seen, and he never acted like it was a hardship to converse with me."

I lean towards her and rest my elbows on the top of my desk before telling her, "I met him 4,279 years ago give or take a decade or two. I turned him almost exactly three years after we met. He's my oldest, but he's one of the childer I resisted the pull for, not because I didn't want him, but his mother was ill, and he didn't want to leave with me until she passed. I respected that, so I stuck around and helped him make arrangements for his family for once he was gone, and when his mother died, I turned him."

She's leaning towards me with her elbow resting on her knee and her chin in her hand, so I grin and tell her, "He has always read me well and used that gift to serve me to the best of his abilities. While I'm certain Mick is clueless about my fondness for you, I am equally sure Vincent is aware of my feelings regarding you, and, therefore, treated you the way he knew I would want you treated. While he likely didn't and doesn't know I was seriously trying to figure out a way to turn you, he would have been able to tell I respect you, and he would have taken his cues from me."

She gives a gentle nod, so I run my hand through my hair and tell her, "He would have known you are one of the people I would have wanted to turn, but he would have assumed you being Mick's human would cause me to disregard the possibility."

I pause and shrug before saying, "If anyone could figure it out on their own, it would be Vincent. He'll never comment on his suspicions, though, because Jorge ultimately ordered that I turn you. Vincent will protect my interests to the best of his abilities, and he knows I wish to remain friends with Mick as much as possible."

I let out a heavy breath and tell her, "Though his attempt on your life has caused me to reexamine our friendship and whether I wish to continue calling him my friend."

Her eyes widen even while she keeps leaning towards me, so I explain, "Just as he's viewing my needing to turn you as an attack on him and his, I'm viewing his attempt to kill you as an attack on me and mine. I haven't decided yet, though."

Her eyes remain wide open, and her brow is furrowed, so I tell her, "Anyway, back to Vincent, I'm glad to hear he treated you agreeably because that will bode well for all of us getting along in the future. I've always done my best to foster strong ties between all of my childer and I wish for you to be close to them and not just me."

She smiles and says, "I like Rider and Vincent, so I look forward to meeting the rest of your childer. How many still exist?"

I lean back in my chair and tell her, "I've turned15 people including Sarah and Mick and nine of them still exist. In the coming weeks, I'll contact them and let them know they're to have a new sister and that your turning has been delayed because they will be getting a new niece and nephew as well."

She chuckles and asks, "And will they be happy about any of that?"

I grin and rest my hand on my desk, playing with the corner of the ink blotter before telling her, "They will all be ecstatic. The only childe I've had who wouldn't have been happy has been dead for 363 years after she killed her younger blood-sister forcing me to end her in retaliation."

Beth's eyes widen, so I tell her, "Lotus Jade Flower planned to kill me and all of my line, so she could take control of all of our assets. She tried to talk my then youngest childe, Anne, into helping her, but Anne was loyal to me, so she refused, and Lotus killed her to keep me from discovering her treachery. What she didn't realize is I can feel all my childer, so I knew the moment Anne died and went to investigate."

I breathe out a loud breath and rub the back of my neck before telling her, "Lotus is the only childe I've ever turned that I didn't feel the pull towards, and I believe that is why she wasn't unfailingly loyal to me and mine. She wasn't mystically meant to be mine. Anyway, everyone else should welcome you with varying degrees of open arms. Some of the older ones might require time to see if you're worthy of me, but that's mostly because they felt Lotus' betrayal profoundly and wish to protect me from further pain and treachery."

Beth scowls and says with a bite in her voice, "Lotus is lucky she's already dead, or we'd have issues."

I chuckle and tell her, "I'll be sure and tell Briseis, Millicent, and Samantha you said that after hearing what she did. That should impress them at least a bit."

Beth shakes her head and says, "Don't tell them, let me earn their respect through my actions that they witness and not the actions you witness. That's the only way they'll truly accept me as their sister."

She's continuously proving she's worthy of me and her words just now continue that trend, but she makes a fair point, so I tell her, "Okay, provided they treat you well, I'll do it your way."

She brushes a lock of her blonde tresses behind her ear and says, "Thank you, and don't worry, I'll do everything in my power to prove I'm worthy of your line."

I don't doubt that, so I simply nod and then lean towards her and say, "Anyway, going back to Mick and Vincent, Mick may be my best friend, but Vincent is my right hand, my first childe, and I'd be lost without him. Our relationship has a much different dynamic than the one I have with Mick in part because, unlike Mick, Vincent has always been one of my childer. However, despite being his maker, he's like a much younger brother, though, obviously not anywhere near as young as Mick."

She grins and uncrosses her legs before leaning on her knees with her elbows and saying, "Mick is your best friend despite what and who you are, while Vincent is your family who puts up with all your idiosyncrasies out of love more so than duty. Mick holds back, but Vincent gives you all of himself, and you return the honor."

I incline my head because she's hit the nail right on the head, so she adds, "That's cool."

I glance at the digital clocks on the wall across from my desk that have the current times in several international cities. We need to get going, so I sit forward and pick up my phone and then stand and put my phone into my pocket before asking, "Are you ready to go speak with Lisa?"

She cocks her head to the left and frowns slightly before she asks, "Uh, not that I'm complaining because I'm not, but why are we going and talking to Lisa if we already know who did it?"

I gaze at her for a minute and then tell her, "I smelled her on Dominic at the dedication. I don't think they had sex that night, but they definitely kissed and made out, so I figure if anyone might be able to corroborate Hank's statement so far as to whether Emma was having a sexual relationship with Dominic, it's Lisa. She's usually up on all the gossip anyway but add in the fact I know she was probably sleeping with him, well, she might be the motive for his death."

Beth furrows her brows and pinches her bottom lip between her thumb and pointer finger before letting go of her lip and pointing that finger at me and asking, "You think this is a jealousy-fueled rage that resulted in Dominic's death?"

I shrug and then push the button closing the panels on the wall and my desk before telling her, "Maybe."

I wave towards the door and ask, "Shall we go see if we can get some answers so when we ask Emma what happened, we'll already know all the details."

Her brow smooths out, and she smiles and stands before asking, "Do you want me to stay behind? I mean it's technically a vampire thing…"

I stride around my desk and come and stand before her. I put my forearms on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes, before telling her, "I was serious when I said you're going to be the Area Investigator even with this delay in your turning. In fact, I'm officially naming you the area investigator retroactively effective as of Thursday morning. While you're not a vampire just yet and there will be a considerable delay in you becoming my childe, there's no time like the present to jump into the deep end."

I play with a lock of her hair and then tell her, "Despite the delay, I plan to treat you as though you are already my childe in every way except those that might put you or your children in danger."

She brings her hands up to my arms still resting on her shoulders and squeezes lightly before saying, "Okay, I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel obligated to include me."

Smiling, I shift to stand beside her and put my arm around her shoulders before trying to guide her out of the room and telling her, "Trust me, Beth, if I didn't think your inclusion was appropriate, I would have told you long before now."

She turns her face and looks at me and says, "Good, I just wanted to make sure," then she spins out of my grasp and heads to the corner of my office before picking up her computer from Rider's desk. She puts it back into its bag, and then she slings the bag over her shoulder and returns to my side.

I put my arm back around her, and we walk down to the first floor. When we reach the ground floor, Beth pulls away again and says, "Let me just get my sandwich and water bottle from the kitchen because we're planning to go to your office after we meet with Lisa."

Not even three minutes later, we're striding out of the house.

Traffic is thick today, so it's slow going. Beth shifts in her seat and then clears her throat and asks, "Um, are we going to talk about that amazing kiss?"

I chuckle and tell her, "It was pretty amazing wasn't it?"

She just slowly nods, so I glance over at her briefly before bringing my eyes back to the road in front of me and telling her, "I already told you, Beth, I'm open to having a physical relationship with you. Now, that kiss shows we have undeniable chemistry, and the only reason I turned you down the other night was that you were clearly upset, and I thought it would do more harm than good on that particular night. If I don't think it'll hurt your emotional wellbeing in the future, and I'll take that on a case by case basis, then I'm more than open to us entertaining each other that way. It's your choice, though, again, I reserve the right to put the brakes on if I think it's appropriate to do so."

She just slowly tilts her head to the left with a dreamy smile on her face and says, "Okay, then I'm willing. I'd be stupid to say no after that kiss, I think I'm still tingling everywhere we touched and a few places we didn't."

I snicker and nod with a satisfied smirk on my face. The scent of her blood so close to the surface of her skin fills the interior of the car while her blush blooms on her cheeks and moves its way down her throat. Just how far down does it go?

She clears her throat again and says, "I've never been kissed like that, Josef. I, I mean I've kissed men before. Obviously, because I'm pregnant, I'm not a virgin, and although the number of men I've been with is small, I've certainly kissed men and been kissed well, but a kiss has never felt like that. I only ever felt like that after having an orgasm. How on earth did you make me feel post orgasmic without me even having a damn orgasm?"

I stifle a chuckle because I'm unclear whether she's angry. Her words had a slight bite to them, but she's relaxed, and her muscles are loose.

I err on the side of caution, though, and ask her, "Out of curiosity, who's the oldest man you've ever kissed beside me and how old was he?"

She narrows her eyes and furrows her brow even while she nibbles on her lower lip before releasing it and saying, "I see where you're going with this and to answer your question I dated a professor from another school while I was an undergrad. He was 43 at the time, and except for a few kisses that I shared with Mick he is by far the oldest man I've ever done anything with, well, until this morning that is."

I chuckle and tell her, "So, it makes sense the man who is more than 5,340 years older than that professor would be more adept at the art of giving pleasure than any of the men you've been with before, right?"

She nods before saying, "But you only touched my lips. How is my whole body thrumming from a kiss? I don't get it."

Something occurs to me, which I don't have much experience with because usually I'm the one taking blood not the one giving it, so I tell her, "It might have something to do with the fact you've had my blood three times. What you're describing sounds like how it feels when I'm with those I share a blood-link with. While I am not in the habit of sharing my blood terribly often, generally only to heal or turn those few humans I consider mine, it would make sense that giving someone my blood multiple times would have the same effect on the other person that the blood-link I share with those of Roman's line has on me."

She frowns and rubs her lips with her finger before asking, "So, what you're saying is it'll always feel like this so long as I'm either drinking your blood or I'm your childe."

I reach over and squeeze her hand briefly before putting my hand back on the gear shift and telling her, "Pretty much."

She laughs and then says, "You, Josef Kostan, are going to ruin me for all other men."

I chuckle, but a secret part of me I'm not willing to give voice to or even really inspect too closely right now wants to say, 'Good.' I know better than to say that out loud, though, so I actively work at keeping a wide grin off my face, and we continue the journey in companionable silence.

It takes us 45 minutes to get to the Arena. When I get out of the car, I stride around it and open Beth's door for her. She smiles and takes my hand. After she's standing, she glances up at the sun shining brightly in the sky and asks, "I once asked Mick how much sun is too much sun. He told me any is too much, but now that seems kind of dismissive to me like he was trying to keep from explaining the nitty-gritty details of being a vampire, so I'll ask you, how much sun is too much sun?"

I put my hand on the small of her back and lead her towards the arena's front door before telling her, "He probably was being dismissive, but it's an honest answer. The moment the rays of the sun hits our skin, we begin losing energy. Lose enough, and it'll kill us as you almost witnessed in the desert back in September. Now, the older a vampire is, the more energy and power they have to draw from, so I can stay in the sun much longer than Mick could and have far fewer negative reactions to it. That said, the sun's rays are why most vampires wear long sleeves and pants or long skirts even when it's hot out because the cloth keeps us from losing more energy. Still, our heads are exposed as are our hands and necks, but for the most part, Vincent or I could have easily spent the same time out in the middle of the desert that Mick spent with an inconsequential effect. Unlike Mick, we'd probably be a bit drained and slower to react, but we would not have been on death's door, far from it, in fact."

She turns her face and looks at me with wide round eyes, so while we go up a flight of stairs towards the doors of the building, I tell her, "I've spent an entire day in the sun in shorts and no shirt on multiple occasions. You will as well because it'll teach you what being drained feels like, and it'll show you how to compensate for what you've lost from the sun's rays. It'll be one of the less comfortable exercises I'll make you do once you turn, but it'll likely save your life at some point, so it's worthwhile to suffer a little to make sure you know how to react if you find yourself taking a hike through the desert at high noon like Mick did."

When we reach the doors, I open one for her, and we enter the building, before she asks, "Did you ever make Mick do that?"

I shake my head and tell her, "Oh, I tried on multiple occasions, but after a few minutes in the sun he insisted it wasn't necessary and would go back inside. I stopped trying to teach the lesson a decade ago, though, his diet would have made him lose energy faster than when he regularly live fed."

She narrows her eyes and says, "Okay, for the record I want to be the strongest I can be and know as much as I can so I will do whatever you tell me to, and you have my express permission to remind me I just said that whenever I bitch too much."

I chuckle and lead Beth through the lobby to the back stairwell, and we head down to the floor of the court. After laughing for a solid 30 seconds, I manage to calm myself and ask, "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be reminding you quite a bit?"

She giggles and says, "Maybe because even though you and I haven't known each other for long, you seem to have a decent read on me and who and how I am."

I just nod slowly, and when we reach the side of the court, we watch Lisa drill her squad for a little more than half an hour. I wait that long because I'm aware I'm causing Lisa to lose valuable practice time. I refrain from speaking so as not to distract Lisa's girls, but I beam the whole time because like a well-behaved childe Beth takes her cues from me and remains silent as well.

When it looks like a reasonable stopping point, I clear my throat. Lisa glances over at us and grins before she then claps her hands and says, "Alright guys, good practice."

They quickly disperse, so I lead Beth towards center court and snicker when Lisa rubs her hands together and says, "Oh, I get to meet the future childe. I'm gonna be the envy of the city's vampires when my friends discover I got to meet the famous Beth Turner first. Ms. Turner a pleasure. I, like most every other vampire in town, have heard all about your exploits with Mr. St. John."

Beth smiles and inclines her head, so Lisa stares at me with narrowed eyes and furrowed brow and asks, "Josef, it's not like you to call me in the morning, in my dorm room no less, and on a Saturday at that, so what can I do for you?"

I let out a heavy breath and stuff my hands into my jeans pockets before telling her, "We're investigating Dominic's death."

She frowns and shifts on her feet before crossing her arms over her chest and asking, "I heard it was maybe murder?"

I shrug and say, "Or an accident. Perhaps someone got a little rough? The human authorities found vamp blood on the body."

Lisa's eyes pop open wide, and she shakes her head and says, "Not mine, not that night anyway."

I already knew that, still, I ask, "But you were sleeping with him?"

She nods and says, "We hooked up pretty regularly while he was a student here and every now and then since he went to the pros."

She glances at Beth and tells her, "I've been into jocks the last few semesters."

Beth chuckles and asks, "Oh, so how long have you been in college?"

I snicker while Lisa grins and tells my future childe, "Forty years or so. It's the perfect life for a vamp. Nobody notices when you sleep all day, and there's a constant rotation of frat boys too drunk to know when a hickey isn't a hickey."

Beth raises an eyebrow and asks, "No one notices the puncture marks on the neck?"

One side of Lisa's lips tilt up in a smirk before she says, "That's not the artery I go for."

I chuckle at the blush spreading across Beth's face before she says, "Oh, right."

I give Lisa a moment to enjoy Beth's blush and its fragrant aroma and then ask her, "You weren't feeding on Dominic?"

Lisa shakes her head vigorously and says, "No way! He took our team to the tournament three years in a row. He needed his strength. Emma was careful too, at least I never noticed anything."

Bingo. That's what I wanted from her. Still, I ask so there's no doubt, "Emma Monaghan? Dominic was sleeping with his manager?"

She nods slowly and says, "Yeah for the past couple of months at least, but you didn't hear that from me, Josef."

Beth moves closer to me but asks, "Did Jackson know?"

Lisa once again shakes her head back and forth and says, "Not from me, no way I'd get in the middle of that."

Beth narrows her eyes and asks, "Maybe not from you but have you seen anything to indicate Jackson suspects?"

Lisa frowns but her brow furrows and her eyes squint while she obviously really thinks it over. She shakes her head a minute later and says, "No, he's been the same loving and devoted husband he's always been ever since I met them both in New York in 1923."

She looks at Beth and shrugs before saying, "I was a flapper back then."

Beth smiles, so Lisa turns her face back to me and says, "Anyway, I haven't noticed any strain between them or anything, and the only reason I know about Emma and Dominic is that I saw her come out of his building once. When I entered his apartment, I could smell her all over him. She didn't see me, but I could clearly smell her or more specifically her sex."

She shrugs with a frown on her face and says, "I made him shower before I'd be with him because as any vampire will tell you, being able to smell another's sex on the person your sleeping with is repulsive. I mean it doesn't smell bad per say, but it's a reminder you're not the only one, and even if you don't want to be the only one, no woman likes to be reminded there are other, possibly prettier, fish in the sea."

Beth and I both nod and then Beth shows why she's such a talented investigator by asking, "You said you don't think she saw you, but has she acted any differently towards you? Maybe she smelled you on him, and she didn't like that there are possibly prettier fish in the sea?"

Lisa shakes her head but says, "No, but I don't see either of the Monaghans too often. I see Jackson more than Emma in a standard week. Plus, it's been a while since I slept with Dominic on anything nearing a regular basis. He's in the big leagues now, or he was, and the Knicks drafted him, so he wasn't here in L.A. that often anymore. I did have plans with him for later that night. Obviously, that never happened."

I turn and gaze at Beth for a few seconds before asking her, "Did we miss anything?"

Beth crosses her arms over her chest before staring at the ceiling. I chuckle because while she thinks everything over, she nibbles on her lip and taps her foot on the floor in a steady staccato beat.

A moment later she stands straight and asks, "To your knowledge did Dominic know what either of you are?"

Lisa scowls and with a hand on her hip says, "No way, that boy was not mature enough to know our secret. He was the type who would have used the knowledge as leverage in an argument, so I never told him, and I doubt Emma told him for the same reason. Protecting our secret is the number one rule, or at least it is until the revelation at the beginning of the summer, but for now, I wouldn't risk myself or the community by telling Dominic what I am."

Lisa pauses and then asks me, "Sheriff, you think Emma killed Dominic?"

I sigh and tell her, "Yes, I believe so."

I don't tell her I have an eyewitness because I'll save that for the trial. She puts both hands on her hips and then asks, "If that's the case, why didn't she tell you? I mean the humans were all over this…?"

I shrug and tell her, "You can be certain that's one of the many questions I'll be asking her when I see her. If you would refrain from telling anyone what you know or even that you and I spoke about this until after I bring formal charges against her, I would appreciate it, and if necessary, I'll order you as your sheriff to keep your mouth shut."

She pouts and moves one hand to her chest before saying, "Come now, Josef, we've known each other for over 350 years. When have I ever spoken out of turn or required someone in a position of authority to order me to keep my mouth shut? The only reason I told you about Emma is you're my Sheriff. If you were just some random vampire off the street, I wouldn't have even dignified your questions with a response."

I exhale a heavy breath and tell her, "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just antsy. The human authorities got a bit too close for comfort, and I don't want Emma finding out I know until I speak with her and Jackson."

Lisa gives me a soft smile and says, "You're forgiven. And don't worry, no one will hear about this from me."

I tip my head towards her and say, "Thank you. I won't forget your continued discretion."

She just inclines her head, so I put my hand in the small of Beth's back again and begin leading her off the court. Beth calls over her shoulder, "Have a wonderful day."

Lisa beams at her and says, "For the record, I'm jealous Josef, but if anyone else had to get this human for him or herself, I'm glad it's you. I think you both suit each other, and I wish you both the type of maker/childe relationship you have with your maker, Josef."

I beam before telling her, "Thank you, Lisa."

She gives us a tiny wave, so I guide Beth back across the court and lead her towards the stairs.

When we get outside, and into my Ferrari, I glance at the clock on the dash and tell Beth, "It's 11:10. Lunch hour traffic will mean by the time we get to my office it should be just before noon. That should give us time to collect our thoughts while you eat your lunch."

She puts on her seatbelt and then leans back in her seat, so I hand her my phone and tell her, "My maker is number two on my speed dial. Call him and ask him to meet us at my office. Tell him I'll fill him in when he gets there but I want to get to the office as soon as possible, so you have time to eat in peace."

I turn the car on, and she tilts her head to the side before she says, "I can wait if necessary, Josef."

With a shake my head, I pull out of the parking spot before heading towards my office downtown and telling her, "That won't be necessary. You and the little ones should have plenty of time to eat to your fill before we need to deal with this mess."

She gives a slow nod and then makes the call. When my maker answers, he says, "Josef, I was expecting your call later today."

Beth fidgets in her seat and clears her throat before saying, "Uh, grandsire, it's Beth. Josef is driving and asked me to call you for him."

The roof of the car is up due to the sun being out. So, I don't have to struggle to hear him over the wind, so his grin is evident when he says, "Very well, childe, what has he asked you to tell me?"

She smiles slightly and says, "We're meeting with our suspect at 1 p.m. at Josef's office. He requests that you come before that if you can. I think he wants to run what we know by you and make sure we haven't accidentally missed something that might be important."

He chuckles and says, "With the two of you on the case, I highly doubt either of you has failed to turn over every stone. Still, I am at a meeting a few streets away from Josef's building, so I will meet you there shortly."

She brushes her hair behind her free ear and then says, "Okay, thank you and um, I have some questions for you if you have some time afterward. I don't think anyone but you and Josef should be present for these questions, and I want you to know that your answers won't change anything. I just have this burning desire to know everything I can about, well, everything, and, honestly, I've been that way my whole life, and so I just want to know if I'm reading you right, but if I am, I won't hold that against you… or Josef. I just need to know for my peace of mind."

He laughs when she stops and takes a deep, audible breath. He pauses for a minute probably to see if she's done and then asks, "Are you finished?"

She snickers into the phone and then says, "Yes, Sir."

His smile is still evident in his voice when he says, "I can't imagine what you wish to ask me, but I will do my best to answer your questions."

If she's talking about what I think she's talking about, then he's correct, and he has no clue. If I'm right, he's going to be pleasantly surprised, and if she approaches this the proper way, she's going to earn his respect even more than she already has. He will realize once and for all that we are extremely fortunate, she will be of our line even with the delay caused by her pregnancy.

She sighs and says, "Thank you, Grandsire. I realize you're not in the habit of answering questions, so I appreciate your willingness to answer mine."

He chuckles again and says, "I know, and that is the only reason I'm going to entertain your questions. I do reserve the right to refuse to answer. However, I can't foresee a situation where I would do that."

She rubs her free hand back and forth along the length of her leg and says, "Okay, I can wait, so whenever is convenient for you, just let me know, and I'll ask my questions."

In my mind, I imagine him wearing a pleased smile on his face, so I beam when he says, "Very good, Childe, I will conclude my business here and meet you and Josef at his office in 40 minutes."

He hangs up a moment later, and she breathes deeply and then slowly releases it through her nose. I reach over and squeeze her hand before asking, "You're planning to ask him if he's using my crime to give me what I wanted most in the world in the guise of punishment?"

She nods and sits further back into her seat before saying, "Yes, like I told him, it won't change anything. I still want to become your childe, and I'll still like and respect both of you. I just want to know if I'm right, and maybe I'm better off not knowing, but it'll bother me until I know for sure either way. Even if curiosity killed the cat, well, I've been this way my whole life and I'm gonna die and become a vampire eventually anyway so…"

I laugh and give her hand another squeeze before releasing her hand and shifting gears while telling her, "I don't think asking will get you killed. If your suspicion is correct, your figuring it out will earn you his respect because you figured it out on your own and especially because you barely know him and don't know me much more than you know him. If you manage to ask and not accuse, I don't see any way this can end badly."

She just grins and then sits back in her seat before reaching over and placing her hand on top of mine on the gear shift. We ride the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

Author's Notes: I've heard the theory about hollow fangs from several places but the person who introduced me to the idea was Robin M. Not sure who came up with it first, but it makes sense to me, so I used it here.

Also, a special thank you to Robin M., laurenj15, Luner Kat, pyrodaemon, velez and all the other betas I've ever worked with for continually poking my Muse in the side with a pointy stick and giving her innovative ideas to work with. I would not tell my stories as well as I do, and I would not enjoy writing them so much if it weren't for all of you and your hard work. So, with soul-deep gratitude, thank you.