Hey all i know i am so shamefully bad and have left you guys hanging for ever so long! But here is the next chapter and i promise i am finishing this story this week and next week!

Thank you all for hanging in there and please enjoy.

Disclaimer: i do not own!

*A*A*A*

Veli stirred in the freezer in his room, opening the door and allowing clouds of the white frosted mist to billow out behind him. a sigh of frustration left his mouth as he stretched; things had been errilyu silent with his mystery vamp the last few nights and instinct told him that things were building; the peaks and troughs would soon meet a crescendo and he, Veli, would enter into this vampire's sick game without understanding the rules or how to win.

Those were simply, he mused, the worst sort of odds.

Leaving his chambers, he smiled fondly at the sound of snoring coming from timothy's room over the hall; they were a strange bunch, he would be the first one to hold up his hands and admit it-but family was family at the end of the day.

Practical jokes and relentless teasing aside, they would have his back in a heartbeat when this situation came to light.

And those were simply the best kind of odds.

*A*A*A*

Hueilen let a growl of frustration and with a well executed chop, smashed the boulder before her in half.

It would appear she simply couldn't catch a break lately; Veli had been unable to catch up with the troublesome vampire who was risking all of their safety and the situation was going from bad to worse by the day. Next was everything with Robert; she was unsure how to approach him, her hope that all of her experience with male fledglings would help her had been in vain.

Perhaps she simply could not relate to the youth of today she thought with a wry smile; she was starting to sound old these days.

For all her preaching about concentration and focus, she was unable to practice her own wisdom today; so far her training had been a frustrating flop rather than the welcome stress relieving break she had hoped for.

With a sigh that reached every corner of her bones, she eventually gave up. Picking up her training tools, she headed back towards the house.

The boys were planning a game this evening; maybe a couple of rounds of cheering would help her relax.

*A*A*A*

Mick awoke to find himself alone in the freezer, a nagging pit at the bottom of his stomach. It reminded him of when he had snuck off to an over eighteen movie during his early teenage years and the persistent nightmares that had invaded his sleep for the month after.

Throwing on a pair of sweats, he tried to reason with himself; they were all safe in the house and there was a second house full of older kick butt vampires no more than three minutes away, walking like a human. What could possibly go wrong from there?

He just didn't like to wake in the freezer alone he reasoned and he and Josef had stayed up way too long, well past dawn to finish the eight ball tournament they had started.

A grin spread across Mick's face as he recalled it and he rubbed his hands with glee; he had won overall, despite Josef's heckling and teasing. The other vamp owed him several boxes of Cuban cigars from his private store when they returned to LA. Though Mick was sure the situation would be win- win due to the likelihood he would end up sharing them with Josef, perhaps over a fresher from the vein pitcher of sangria...

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Mick's first port of call was the fridge and two glasses, gulped one after the other of fresh blood. Only then did he turn his attention to other details.

His sharp eyes picked up one new detail in particular; the note Beth had written on leaving the house. He picked it up and scanned it, taking the information in. he realised the feeling that had awoken him was his fledgling's missing presence. It said she would not be too long and he knew she should be safe but still...

Mick simply did not trust Robert.

He wasn't an out and out bad guy, but something was going on behind the scenes, Mick was sure of it.

And until Mick knew what was going on, he certainly wasn't going to leave his Beth alone with the guy.

Placing the letter back down on the table, Mick resolved to get dressed and head out after the pair. Or he would of if his chest was not suddenly constricted by a terrible pain, forcing him to his knees and a great roar to bubble from deep inside him.

*A*A*A*

"ow! Ow!" Elaina banged her head as she awoke with a jump; Josef pulled from sub zero slumber not far behind her.

Pushing open the freezer, Josef grabbed his robe and headed to the door, opening it silently and checking both ways down the corridor before stepping out.

"paranoid much?" Elaina asked coming up behind him, pulling tightly the tie of her own robe, her dark hair still filled with ice crystals which scattered to the floor like tear drops as she walked.

"Caution is never overrated" Josef replied, his hand coming up to guide her behind him, his body taking on a defensive stance.

Another roar echoed through the house and a worried look passed between them; even though the sound was more animal by now they both recognised who it was coming from.

Hurrying to the kitchen, they were confronted by a horrific site; Mick was curled in a ball on the floor, eyes silvered to transparency, face twisted in a grimace of pain beyond all recollection. His fangs protruded sharply from his open mouth as he continued to bellow loudly.

Elaina moved towards him but Josef held her back. "Mick isn't Mick right now" he advised. "his vampire is very much in control and we need to calm him. The worst thing we can do is crowd him or he may feel caged and attack us"

Elaina nodded, blinking away tears; it killed her to see her big brother who was usually so strong and together completely lost to himself.

"Elaina" Josef spoke quietly "you need to go and look for Beth. She isn't in the house, i can feel that much. Go outside and look, you need to find her and bring her here"

"i don't think bringing a fledgling into this would be a good idea do you?" she whispered back.

Josef nodded "finding Beth is the only way to calm this. This is a sire reaction...which means-"

"a fledgling in distress" Elaina finished, eyes widening with worry and fear "Beth..."

"go find her" Josef ordered calmly " Mick and i are going to have a chat"

"what will you do?" Elaina edged her way out the kitchen door and into the hall. There she grabbed the bag of work out clothes she had prepared for tonights game with her brothers. Hurriedly dressing, she moved out into the night, casting her senses forward in search of her missing friend.

*A*A*A*

Beth had walked along the river bank with Robert for the last half an hour. The moon was full and beautiful as she gazed at it while Robert vented.

He had truly cared for and respected his sire, she was now sure of that. Perhaps he had even loved her or hoped for more...her old reporter instincts kicked in, making the connection, making her curious.

She could understand his plight; she told him so. Mick, she explained, was the love of her life. He made all others who had come before him negible. She had even been in a relationship for almost a year when she had met Mick at first but within very little time at all, his presence had rendered even that obsolete.

"you do understand" Robert beamed "i knew you would"

Beth returned his smile with a grin of her own. She was glad to have helped. All too often since her turning, she had had to rely on Mick or Elaina or someone else to take the lead, unsure as she was as to what to do. That was simply not a role she was used to or relished.

Finally it seemed like things were back on track.

"its why" Robert began turning to face her "that i hope you will forgive me one day"

Beth looked puzzled "forgive you? For what?"

"For this" said an ice cold voice behind her. and right about the time mick let his first scream of agony, Beth fell, mouth caught in a silent O shape, stake in her back.

*A*A*A*

Ah! Oh no! Poor Beth right? Hopefully you are enjoying the piece so far! Let me know what you think!

;3