Disclaimer: I don't own the Night World and any of its characters that might be mentioned in this story.

Chapter 2         Soulmate?!

            Brooke Moonstone woke up yawning. Another boring day in her miserable life that's full of nothing. Grabbing her backpack she walked out of her house, outside a car honked for her. She smiled when she saw who it was. Kyle Marsten waited for her to get in.

"So are you ready for that huge math test Brooke?" Kyle asked glancing at her.

"I stayed up half the night for it." Brooke replied yawning again.

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At her classroom, their teacher introduced a new student. "Pandora Redfern." The girl in front was very beautiful she looked like a goddess. Brooke realized that the girl was the one who just moved in at the huge empty house. Judging the girl's stylish appearance, Brooke wondered what made the girl moved in to their little town. "She's probably a snob." Brooke thought as their teacher handed out their test paper for their math test.

Brooke was concentrating hard on the test when suddenly her ball pen ran out of ink. She looked around her to ask for an extra one when she saw all her classmates bent down on their papers concentrating hard too. She was surprised when someone handed her a pen from behind her. "Thank you." Brooke murmured, she turned to look behind grateful and found herself staring at Pandora's ice blue eyes. "You're welcome." Pandora whispered back. Soon the bell rang and Brooke just finished answering her paper.

She waited for Pandora outside. "Here, and thank you again." Brooke said smiling. "Do you want to take your break with me?" Pandora asked immediately. "Huh?" Brooke said faltering. "It's just that I don't know anyone yet and I might get lost." Pandora added. "Um…okay, I guess we can go to the cafeteria and find Kyle." Brooke responded.

At the cafeteria, Brooke searched through the crowds looking for her popular friend. And there he was, surrounded by his friends and girlfriends. Brooke always wondered why Kyle hangs out with her, since she was such a loner. And now this beautiful girl Pandora wanted to be her friend too.

Brooke waved at Kyle, Kyle grinned and walked towards her. "Hey Brooke who's your friend?" Kyle asked easily staring at Pandora. "Kyle this is Pandora Redfern, Pandora this is Kyle Marsten." Brooke introduced. A flash of recognition entered through Kyle's eyes then quickly subsided. He offered her a hand and Pandora took it staring curiously at his ring with the symbol of the foxglove. "You seem familiar, have we met before?" Kyle asked. "Can't say that we have." Pandora responded pleasantly but her eyes were cold.

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Soon the day was already over, "Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Pandora asked Brooke. "Oh, no thanks, Kyle always does that." Brooke answered smiling. "Guess, I'll see you tomorrow." Pandora said waving as she went inside her car. After Pandora had left, just a few minutes later Kyle also went out. "Hey, you ready to go?" Kyle asked. "Huh, sure." Brooke responded.

As soon as she got home, her phone rang. "Hello?" She greeted. "Hey, Brooke, it's me Conner." The guy from the other end of the line replied. "Conner! I miss you," Brooke said exclaiming. "Yeah I know I miss you too." Conner answered. "Do you still love me?" Brooke asked timidly afraid that now since he was in college, he might have found someone better than her. "Hey, I'll always love you, we're still best friends." Conner replied sighing assuring her. In his room Conner ran a hand through his hair at his girlfriend's lack of trust in him or rather doubt in herself.

Back at their town Conner used to always take care of her, and now that he's here he had been a bit worried on who's going to take care of her. Good thing that guy, what was his name again? Oh yeah, Kyle was there." Conner frowned thinking of the guy, though Conner doesn't like him much he still took care of Brooke. He only met Kyle once and he was still a bit uneasy with the encounter. "So how are thing there? Anything new?" Conner asked. "There's a new girl, she's very nice and pretty too. Her name's Pandora Redfern." Brooke said happily. An unknown chill passes through Conner's spine. Brooke's choice in friends have always been unsettling to him," he thought remembering Kyle.

"So how are things with you?" Brooke asked. "Oh, it's great. I'm going to be home for our semester break." Conner responded. "That's wonderful! It'll be like old times." Brooke said excited. "Yeah." He responded softly. "Well, I've got to go, see you during this weekend." Conner said. "Yeah see you." Brooke echoed.

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Meanwhile Pandora too arrived back at her home. "I pity you Lilith, look at what your descendants have been reduced too." Pandora thought darkly. She and Lilith Moonstone had a bit of history together. Lilith had the nerve to challenge her, after they had set aside their difference they even manage to be civil and helped each other professionally. Pandora grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen; she's going to have to feed tonight.

She frowned as someone rang her doorbell. "What are you doing here?" Pandora asked eyeing Kyle Marsten who was leaning at her door. "No the question is what are you doing here Miss Redfern?" Kyle asked darkly. "I have a mission here shape shifter, and I wasn't aware that other night people are here." Pandora replied her voice civil. Kyle nodded. "Just don't get in my way, and perhaps we might even help each other out." Kyle suggested. "Perhaps." Pandora replied uncommittedly. As Kyle turned to leave, "Hey, how much does Brooke Moonstone mean to you?" Pandora asked wondering why he even bothers to hang out with a loner like Brooke since she's not even a witch anymore. "Just for the hell of it, and to annoy that college boyfriend of hers." Kyle said smirking. "Good." Pandora thought.

"Her mission is Brooke then?" Kyle thought worried. "Truth was he owe someone a debt and was keeping a low profile for awhile, he also was getting a bit attached to Brooke and was really looking out for her." Kyle admitted to himself. "The hell he was going to admit it to someone like Pandora Redfern, She was a legend for being ruthless when she wants to. Kyle knew better, he was not going to get in the way if Pandora's mission really was Brooke. He might even help Pandora and perhaps Pandora might even help her with his debt." Kyle thought smiling to himself.

The next day, "Hey! Guess what? My boyfriend Conner is coming home this weekend." Brooke said happily to Pandora. Pandora smiled faintly. "That's great, were you guys close?" Pandora asked lightly. Brooke nodded vigorously. We were best friends before we were a couple, and he always took care of me," Brooke replied remembering. "He's in college now, and I can't wait till I'm out of high school and study with him." Brooke added her voice distant. "I'm happy for you then." Pandora said as they arrived at their class. "Is this going to complicate my job?" Pandora considered

Soon the weekend came and Brooke was already at Conner's house. "Conner!" Brooke cried out hugging her boyfriend as he got out from his car. Conner hugged her as well. "I want you to meet my friend Ash Redfern, we met by coincidence at the university." Conner spoke as another boy went out of the car. "The guy was unnaturally beautiful with blonde hair and unique colored eyes, just like Pandora." Brooke thought to herself. "A pleasure to meet you." Ash spoke. "Redfern? Do you know Pandora Redfern then?" Brooke asked smiling. Ash's smile faltered. "Perhaps a distant relation, We're a big family." Ash replied recovering himself shrugging.

"Con, looks like I'll be leaving on sunset, something just came up." Ash said looking at Conner. "Huh? Whatever you want." Conner responded. Brooke grabbed Conner's hand, "C'mon I want you to hang out with us." Brooke said. "I'll catch up with you, I need to help Ash first find the things he's looking for." Conner replied. "Oh, okay." Brooke said disappointed.

Ash and Conner were at a store and Ash was just finishing buying the stuff he was looking for. "Hey, A piece of advice, be careful around her, the one your girlfriend mentioned Pandora." Ash said mysteriously. "Why?" Conner asked confused. "Just stay away from her." Ash said looking away not meeting his gaze.

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As Ash and Conner were going out of the store, Pandora and Brooke were just around the corner. For a moment Ash and Pandora's eyes met. And a flash of recognition entered through Pandora's features. Ash quickly looked away and Pandora frowned. "Hey!." Brooke shouted. Conner turned to look at them while Ash went to his car and left.

Pandora and Brooke approached him. "Where did your friend go?" Pandora asked staring at the car. "Oh Ash had something important to do." Conner replied nonchalant. "ASH! She was not mistaken, that had been her cousin. Then why had he ignored her just like that? Were the rumors true that Ash Redfern had a complete turnaround and had become a traitor?" Pandora thought disturbed. She averted her gaze towards Brooke's boyfriend.

"Not bad." She thought. "He was hot!" Pandora thought as he eyed him. "Too bad he's human, and Brooke's boyfriend. Aren't you going to introduce as Brooke?" she asked smiling observing their intertwined hands with distaste. "She already had a plan on how to get Brooke's blood willingly and the appearance of her boyfriend might complicate it." Pandora thought. "Oh right, Pandora this is my boyfriend and best friend Conner Reynolds. Conner this is Pandora Redfern." Brooke said looking back and forth at her friend and boyfriend. "A pleasure to meet you." Pandora said smiling. Conner observed her fixed smile and realize that her eyes were cold radiating animosity. Conner nodded keeping his opinions to himself. Brooke nudged her boyfriend. Conner rolled his eyes and offered his free hand to Pandora. Pandora took it and gasped under her breath.

Something was happening! For the first time in centuries Pandora Redfern felt weak and vulnerable against the emotions she can't control. Her entire vision turned light pink and her feelings and senses were out of control. All because of the contact of his hand and hers, Pandora quickly took back her hand and composed herself. Brooke was staring quizzically at both of them. "Is something wrong?" Brooke asked worried. Pandora plastered back her smile. "Oh nothing's wrong I just remembered something." Pandora said leaving. "Okay." Brooke nodded grateful for the privacy. Conner too was confused at the weird emotions she had ignited. "Was he imagining things when he suddenly envisioned the whole world turn pink?" Conner thought bewildered. "Let's go Conner." Brooke spoke tugging at his hand. "Yeah." Conner replied distracted.

Pandora arrived at her home. "Dammit!" Pandora cursed angrily as she slammed her door. She finally realized what happened. "Goddess she had just met her soulmate, and he was human and her mission's boyfriend too." Pandora thought angrily. "I should just kill him." Pandora thought resolutely. "But maybe, I could use him first then kill him." Pandora thought again. "But could she really do it? She had heard tales of other vampires going insane when they had lost their soulmates. All lies." Pandora thought dismissively.

Picking up her phone, she called her cousin Allana. "Hello?" she heard her cousin's voice. "Hey, it's me." Pandora answered. "What's taking you so long? I'm already thinking of signing you up on another job with me." Allana said idly. "Something just came up, I met my soulmate." Pandora said slowly. "Oh really? Well did you kill him?" Allana asked her voice filled with excitement. "No…" Pandora spoke her voice trailing off. "Well I hope your not going to become a traitor too just because your soulmate is a pathetic mortal." Allana said distastefully. "Like our cousin Ash Redfern, our next mission is him." Allana informed her. "Oh really?" Pandora asked interested. "Well, I won't tell you anything unless you come back here." Allana told her. "Don't worry, I already have a plan." Pandora said her eyes gleaming.

Author's notes: Pandora's soulmate is a human who has a slight ESP. Please review!

Next chapter: Treachery and deceit, Pandora starts spinning her web of lies and revelation on her plan.