Hey you guys. I know it's been a couple of days, and, unfortunately, this is a pretty short chapter. I have a new-found allergy to cats, and a sinus cold on top of that, so I've been lying in bed for the past two days reading 'Pride & Prejudice' by Jane Austen. Not to mention I'm pretty nervous about the Bloody Quills results, so it's hard to concentrate on my writing, since I keep typing and deleting, being over critical of myself. I don't think there's too many more chapters left to this, so I should be done in the next week.

amphitrite: I take it you don't like cliff-hangers? Hehehehe. You won't like the end of this chapter, either, then. I've been asleep majority of today, so the next part should be up closely following this.

Emmanuelle: Fireworks, huh? They should be expected in the next part. Come on, it's Monroe. How bad can he be?

Adelaide E: Yeah, it's those bastards. =) I didn't really want them to hate each other so soon, but I wanted a decent conflict, and to get everyone's mind back on the adventure and less on the romance. Thanks, my clairvoyant buddy.

Tamashii: So now I'm predictable? Sorry, like I told Adelaide, I wanted to get everyone's mind back on the action, off of the couple.

Hedge: I just keep you up until the ungodly hours of the night, don't I? =) Thanks for the compliments, and try to hold back the girly stuff until the end of the story. Then you're going to get all mushy. LoL.



*Chapter 15*



Tala landed on the hard bed with a sigh. The past twelve hours had been horrible on her mind. She rolled over on her side, wincing when the pressure of her newly acquired bed ran across her bruise.

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes. The pain of her jaw wasn't so bad, but her mind screamed the thoughts of Monroe.

Where did she go wrong? She had been *inside* his mind, he had completely opened up for her, and she hadn't seen a trace of loyalty to the Night World. Then what had that vampire been talking about?

She stirred when a knock came on her door. "Come in," she mumbled from her pillow.

Her senses picked up Thierry's assistant, Nilsson, making his way in the room. "How are you feeling, Tala?"

"Like I've been trampled by a herd of rhinos, thank you." She propped herself up, giving him her attention. "What's the occasion?"

"The reports are in from your recent dilemma." He held up a manilla folder. "I figured you might be interested."

She tried to act casual, but knew she had reached too fast to pass for calm. He smiled, leaving the room to give her the privacy she needed. Just before he made it out, he turned to her. "There was no way he could have done it intentionally."

She looked up as he closed the door. What exactly had he meant by *that*? She sifted through the papers. Random Polaroids of her family's dining and living rooms showed the damage. Luckily, they had Daybreak Home Insurance. How would you explain a Night World accident to MetLife?

A few of the hired rogues from Monroe's old gang had been caught and interrogated, leaving not much valuable information. They had been hired by the Council to get the girl. Same old story. Finally, she fell across the paper that interested her the most . . .

A head shot of Monroe was paper-clipped to the sheet, taken after the fight last night. She scanned her eyes over it quickly, searching for a dismissal stamp. There wasn't one to be found. She read through the interview they'd held with him, ready to be disappointed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Her jaw dropped as she read through the report.

He hadn't told the gang a word. He'd given the interview, then voluntarily opened up his mind to be searched by a telepath. His last contact with his old group had been just before he joined Circle Daybreak . . . when he'd been changed. That was over a year ago.

She turned the page and began to read out loud to herself. "Upon further review with one of the Night World agents, it was discovered that Pierson was completely not guilty. The witch in question revealed that Monroe had been constantly followed after his departure of the former group, slowly exposing details of the mission and his niece."

If she hadn't wanted to cry before, Tala definitely wanted to now. She rested against her headboard, letting the papers slide from her hand. She didn't want to deal with this anymore. Her emotions had never been so tortured in her life.

Her relationship with Monroe just couldn't be. Her heart had been torn to shreds these past few days, and nothing she knew could fix it. She hoped he wasn't coming to Las Vegas, though she knew he would eventually.



She was observing a lesson between Vesta and Jez Redfern the next day when he walked in. Tala silently got up to leave the room when he touched her arm. She jerked it away quickly, trying to ignore the shock he had given her. "Leave me alone, Monroe."

"Tala, I just want to talk to you." His eyes were pleading.

"I have nothing to say." She continued to walk out as he grabbed the back of her shirt.

"I do."

Rolling her eyes, she made it out into the hallway. "What exactly do you want to tell me? I know you were innocent, I read the report."

"If you know I'm not guilty, then why are you acting this way?"

She sighed. "Because I'm tired of hurting. Every day with you is another day of confusion and pain. Soulmates or not, this is never going to work. Something is always going to happen."

"But I love you!" He almost yelled the statement. People passing by turned to observe, but he went on. "I love you for who you are, not because of this stupid link. I am willing to do anything in the world for you, why can't you see that?"

She looked down from his gaze, feeling the color rush to her face. A lone tear rolled down her cheek. "It's one fight after another with us. I don't want to do it anymore. Goodbye, Monroe." She walked quickly down the hall, pushing open the doors to the outside. Busy looking for her keys, she didn't notice the hands reaching out to cover her mouth.