Guess I'm going to use another strategy for my story, that is, to just upload my chapters, and then if my editor ever ever edits the errors, then I'll just republish it.

Jiaz: Eh? Your comment stumps me.. I looked through then I was like thinking.. Where got humour/sarcasm in chapter 17????

Char: HEY! If you're still alive and made it there, drop me a note! Or soon a package will come your way!! =D

Anyone else who's still reading: Here goes!

         Jade was still pondering over the information about the Source when she got back to the apartment. Paula had gone out with Dermot, so she turned on the CD player and blasted loud rock music. She sank into the soft sofa and lay there, staring blankly at the pretty crystals of the chandelier. Daybreak Apartments were furnished cozily, giving the occupants the feeling that they were staying in a posh hotel. Even facilities like saunas, hot tubs and room services were provided. The only thing that was different from a hotel was the absence of costly rents.

         The Source is usually a Night Person, Jade recalled this sentence. It baffled her; she was no Night Person, so why was she chosen? She got up lazily and went to the kitchen to see what tidbits were available. She took a packet of potato chips and was about to open it when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and saw Angus standing at the doorway, leaning on the doorframe as if he was posing for some photo shoot.

         The witch said something, then smiled, but Jade could not hear what he was saying due to the loud music.

         "What?" she yelled. Angus looked a little surprised, then he gave that charming smile again. This time, Jade could hear him clearly. Not inviting me in? he asked.

         Jade quickly motioned him to get inside. She shut the door and went over to lower the volume of the b\music. She was shocked to see Angus standing right in front of her, a huge bouquet of roses in his hands.

         "Hey beauty, roses for you." He said in a seductive voice. Jade accepted the rose hesitantly. The last time she received a stalk of rose from Angus in the restaurant led to a rather ugly incident. Kyle would mind this, she thought. And then she stopped herself from thinking about Kyle. She was pretty sure she was over him.

         She put the flowers down on the coffee table. "So, what brings you here?" she asked, a little too brightly. Angus walked over slowly, all the time looking at Jade and smiling at her. Jade felt uncomfortable under Angus's stare. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face and tried to look busy by stacking the magazines on the table.

         "You know…" Angus said softly as Jade tried to ignore his tone. "I wonder if you ever felt… lonely." Jade felt the witch getting closer to her, so she walked over to the CD player and fiddled with the control knobs. "Um…" She gave a nervous laughter. "No! Why would I be?"

         She jumped as Angus suddenly put his hands on her shoulders. His hands turned her around slowly, and Jade realized with shock that her body was not resisting it all. Angus put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up, so that she could look at him in the eye. Jade held her breath, somewhat frozen by what Angus was doing. She did not move as Angus slowly bent down to kiss her.

         "No." she said suddenly and took a step back. Angus looked insulted, and then he decided to take things into his own hands. He stepped forward and tried to force Jade to accept his kiss. Jade's hand knocked against the switch of the CD player, and the apartment was abruptly filled with silence. She pushed Angus away and gave him a tight slap.

         "Stop it! What do you think you are doing?" she asked, feeling outraged by Angus's rude behaviour.

         "Why can't you accept me?" Angus's curly hair was disheveled, his eyes wide with anger and query.

         Jade looked away, "I just can't."

         Angus walked towards Jade, frustration evident in his face. "Is this about Caldwin?"

         "Don't be ridiculous." Jade was rather sure that it was not, but her voice had no conviction in it.

         "In what ways aren't I comparable to him? I'm taller, bigger! I can give you more security. I can give you love, I can be by your side. Him?" Angus sniggered. "He's never there for you, was he?"

         Jade swallowed hard and blinked back her tears. Angus's words were crude, but they were true. Kyle had never been there for her.

         Angus's voice softened, "But I can be there for you. I will make you happy everyday, never to leave you heartbroken and alone like you always are." He reached over and wiped Jade's tear on her cheek.

         Jade closed her eyes and realized that she was actually enjoying the love from Angus's tender touch. She had not felt like this for a long time.

         This isn't right, Jade told herself. She had a soulmate – nothing can change that fat. She pushed away Angus again and this time, she went straight to the door. "Go. Get out of my house." She opened the door and looked away.

         Angus's features twisted with fury. He flicked his hands and a vase burst, splashing water around and startling Jade, before he left and slammed the door behind him.

* * * * * *

         Angus was angry, way furious. He was so close to being accepted by Jade, only to be rejected. "Give me one more." He told the waiter before another mug of beer was pushed to him.

         He turned to see a guy, a shapeshifter by the aura around him, climbing into the stool beside him and ordered beer too. Angus took his mug from the counter and emptied the contents into his stomach in one gulp.

         "Whassup matey?" The guy beside him asked. Angus scowled; he was in no mood for company.

         "Ya girlie rejected you?" The guy asked again. Angus was irritated. He slammed the mug down hard on the counter top, almost breaking it. "None of your business."

         The shapeshifter made a "tsk tsk" sound and shook his head. "Tell me 'bout it. I've been through such shit a thousand times over."

         Angus snorted, "You?" He glanced at the guy beside him and he could see why. The shapeshifter did not look attractive. His appearance was unkempt and his eyes were narrow, resembling those of a sly fox.

         The guy smiled, but it looked more like a sneer to Angus.

         "Oh well. See, I like this girl." Angus blurted out in contradictory to what he had originally thought. "She had a soulmate. But hell, her soulmate doesn't give two cents about her."

         The guy nodded, prompting the witch to continue. "Today, just this afternoon, I thought I was so close to getting that girl to accept me. So close," he gestured, holding his thumb and index finger just a centimeter apart, as if to emphasize his point.

         "Then she chased me out of the apartment." He continued, dropping his head into his hands.

         "Ouch. That must have hurt loads." The guy said, without any sympathy in his voice.

         "Guess what? I asked her if it was because of her damned soulmate, and she said no! She's lying, I can see it in her eyes." Angus spat bitterly.

         The shapeshifter burped, then he asked, "What's her soulmate like? Must have been better than you."

         Angus was really angry this time round. He grabbed the shapeshifter by his collars and then he snarled, "Don't you dare say that. I'm everything that Kyle Caldwin is not."

         The shapeshifter shrugged off Angus's hold. "Hey, hey, cool down will you? So, he's called Kyle Coldwin?"

         "Caldwin." Angus corrected.

         "Right. So this Caldwin is a…?"

         "Vampire. A stupid council's vampire." Angus said, not realising that he was saying way more than he should.

         "Ah, so that must be the problem." The shapeshifter leaned close to Angus. "Want to be stronger than this…" he struggled to remember Kyle's name, "Caldwin?"

         Angus's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What are you suggesting?"

         The guy looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation. Finally, he said, "Join Blood Iris."

         "What?" Angus asked, a little too loudly. "Are you crazy? I belong to Circle Daybreak!"

         "Exactly!" The fox-eyed shapeshifter said, "Ditch that goody-two-shoe role. It's time you show the girl, and Night World, who you are born to be."

         "No way…" Angus whispered to himself. But the shapeshifter could see the wheels turning in Angus's head.

         "Think about it. Blood Iris can offer you more magic than you can ever imagine! No more stupid rules over at the Daybreak Center. No more dumb council to control your movements."

         He smiled, before adding slowly, "You're your own master."

* * *  * * *

What will happen next? Will Angus join B.I? And will Jiaz die from waiting for Jasper's precious appearance =P ? Tune in next week, only on The Source, where good and evil battles nonstop!