They claimed they were the good guys. Circle Daybreak were supposed to help you in a crisis. Yet Star couldn't help feeling they were still judging her, plotting against her.

"It gets easier," her roommate, former vampire hunter Rashel Jordan commented. She was sat on one of the twin beds as she watched Star unpacking. Yeah, that was their idea, giving Star Redfern a vampire hunter for a roommate. Star was pretty sure Rashel still had issues with the Redfern.

"So I've heard," Star said coolly, taking the lid of a box of books. Star was finding it hard to not turn around and yell at Rashel to stop staring at her. Rashel had been in a similar and now she had the respect and admiration of the Daybreakers.

As Lily Redfern's only daughter Star was convinced the Daybreaks thought she was playing them in order to bring them down from within. It was a kind of tempting thought, but not what Star was planning. She'd heard the whispers that she was only there so she could pounce unexpectedly and get revenge for her mother's death.

Out of male heirs and without time to make and train another one, and no word from the long lost Garnet, Star was supposed to have taken over the Council after Hunter unexpectedly disappeared.

"It just takes a little getting used to," Rashel went on. "But Chris is a nice guy. He's been around for as long as anyone can remember."

"I know that," Star said through gritted teeth as she put a bookend in the shape of a purple dragon on the end of the shelf.

If only I could breathe fire, Star thought. She had an amusing image of herself chasing a bunch of screaming Daybreakers while they ran to escape as she breathed fire on them.

"How's the unpacking going Do you ever run out of boxes? There's, like, five more to come."

Star resisted the urge to pick up one of the books she had just unpacked and throw it at Poppy North, the made vampire with bouncy red curls who never seemed to run out of energy. She was annoyingly perky no matter what was going on.

"I'm moving my whole life up here, there's going to be a lot of boxes to unpack," Star said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to carry them," Poppy said with a grin. "Do you want the rest brought up?"

I want to get the hell out of here, Star thought. Don't know why they won't just let me stay in one of the safe houses in the other cities or even a small town with no more than a hundred people would be better than here.

They had, for some reason, just insisted that Star come live in the Daybreak headquarters mansion in Las Vegas.

"Yeah, bring them up," Star answered, hoping her politeness didn't sound too forced.

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"How's she settling in?" Thierry asked.

"So far she seems to be doing okay," Hannah said, leaning against the closed door of her soulmate's office. Thierry sat behind his large wooden desk staring pensively at a glass ornament in the shape of an eagle on his desk next to a stand with some expensive fountain pens in, fingers drumming lightly.

"How are the others reacting to her?"

Hannah shrugged. "They're okay, just treating her like every other new person who comes in. She's a little cold, but that's understandable."

Thierry nodded. He had expected what Hannah was telling him. There was no reason for him not to trust Star Redfern, it was just…

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked him.

Thierry shook his head. Outside it was actually raining. Sheets pelted his windows with such force he felt fore sure any minute the glass would crack. Sheets of lightning lit up the sky. The desert storm probably wouldn't last for long, but it was a fantastic sight to see. "I don't know, I suppose maybe because I still have some issues with the Redferns. Especially ones with powerful connections, even if those connections are dead." He raised a hand as Hannah opened her mouth "I know, I know. Probably just being silly. But…Star's doing her best to change." Thierry sighed. "I don't know what it is about her that makes me worried."

"Maybe it's not her," Hannah suggested. "You've known Chris practically forever."

Thierry smiled and nodded. The guy had been one of Maya's toy-boys, only once she had found Hannah and set her sights on how to kill her that life time, Chris had soon bored her and she had sent a pack of werewolves after him. Finding him at the point of death Thierry had saved him.

Chris had always been there when he had needed a friend and was second in command of Circle Daybreak. "I have no reason not to trust Chris."

Hannah shrugged. "Well you remembered the whole Luna Johvas issue."

Thierry frowned. He did, but was sure Chris wouldn't make the same mistake twice. "It was dealt. Go help Star with her unpacking."

Hannah glanced back at him, then left the office.

There's no reason to be worried, Thierry told himself. Star will settle in fine. There's no reason not to trust her. Chris is my friend and I've never doubted him before and won't start now.

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