Chapter 1

Upstairs in the v.i.p section of The Haven, Julian Lunar sat at his usual table one of the many benefit's afforded him as Prince of the City, opposite him sat his long time friend and lover Lillie, Toreador Primogen and the club's owner. She was talking to him but his attentions were otherwise occupied, his eyes drawn to a dark-haired gentleman standing at the bar yet another advantage of the upstairs seating area was being able to observe what was happening below, without calling attention to his presence.

Apart from the black leather duster he was wearing, this being both noticeable and unusual because it wasn't the kind of attire one would wear to a nightclub on a hot summer's night in San Francisco. He appeared to be like any of the clubs other many patrons, he looked to be in his early thirty's if Julian had to hazard a guess but that was where the similarities ended.

To some extent he made Julian somewhat uncomfortable. The man wasn't Kindred, this much he knew but still there was something. It was the way he just stood there as if he owned the world, such confidence it virtually oozed from his being that is seemed almost palpable in its purity. Julian had only ever seen this in two others, the Nosferatu Primogen, Daedalus and Archon Raine who was both Julian's sire and predecessor.

"So next week we'll get married at St Ignatius and then we could hold the reception back at the mansion" Lillie purred from across the table as her hands moved and settled upon his.

"What?" his obvious shock written clearly on his face as the conversation registered.

"Oh so you were listening" she replied feigning surprise but her silky voice was heavily laced with sarcasm. "You know I don't really appreciate talking to myself, if I bore you that much maybe I should leave" Lillie continued but this time her tone held a hard edge to it.

"I'm sor..." Julian started but he drifted off mid-apology as he noticed that the man was making as if he was going to leave.

"It's just that...Lillie do you know who that guy at the bar, the one getting ready to leave?" he promptly asked knowing that she made a habit of engaging with her customers and this man would have definitely grabbed her interest.

"His name is Duncan MacLeod, he's an antique dealer here on business" she answered and if she was surprised by his question, she didn't show it.

The Ventrue Prince raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't say anything as he wondered how she knew who he had been talking about without so much as looking but when he thought about it, it was obvious.

He wasn't the only one in the club to notice this stranger as he discreetly scanned the room, his scrutinizing ceased briefly when he spotted the table of Brujah's and their bastard leader, Eddie Foiri. But also present tonight sitting with her clan was Sasha, Julian's very own flesh who had been blood-bonded against his orders to the Brujah Clan, all of them were blatantly checking out this Duncan MacLeod...well subtlety was never their strong suit.

"Come on Julian, I know you see the same thing I do" Lillie alleged when she finally turned to look at the gorgeous man who was unknowingly to him the topic of their conversation noting that Julian was indeed right, Duncan did look like he was going to leave

Pity she thought as the prospects of her and Julian getting together tonight were looking slim.

Although it had been less than a week since Duncan first entered her club, he had become one of the few men she knew in her lifetime that she could envision herself falling for, and they had even flirted openly these last few days but she hadn't bedded him...yet.

But he did have two important facts against him, firstly he wasn't Julian, secondly and most importantly he wasn't Kindred. She didn't engage with humans on that level a promise she had made herself many years ago, it could only lead to heartache but that was of course something she was unfortunately getting use too especially where Julian was concerned. But it wasn't just that, it was frowned upon by their kind and even though some kindred did choose to pursue them it wasn't for her.

I suppose the latter could be changed and he would make a great addition to the Toreador Clan, his knowledge of the arts was both astonishing and extensive for a human she thought as she found herself beginning to seriously contemplate the potential of such a union.

But it was one she would need to consider quickly if the amount of attention he was gathering was any sign, like Julian she also noticed they weren't the only ones interested.

When she turned back to her prince she realised that he must have been thinking along the same lines and she had to admitted although grudgingly that Duncan MacLeod would make a fine Ventrue, possibly more so than Toreador. And if her earlier suspicions were correct, she would bet her club that the other primogen's were taking this same prospect into consideration. This was going to cause great trouble between the clans, she was sure of it.

"Actually he hasn't really come in this late before, more of a daytime customer" she voiced aloud as she watched Duncan who instead of leaving made his way to an empty table in what would be Shirley's section tonight, as the seeds of suspicion to why he had decided to start patronising her club at his hour begun to form in her mind.

"Hmmm, I think he may have an interest in one of my new..." Lillie started but whatever she was going to say was soon forgotten.

Because at that exact moment the most incredible wave of raw undiluted power, the likes of nothing any of the kindred present at the club that night had ever known as it washed through there bodies like a tsunami, to their very souls.

The initial spike was so potent that it had even caused one of the younger kindred to pass out; luckily for him he was already seated at a table so he just sort of slumped down in his chair. And even though it had felt like a lifetime it was barely a few seconds before it level off and was no more than a warm tingle, much like that of static electricity.

"What the hell was that?" Julian whispered hoarsely to no-one in particular as tiny beads of sweat pooled atop his forehead, his only outward sign of what just happened indicating the seriousness of the matter.

It took Lillie a little more time to recover but when she did, she quickly left the table to go investigate further. She hastily made her way down the stairs to the lower floor, and the full effect of what had just transpired did not go amiss as she passed many of her kind still trying to come to grasp with what had happened, only the older and more powerful kindred seemed to have recovered somewhat.

By her reckoning the source of this unknown force had come from outside of the club, she signalled the bouncers who were both kindred to go check it out. As she got closer to the main entrance she could hear what seemed to be some sort of commotion going on but before she had reached the doorway it swung open and in stumbled four drunks. Looking questioningly at her security behind them for any hint of what they knew, both simply shrugged their shoulders as they shook their heads in the negative, neither the response she needed nor wanted.

Calling them over they proceeded to tell her what she already suspected, that the only people outside were the four men that had just stumbled into the club.

Julian will not be please she reflected as she made her way back to inform him of her findings.

And she was soon joined by two others who flanked either side of her. Cash the Gangrel Primogen, who was also Julian's body guard and the Brujah, Eddie Foiri. Together they climbed the stairs, all of them silently reflecting on what had just passed, knowing their questions could wait until they had joined the prince.passed, knowing their questions could wait until they had joined the prince.