Chapter four is up gang...

Again nothing has changed just the double spacing im hoping u'll allbe able to read it better now..

(winks)

anyway on with the story....

Not Too Late For Love

Chapter four: Safety in numbers

As it got later the room dispersed slowly until the only ones left were Thierry, Hannah, Galen, Keller, Thea, Eric and Nilsson who had been assigned to be Kaitlin's body guard something she wasn't sure she agreed with.

Only important people got bodyguards and when she said this, eyebrows went up and Thierry and Nilsson laughed it was only when she met Galen's calm and easy gaze she remembered she was the Princess of the First House.

Something she still couldn't get her head round. Then just because she didn't agree with it she pointed out that Galen didn't have one and in response he said, "I am not a Wild Power therefore I am not as important and anyway what do you think Keller is?"

"No way does that count!"

Kaitlin fumed "She's your soulmate that just doesn't count!" there was laughter after this and then Thea said, "Well no matter what you say you are the last Wild Power. You are the princes of the First House of Shapeshifters and so you will be in need of protection.

Nilsson will give you that protection. Plus you have been badly hurt and will need medical attention, that I can give you." "All this fuss over me. Honestly it's not needed." "It is." Heads turned and Kaitlin realised that it was Nilsson that was speaking. "I know you think you don't need the protection that the other Wild Powers don't have them but Jez has Morgead and as much as we'd love to keep her at the safe house there is just no way that's possible. At least while Morgead goes out with her she has some level of protection. Delos, well he's just a wild card anyway but he is willing to stay at the safe house with Maggie and she has a massive influence on him.

Plus he's not yet really used to the outside yet so he's got to learn that before he can leave." He stopped and looked Thea. She nodded "And Iliana has the protection of the Inner Circle. She is the Witch Child and our hope. The witches are constantly on the guard. Now there is only you. The First House has already said that as their daughter you will be protected but you need extra. You are new to this world and need protecting from it."

"I'm not totally naïve." Kaitlin said quietly. "I know more than you think Thea." Thea looked at her and Kaitlin cocked and said quietly "Bloodstone is a good purifier of blood especially for snakebites isn't it?" Thea and Eric looked at her with new awareness there were only three people who knew about that.

Thea, Eric and Blaise. Now this girl who had appeared out of nowhere and told them basically that she knew about snakebite Eric had received. Hannah looked at her and Kaitlin said

"Did you tell Thierry about the Artful Dodger you met on the way to his Mansion the first time you came here? Hannah was stunned. No one knew about that. She had never told any body. Oh god.

Thierry would go insane. Galen and Keller looked at her and she stared back. "Five horns defiantly makes an impressive dragon don't you think. I was so proud of both of you." Stunned silence.

Kaitlin hadn't meant to shock them that way but she needed them to believe her. Thierry was the first to speak. "Who was the Artful Dodger Hannah?" Hannah shot a look at Kaitlin and said "Thanks. I never got round to telling him about that." She shrugged. You should have done. He deserves to know."

"You do realise I hate you right now." "Yes. But you and Thierry will be better for it. " "Not if he explodes." Hannah sighed and then turned to her soulmate who was looking at her with expectancy.

"The Artful Dodger was the name I gave to the vampire who tired to grab me the first time I came here." Thierry went very still. "Now look what you've done Kaitlin!" She said frowning. "Why didn't you tell me?" Thierry asked carefully.

"Because nothing happened. And I had more important things to think of. I followed him because I knew he was a night person I could tell by the way he walked and he realised and when I said I was looking for someone he grabbed me."

Thierry made a furious sound "and obviously I don't like being grabbed by arrogant know all vampires so I tired to pull away.

That's when he saw your ring." She was still wearing it. "I told him he knew I was looking for someone I told him I was looking for you.

He groaned and demanded to know whether he'd hurt me. He didn't want to hear if he had. I asked him to show me where you lived and if he did I wouldn't tell you. That's how I got to the mansion."

She shrugged then after everything else that happened I didn't tell you. It didn't seem important but Kaitlin's right you needed to know."

"I'd have killed him." Thierry growled, "I still would if I knew who it was." "Well you don't, I don't and it doesn't matter now because I wasn't hurt and I found you so it doesn't matter." "How do you know all this?" Keller asked eventually "That's beside the point." Kaitlin said,

"The point is that I know a lot about the Night World. I know all your stories and I know that time is running out. The final battle will be soon you can feel it coming in the air. The air is charged with power I could feel it as soon as I got here. And although admit I'm not as good as fighter as most of you I still know how to hold my own." "We never doubted that." Thierry said,

"in fact Nilsson told me you were holding out well when he got to you. Having protection doesn't mean you're weak Kaitlin it just means we need you to be careful." At last Kaitlin nodded she knew she couldn't win and she could also see where they were coming from. "Thank Goddess for that." Galen said Kaitlin whipped to face him. "What?" He asked, "if I want my sister safe that's my prerogative."

"Not without her permission it isn't." Kaitlin replied shortly smiling at her brother. It was amazing. They had known each other hours and it seemed to Kaitlin like they had never been separated.

"Kaitlin you know that the Night World is doing everything possible to stop us getting all four Wild Powers. You know also that the Night World People are getting stronger.

If they knew we had found you, you would become a target. And trust me the Night World will find out one way or another. We need to keep you safe. You need to start training to make sure that they don't catch you unawares another reason, for the time being we want Nilsson to be there for you."

Thierry said quietly. "Alright!" Kaitlin said, "I see you have plenty of arguments for me to be protected so I'll just have to deal with it." "Good girl." Galen sighed Kaitlin dived for him.

And then stopped her side was killing. "Lie still." Thea instructed, "Oh and I just have to let him get away with that do I?" Kaitlin smiled "I'm older than you." Galen teased. "And you know that how?" Kaitlin retorted,

"He is actually." Thierry said "He's the older by a minute." "Oh wow. Like that makes a difference." Kaitlin said sarcastically "It does." Galen said, "Not when I had an older brother who was nearly twenty one!" Kaitlin said frowning. "You had a brother?"

Galen asked Kaitlin nodded "A mum, dad and brother. They loved me and I loved them but I always felt on the outside. I looked nothing like them but it didn't occur to me that I wasn't one of them.

I guess that's why." Kaitlin sighed then she began to sob. The tears trickled out onto her face and onto the sheets.

Nilsson was shocked when she started to cry. He had seen many people fall apart and he had been expecting it from her if he was honest.

He had expected her to scream when she saw the blood and scream in pain but she hadn't. He hadn't even whimpered and to say he was shocked was an understatement.

But now she was crying.

And suddenly he understood why. For all she might pretend she didn't care that she had been in affect lied to she did. It hurt her more than her wounds did and it was apparent that she loved her real family but it didn't stop her feeling the pain.

He understood and so against his better judgement he leaned forward and embraced her. She responded and put her head on his chest and cried her heart out breaking his in the process. "Shh." He soothed he couldn't understand why Galen wasn't doing anything, Galen! He said telepathically she's your sister and she's hurting help her! But Galen was frozen. As were the others in the room. The kindness of Aurora Drache had touched them all even in the short time they had known her and as a result they were frozen.

Nilsson continued to embrace her and rub her shoulders through her sweat top. "It's Okay Kaitlin." He whispered "No its not."

She whispered "oh god. I never cry how pathetic am I?" she pulled away and wiped her face. "Sorry about that." And as Nilsson watched the shutters went down behind her eyes locking off all her emotions but she smiled and it dazzled the room.

How could she be so caring and loving and lock herself away at the same time? He was wondering this as she pulled away and smiled. "It's okay." Galen said frowning at her. "You've had a shock and many others would have broken down long before now."

"That's a comfort to know." She said with a watery voice. "I'll be here for you Kaitlin I promise." Galen said, "I won't let you be alone."

"We won't let you be alone." Keller said, "We'll protect you and show you everything we can." Thea said "And we'll protect you. Nothing will happen to you while you're here." Nilsson said he felt like he needed to say it. He was, after all her bodyguard but it was strange just how much he actually meant it. Thierry watched them all with a smile on his face.

"This is how we have to be if we are going to meet the Night World head on in the coming war. It's like I keep saying. We have to believe. We have to stick together. Daybreak are the only ones that can stand against the oncoming tide. Safety in numbers people. Safety in numbers."