Hunting wasn't good tonight. Never really was closer to town. Just too many people out on the streets. She gritted her teeth as she felt her stomach knot again. The hunger was becoming too much for her now, she was almost tempted to go back to the mansion to feed. Almost. Truth be told she really didn't feel like the possibility of seeing her Master's firstborn again.

She gave up on her current stalk as he suddenly met up with some friends and left in their SUV, she could outrun it but it might cause a stir and the jeans she decided to wear tonight were far too tight for a sprint. Instead, she decided to head to the nearest park. It was still early and she could wait for the usual drug dealers to arrive. The dealers tasted much better then the users. She always hated the taste of tainted blood.

Settling on a nearby bench she rested her head in her hands, her elbows supported by her knees. She regretted now her decision to tell her brother that she wouldn't go to the hills. She wasn't a fledgling anymore dammit. Who was he to tell her what to do anyway? Nevertheless, she did promise. Of all her sins, lying was rarely one of them. Especially to Malcolm.

She still couldn't help but wonder about recent events though. Why were the Elders so concerned about one intruder anyway? The vampire community kept a tight control over their population, understanding that a shift in the predator and human ratio could bring unwanted attention to their presence here. They preferred their prey clueless. At least, that's what they told everyone. Personally, she tended to believe that it was more a strategy to hold control over the vampires themselves. With too many unknown vampires roaming around without anyway to track them, resistence to the Elders' rule could cause quite the headache. But still, they have had other outcasts before, and never have they acted with such concern. They seemed almost desperate.

All this only peaked her curiosity. She knew that if it wasn't for her promise to her brother, she would be roaming the hills right now searching for what could prove to be quite entertaining.

She sighed. She knew with her luck they would probably kill him before she got a chance to learn more about him. Oh well. There would be other interesting vampires in the world. If not in this town, then somewhere else. Although she had no idea just where 'somewhere else' was.

Giving in to her body's need for sustenance, she groaned as she made her way back to her home. She didn't want to, but her search for something else to do turned up nothing.

She pulled her jacket closer as she shivered at the cool breeze that pushed by her. The fog in the park twisted the shadows of the trees into haunting shapes. If she were human, she might be slightly disturbed. But those times of fearing what lay behind those shadows and darkened corners were long since gone. Even as the fog crept around her ankles, she barely noticed. More preoccupied with what she could possibly find to do back at the mansion. She felt another chill however as the wind suddenly brushed warmly against the back of her neck. Strange. She could have sworn that someone had just breathed on her.

Reaching underneath her jacket, she was slightly comforted by the feel of her knife's handle in the palm of her hand. Quickly she turned to face her stalker, drawing the knife from it's sheath. She was startled by the sight of...nothing. Fog. Then she smelled him, her heart rising to her throat in fear and anticipation. At first she thought it was Jonathan playing another one of his stupid tricks, but he usually stank of cheap cologne. This one...this one only smelled of blood. He had obviously killed recently, and wasn't too clean about it either. Who ever he was, he was fast.

"Alright you. Come on out." She seemed to speak only to darkness. "I know someone is there. If you don't come out, I'm afraid you may just have to be hurt."

She tensed as she heard a deep chuckle coming from behind her...coming from right behind her. "And just who is it I am to fear. You? With your pocket knife?" She slowly turned to face the voice and watched him materialized right out of thin air. Suddenly her weapon of choice didn't seem quite sufficient anymore.

He was tall, he just might have been the tallest man she had ever seen. His long white hair and pale skin seemed to glow in the faint light of the lamp posts, making him stand out more then probably was convenient. His clothing didn't help. Where did this guy shop? He was strong too, the muscles of his arms and thighs seemed to be stacked layer upon layer. But his most noticeable feature so far was the remarkably sharp looking sword he was currently holding just a little too close to her for her own comfort.

It appears their intruder has finally come out of shadows.

(Thanks to all reviewers on both of my stories!)