Aug 22nd, 12:30 a.m.

"Oh, my god! This is amazing!" Kris gushed as she hung onto Pam as they approached the coast of Scotland after having just flown over the North Sea. "Didn't you watch when we flew you to the lake?"

"No. I had my eyes closed."

Pam chuckled. "Chicken," she teased.

"Bwock!" Off in the distance were the mountains of the Highlands, but Pam followed Eric as he headed south. "Are those castles?" she asked, pointing below them.

"Yes, one of a million, including manors, cathedrals, you name it."

"They're so huge."

"Eric's isn't as big, but it is lovely."

"I beg your pardon!" Eric objected. "I'll have you know it's a good 8-1/2 inches, when it's cold, mind you."

"Pam, can I ignore him now?"

"That might be a wise decision."

"Thank you."

"Now you know how I feel!"

A minute later they landed on the manicured landscape of Eric's manor. Kris looked at the castle, as she thought it was, with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. The entire exterior was slate-gray granite. On the left end it was three stories with a roof, turrets on every corner and different sizes. The middle section was two stories, narrower with another turret and a sunroom on the right end. What surprised her was the amount of windows there were, and she made a mental note to ask why that was.

Her attention was drawn to the front door when it opened and an elderly man walked toward them. "Good evening, Sir," the man said, but his accent was incredibly thick. "Everything is in order and to your liking." He took the two suitcases at Eric's feet and went back into the house.

"Pam, this isn't lovely. It is freakin' amazing!"

"I've always enjoyed it here," Eric replied. "This is just the main building. The 67 acres are all mine as well. There's also a three-bedroom caretaker's flat and a two-bedroom gate lodge. I think the girls will go in the flat. It's much closer to the house than the gate house."

"You said this has six bedrooms. Why can't we all stay here?" Kris asked him.

"Ha! I knew you'd talk to me." He grinned at her, which made her grin back. "We need to get your changing under control, and we don't know how the girls will take to you." Kris wasn't angry with him for saying it. He was being honest.

"I had this built in the early 1600s. This land is where Robert the Bruce fled after the Battle of Methven. I was almost caught because I'd stopped and couldn't take my eyes off of the landscape."

"You fought with Robert the Bruce?!"

"Yes, smelly, foul-mouth King, he was. Come, let me show you inside." They walked into the main foyer, where the same man took the duffle bag from Eric. "Thank you, Charles."

Following Charles, they passed through the small foyer's black, tan and white tiled floor, the light from the fire in the fireplace adding an eerie glow to the small space. Through the double-door arched doorway it opened up quite a bit, with red carpet and a dark wood staircase.

Straight ahead, under the staircase was a wooden door. "That leads to my library. That door there," he continued, pointing to another door on the two-step landing of the stairs, "is the billiard room. Do you play, Kris?" She nodded. "Great. We shall have to play." He nodded toward the bottom of the stairs to the right. "That will lead you to another reception area and the sunroom, but come this way. Charles has a supply of blood that he has warmed up for us."

Walking into the reception room, it was a good size, having a fireplace to the right of the room and a huge bay window at the end. The furniture was simple and comfortable looking. The walls were painted white, and the carpet was cream-colored with a bright multi-colored rug under the furniture. The ceiling had ornate, intricate stucco cornices and plasterwork, giving the room a grand feel.

Following him through another doorway was the modern, small kitchen. It didn't have to be big because, of course, vampires don't cook. On the granite island in the middle of the room was a tray with three wine glasses of blood.

Eric took two, handed them to Pam and Kris then took his own. Sipping slowly, he looked over Kris's face. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, just tired. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. Finish your drink and I'll take you upstairs to your bedroom."

She nodded and almost downed her blood in one swallow. "You lived in this big place all by yourself?"

"Yes, certainly. Pam was with me here for about twenty years, but we vampires are solitary creatures."

"I'm surprised there are so many windows."

"There are automatic window shutters to keep the sun out. The bedrooms have a small sitting area with a heavy, wooden door to keep the bedroom free from the sun."

"And you felt safe here? I mean, it's not as secluded as your cabin."

"Yes, very safe. Centuries ago the Scots kept to themselves, and now that vampires are out it remains that way. But there are protective measures for any intruders."

"Kris, are you finished?" Pam asked. Kris had almost forgotten she was even in the room with them.

"Yes, yes."

The three went upstairs and passed two bedrooms with the doors closed; Eric explained he never uses them. Leading them to a room, he stepped aside just outside the doorway. "This is your room. Pam said you would like it the best."

"I'm going to my room," Pam stated and walked down the hall.

Walking inside, the room had not one flat corner; they were either curved or rounded. The walls were painted a soft blue; the furniture was again simple but looked antique; and there was a king-sized bed with a dark-blue comforter; nightstand; dresser and an armoire. She smiled when she saw a fire in the small fireplace across from the bed.

"Oh, my suitcase," Kris commented when she saw it sitting empty on the bed.

"Charles has put your clothing away."

Without replying she went through the doorway to the sitting room. There was a two-cushion couch with a wicker chair and coffee table in front of the bay window. Looking out the view, the marveled at the trees and path that led down to the lake. "This is an incredibly beautiful view."

Kris saw Eric's reflection walk up to her and stood beside her. "This room has the best view of the countryside, another reason why we wanted you to have it."

Slowly turning to him, she said, "Thank you Eric. It's perfect."

"Do you like it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I love it." They stood and stared at the other for an awkward moment, both darting their eyes from one to the other. She envisioned kissing him, but thought against it. Stepping on her tip toes she put her hands on his upper arms and kissed his cheek. "You may piss me off sometimes when you say stupid things, Eric, but you have a kind heart." By the time her feet landed back on the carpet, she found herself alone in the room.

Shrugging her shoulders, she checked the updated en-suite bathroom complete with Jacuzzi then went to the bed and lay down, staring up at the ceiling, trying to wrap her head around her new surroundings and her new situation.

A light tapping on the door drew her attention. "May I come in?" Pam asked.

"Yes, yes," Kris said as she sat up.

Pam sat down on the bed. "So, do you like it, honey?"

"I do! I'm surprised, though. I didn't know what to expect with Eric's taste after being in his cabin."

She laughed. "If it was up to him it'd look like a goth colony just vomited. Actually, he let me decorate."

Kris's eyes flew open. "You did it all?"

"Except for his bedroom and library, yes. Why are you surprised?" Pam chuckled. "My styles have changed over the decades. I haven't always been into leopard print clothing and extravagant decorating."

"Sorry, I didn't mean that."

She smiled warmly. "I know you didn't. But honey, as I was holding you when we flew here, you felt warm to me."

"I did? I feel fine, other than being tired."

"I just wanted to make sure. I hope it's just because you're saber."

"No, don't worry about me."

Standing up, Pam said, "My room is the second on the right. Come see me when you wake. We'll talk about … girlie stuff."

"Thank you, Pam, for watching out for me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to. I'll see you in a bit."