'I thank you for your hospitality Charlie, Belle, but I can't sit by idly while she harms another being, sinking ever more into an irrevocable state of evil. I have to go to her,' Caleb told his hosts a she sipped from a bone china cup. He loved what they had done with the place he really did, but he couldn't stay as much as he would have loved to. If Red were here it would have been so much better and then maybe this entire tea and crumpets affair would have been bearable. Unfortunately the wolf within him was itching to get out there and rescue its mate from the clutches of her evil self.

'We understand,' Belle told him reaching over and placing hand on top of his. She really was sweet and caring, for a witch. The stories his parents had told him about other creatures was clearly wrong, Belle was a kind witch, and Red had been a saintly pre-transition vampire. Maybe there was still hope for his mate. Was there nothing her best friend could do for her?

'Belle is there nothing you can do to help her, no spell, and no ritual to free Red from the demon that has taken her body?' As much as he loved Red, he could not believe that Usha was even a single part of her. But alas reality was far crueller than his fantasy.

'I have tried everything I can think of Caleb, but the only thing that might work would be to starve her of blood. If you can do that, and slowly feed her human food, she might ignore her lust for blood and her vampire traits might dissolve completely,' Belle replied in an off-hand tone as though she herself didn't believe it would work. However Caleb could see the logic in her thinking.

'Where is she?' He asked the happy couple, eager to leave their castle and their hospitality to find his future bride.

'She must have returned home, when she failed it must have weakened her somehow, she must have returned to the castle to gather her strength. After all even the undead must sleep,' Charlie informed him and he nodded as he rose from the table. 'But first my friend, it would not be kind of me if I let you leave without food and sleep. She took your blood didn't she?' Charlie asked and Caleb nodded, he would not lie to the man his mate had nearly murdered.

'The wolf starves within me, is it possible you might have some steak within the castle?' He asked and Charlie gave him a look.

'Hey I used to be a beast, what do you think I ate?' He asked and Caleb realised he might become best friends with this man. They seemed to understand each other better than if they were both wolves. 'I'll get our cook to make us some,' he said and rose from the table to make his way into the kitchen, leaving Belle and Caleb all alone.

'Would you like to see her?' Belle asked when her mate was out of ear shot. A surprised Caleb nodded his head, wondering how something like that was possible, when the hostess pulled out a hand mirror that seemed to be glowing with some kind of power. She handed it to him carefully and he took it just as carefully.

'What do I do?' He asked as he held it before his face.

'Just let your heart be the voice for the person you wish to see more than anything else,' Belle told him with the sweetest, kindest voice he had ever seen. And as she did he sensed something within him change, a voice telling him something important about Belle. The voice seemed to be telling him, seemed to be coming from Belle herself. The most innocent voice told him that he would soon find happiness.

Caleb looked at Belle and his hackles rose. He scented talcum powder and baby breath flowers. He also scented incense and fur. But how was that possible when Charlie was no longer a beast.

'Caleb what is it?' Belle asked but he merely continued to stare at her.

'Nothing,' he told her, thinking, selfishly that maybe his problem with Usha was more important than what was going on within the woman's body. After all it would only worry her, causing untold misery. Instead he turned his attentions to the mirror and allowed his heart to utter the names that had took his heart and torn it apart all at the same time.

What occurred was the oddest thing he would ever have imagined.

#

'Father I must speak with you,' Usha told her sire as she made her way down the corridor. She was weary from the fight and the sun, but she felt that she could take on the human at least. That woman would not bear an heir as long as Usha still breathed air.

'Not right now Usha,' he replied and shut the door in her face. Anger giving her a strength she would never have thought she possessed she kicked the door down and watched the human woman scramble under the covers of the bed. This woman was to provide him with the strongest heir? Please, she was afraid of a weakened vampire!

'Yes, right now father!' She yelled, feeling her eyes warm as though producing fire.

'Why aren't you weakened? You left the castle in broad daylight, you should be dead!' Her father informed her and her rage grew even more.

'Was that the reason they successfully managed to enter the castle and kidnap me? Father I did not leave the castle. I am its true heir and would never forsake it; I would never abandon you the way you are hoping to abandon me. Do you honestly think this human will make a great mother for a child of yours?' Usha asked and bared her teeth at the woman.

Why do you harass the woman so much? She has done nothing to you! So what that father does not accept you? You would become evil just to try and win his love? It is useless; now give me back my body!

Red's voice was echoing through Usha's mind as though it was a thought of her own. She covered her ears with her hands and bared her fangs, frightening the mortal woman and hoping to block out the voice of reason, the voice of good and peace. Red would not take this body back from her. Usha would not allow it, she would die first.

'Usha leave us,' her father barked out an order, but she was not listening, her vampire nature was calling to her, demanding she take the blood of the woman to sustain herself and to gather her strength, and then maybe she could fight her father. If she could defeat the King of the Vampires himself then maybe he would see she was strong enough to take the castle one day. Maybe then he would be proud of her, if not she had other avenues to explore.

The last thing the female mortal saw was Usha as she charged with her fangs bared. The last thing she felt was pain, as Usha sunk those fangs straight into the woman's jugular, draining her within moments.