Here is another chapter. I wanted everyone to see vulnerability from the strong character Jade. Plus, it would help you to know her further before the story continued with the Lost Boys. Enjoy:-)

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Jade had lain in her bed the most of time. She wondered if she'd grown attached to the young boy as her father pointed out. Throughout her time living with the Vampire, her taste for child vampires remained morose. Children were unable to choose their own path, unable to make their choices; and this, left them vulnerable and easy to pick. Bernadette Mae came to mind the instant her eyes fell on Laddie. His light eyes were cloaked with sorrow he had hidden for so long and it was clear that Jade fell for him then. She never worked on a case dealing with a Child vampire. Actually, she tried avoid working with the younger crowd and her own age group.

Her life below ground seemed gracious and benevolent for the cause, but something was left out. And as she curled on her bed, pressed into the endless comfort, Jade whispered one thing. Mother. She wondered if her mother remained alive would she have allowed her to live the life she had for so long? Would she betray her heritage for a new one? Jade doubted that because of her family name. She never once discovered an ancestor to break away and live to tell the tale. Jade wasn't frightened from the consequence. She'd seen death more than any her age.

She laid there unmoving, her breathing shallow and quiet. Jade missed plenty of things any normal girl would have experienced. She never went to proper school; she was taught by the Elders and occasional superiors but, it seemed that that wasn't enough. She wanted more even though she couldn't. Jade rose from the bed to idly walk back and forth. She had no sense of direction that moment.

Her eyes shifted toward the table. The manilla folders remained scattered with photos torn from their clips, and paperwork separated. Jade forgot to gather everything. Perhaps, she truly wasn't looking forward to continuing with the case her father specifically wanted her to work on. Jade left her room fully clothed and forcibly awakened by determination. She wanted to feel the fresh air against her face and hair. She wanted to taste the momentary freedom she had before other soldiers made their way closer.

Jade climbed from the stairwell to the abandoned warehouse. She had no others near her let alone digressing within the tearing warehouse walls. She had ways to go and traveling on foot seemed less than a pleasure.

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David sat in his usual spot at the railing. His brothers were nearby, behaving in their usual manner. Unlike David, they fed habitually. They felt wondrous and young from the blood they'd stolen. David sat withering slightly from the hunger boring within. He needed to feed and fast. What stopped him suddenly was the sight of her again. Star had come that night purposefully to hunt. She shone her back to David the moment their eyes locked. He had suggestively nodded for her to approach him. He wanted nothing more than to talk; she didn't.

"I have a feeling that she is going to avoid you for the rest of your unnatural life."

David turned. He hadn't known the other girl was near. He, for the first time, wasn't actually focusing on the prized woman he chose as their replacement. There wasn't even a flutter of excitement to see her. He was too distraught by the hunger for Star. So much for talking, David thought, his mind had changed so fast that even he seemed unaware.

"She is just shy, that was how she won me over."

Jade leaned on the banister. Her hands were comfortably tucked in her coat pockets. She was relaxed to speak with him. Perhaps, she found some form of interest in getting closer to the one making the boy, Laddie.

"I don't believe for a moment she won you over with shyness. She is a strong young woman, or now she is. She is capable of taking care of herself but there is one snag; she is caring for a Child." Jade stared out into the abyss of people, a signal that summer was still lively. "Or, the reason why she is so bitter is because she is what she is. They tend to change their opinion over the years of sacrificing what they've taken for granted."

"What are you talking about?"

Jade shifted, her hips against the banister. Her focus on him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. How can you possibly sleep knowing that you can't go past an inch from your bedding because of the light. Life must be unjustly for you and your brothers. All of you seem to carry on the aspect of enjoying these ailments. I applaud you for surviving this long without the least bit of insanity."

"We do have our ways of surviving; other than the obvious."

"So, Jade. What brings you back here." His eyes traveled over her shoulder then to the others nearby. He couldn't find the men she had with her the previous night. "Not accompanied by your usual posse?"

"Likewise." She smartly replied. "I've come here specifically escort you to the Warehouse. You've caused enough trouble around this community. As far as I'm concerned this can be an easy attempt or a hard one. Plus," she added when she passed by him. "You will surely not be sorry."

Jade decided to end their conversation within a blink of an eye. It was to simply entice him to follow and if it worked, his brothers would do the same. She wouldn't need to look back to suggest he follow; it was curiosity that built stronger even if the heart was immortal. Star performed marvelously and Jade made sure to reward her.