A/N - Sorry it took so long to update, but I just haven't been getting as many reviews as I'd like. So that gave me no inspiration. Well, this chapter has a lot of stuff that'll be important in the upcoming plot, so pay close attention. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Chapter 6:

Thais walked down the stairs quickly and sat down in his study. He turned to his computer and focused his surveillance cameras on someone who was running quickly around his house.

The man was too fast for Thais's cameras to focus on, so he put on a jacket and went outside. He appeared behind the man with vampire speed. "May I ask why you are darting around my property at this time of night?"

The man turned around, shock evident, and gaped at Thais. The man was clearly a vampire, but young and inexperienced. He seemed familiar, although Thais wasn't sure.

He seems friendly enough, maybe he could help me. I'll play it cool, though, the man thought to himself. "I've lost my mate. I followed her sent here. Have you seen a girl, about fifteen years old, tall, thin, big eyes, somewhat tan, dark hair, bangs." He gestured wildly.

The poor man seemed desperate. Thais laughed to himself. He had stolen this little vampire's mate. He had taken Jae, and he couldn't even find the guts to ask to search the house. "I haven't seen her, but now that you mention it, I do smell something. It seems old, though. Maybe she passed through here several days ago, four at most. She seems to be heading west." Thais turned his face and the man looked eagerly that way.

"What's your name, son?" Thais asked.

"Roland."

"Well, Roland, good luck finding your mate. I'll call for you if I have any news." With that, Roland started running west, following a scent his hopeful imagination had created.

Thais laughed and walked back to the house to check on Jae. She was turning restlessly.

He knocked on the door to announce his presence. "May I come in?"

"Yeah. Sure." Jae turned over and curled into a ball, so that she was facing the door.

"Sorry to disturb you. I just have to put something up in your room. I'll be done in a moment. You can go back to sleep," Thais said.

"'Kay." Jae rolled over so that she was in the same position, only this time she was facing the window.

Thais walked over to the windows and started to put up bars. He turned around to find Jae looking at him quizzically. Then Jae made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and she immediately fell asleep.

He left the room after securing a set of bars to each window. He went upstairs to his bedroom and fell onto his bed, exhausted.

He usually slept during the day. But, with Jae being here, he felt it was only fair that he was awake while she was.

Thais woke up to the sounds of cereal being poured into a ceramic bowl. He got dressed and walked down the stairs. He rounded the corner and leaned against the doorframe, watching Jae eat. She didn't notice him, so he watched her for several minutes.

"Jae, there are some things I want to discuss with you."

"Mmhmm," Jae said. She looked up from her bowl of cereal.

"First, do you know what a 'mate' is? In vampire terms." He looked at Jae expectantly.

"Nnhnn," Jae mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

"A vampire, usually male, picks a human, usually female, to marry. The vampire then forces the girl to marry him and produce his children."

Jae looked panicked. Omigod. Is he saying that I'm his mate? she thought.

"You remember Roland?" Jae nodded. "Well, he's decided to make you his mate." Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

"Wha- Why? How?" Jae started shrieking unintelligibly.

Thais placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, and she immediately became silent.

"Just listen to me," Thais commanded. He brought his hand back to his side and looked Jae in the eye. "I have a plan, so stay quiet for a minute."

"Well, why did you bar my windows last night. Do you think I'm going to run away to him? 'Cause I'm not. I'm young. I don't want to be a mom. I don't want to get married! I- I'm…" Jae started to cry. She leaned against the wall and sat down. She pulled her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth, screaming the entire time.

Thais sat down next to her. She looked so upset. "Calm down. Sh. It's alright," Thais cooed. He stroked her back. Slowly, he wiled her asleep. He carried her to the sofa in the living room. He laid her out so that her feet were hanging off the edge and her head was on the pillow.

He grabbed the TV remote and sat down on the floor so that his head was near Jae's chest. Thais turned on the TV and Jae's breathing stuttered as her unconscious heard the sound.

The news came on, but there was nothing interesting. Thais flicked off the TV and turned to Jae. She was sleeping quietly, her breathing making a soft whistling noise. He snapped his fingers to wake her up. She looked around, completely bewildered, but then she remembered where she was.

"Ready to listen to my plan?" Thais asked as he took to steps away from her.

She nodded silently. She seems scared. I wonder why. She hasn't been scared by vampires before. Maybe she's finally coming to her senses, Thais thought to himself.

"Are you frightened?" Thais smiled to himself.

Jae nodded again. She tried to move back into the couch without Thais noticing, but he noticed.

"Do you want some help with that?" Thais asked.

She nodded, not knowing exactly what she was agreeing to. Thais moved, at vampire speed, to the seat next to Jae. He placed his hand on her upper arm, and, immediately, all of Jae's fear and awkwardness melted away.

"Why were you scared?"

"Because of Roland. I don't want to be his 'mate'" Jae made air quotes around the word 'mate'.

"It's alright. I have a plan. Roland came by last night, looking for you. He asked me if I'd seen his 'mate' and gave a description of you. You haven't married Roland, have you?"

Thais paused long enough to see Jae shake her head. "I've sent him West, claiming that's the way you were headed. I set the bars up last night, to keep him out, not to keep you in."

"You can take your hand off, I think I'm good," Jae said. Thais took off his hand and waited to see Jae's reaction. She remained calm.

"Okay. Next topic," he paused to see if Jae had anything she wanted to add anything to the previous discussion.

He took a deep breath. "Your parents are back in town after their vacation. Roland had them leave so that you would feel alone and vulnerable. He hoped that you would fall in love with him quickly if you were hurt. Your parents are back, and they're looking for you, but they haven't alerted the authorities yet. My plan was to go to their home, and cause them to forget you. Alright?"

Jae had turned pale and she was looking down.

"Alright?" Thais asked again.

Jae wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She nodded but, then, she started to cry.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. Shh, shh. Don't cry. It's okay. It's okay." Thais picked Jae up, bridal style, and carried her to the living room. He pulled her onto his lap and rocked her back and forth.

Once Jae had quieted, Thais turned her sot that they were facing each other.

"You sure do cry a lot." Thais laughed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…It's- I'm fine," Jae sniffled and wiped her cheek.

Thais raised a knowing eyebrow. He was about to touch Jae's shoulder, but stopped when she took a deep breath.

"Fine. I'll tell you. Can't you let anyone keep something to themselves?"

Thais smiled happily to himself. Finally, he thought.

"It's just…I've been through a lot in the past…week? Yeah, week. And now, I finally find out where my family was, and they won't even miss me because they won't even remember me."

"Well, I suppose I could let you go home. Make you forget everything. It'll be like this never happened." Thais smiled as he reached out to tap Jae's temple.

"No! Stop! Wait!" Jae hit Thais's hand away. She immediately fell asleep and collapsed into his arms.

"Oops," Thais said. He touched her arm briefly and her eyes flashed open.

"What?" Jae mumbled.

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to touch me, so the contact put you to sleep."

"Oh. But, you weren't serious about making me forget everything, were you?"

"Don't you want to go home?"

"Yeah. I miss my family and everything, but all this. Vampires. It's all so amazing. I don't want to forget that all this exists."

"You have to make a choice then," Thais paused, "Stay with me, and know about vampires. Or, go back to your family, and forget everything that's happened."

"What about Roland?"

"I could take care of that easily. Don't let that influence your decision."

"Uh. Umm…Well, I-" Jae was cut off.

"Take your time. I just need your decision by tonight." Thais started to get up.

"Wait. I want to go back to my family. BUT, I don't want to forget this. Knowing is so much better than not. I guess, if I have to choose, I'd rather stay with you," Jae stopped to look at Thais, "When you go to my parents tonight, can I come? I just want to say goodbye to them, and Collin."

"Who's Collin?" Thais's forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"He's my brother. Isn't he with my family? Thais?"

Thais had gotten up and walked into the kitchen. He was pulling things out of a cabinet and heating up a pot of water. Jae followed him into the kitchen and sat back down at the table.

"Sorry. You were nervous, therefore you had an adrenaline rush. And, I'm thirsty. I haven't had a drink in a while."

"Oh. Do you want…?" Jae moved her hair off her neck and tuned slightly to one side.

Thais looked at her ravenously. "No. Later."

"Okay. So, um, can I come with you tonight?"

"Well, I've been thinking. I could make them think they sent you to boarding school, or something. That way you could visit them occasionally. I trust you enough not to tell them."

"If you trust me not to tell anyone, why can't I just go home?"

"I believe that you won't tell anyone on purpose," Thais paused to stir the boiling misture. He took out a mug and poured the murky purple liquid into it. He shut off the flame and brought the cup to his lips. He took a brief sip before continuing, "But, eventually, you might let something slip. In fact, I'm entirely sure, that at some point, you will say something you didn't want to, about all of this"

"You're probably right." Jae looked down at the empty bowl of cereal she had to bring to the sink.

"I'm still concerned as to what happened to Collin," Thais said as he took another gulp from his cup.

"I could ask my parents tonight," Jae offered, hoping he would take her.

"Alright. I think it would be a good idea if you came along," Thais said.

Jae smiled brightly and brought her bowl to the sink. She rinsed it out and put it back in the cabinet, after drying it with a towel.

"I'm going to be having a friend over tomorrow. I'd like it if you would make and serve lunch."

"You eat? Like, real food?" Jae was shocked.

"No. But, my friend does," Thais explained.

Jae nodded. "What should I make for lunch?"

"Something simple. Like, pasta or a sandwich."

"Okay. I'm going to go watch TV, unless you need anything else."

Thais waved Jae out of the room without saying another word. Well, that's kind of rude, Jae thought to herself.

Jae flipped through channels until she fell asleep. Thais came in a few moments later and picked the remote up off the floor and turned off the TV. She looked so peaceful. Thais stroked her cheek delicately before going to his study.