I think both Silas and myself were a little shocked at Julius's outburst. Who would have thought that being human was so detestable. I was a little insulted. I guess I could understand a bit, knowing that for the past five thousand years he's known nothing but being a Vampyre. I guess when you only lived twenty some odd years as human and five thousand as a Vampyre, I could see why he would be upset then.

Silas continued to pace the room, his head in his hand as he turned and turned and turned. Thinking to himself mostly I assumed. He muttered and mumbled and finally bumped into me. "Sorry."

"It's okay. He's going to be fine." I tried to sooth him.

"Fine? Julius? How will he be fine?" Silas's voice raised and it made me jump.

"Well, yelling at me isn't going to fix this," I snapped.

Silas stopped and pulled me into an embrace, "I'm sorry. I do not mean to snap at you. I'm just at a loss what to do."

"It will be okay. Maybe he has gone home. Maybe he's near by. Do you want to go searching for him? I'm going to need to go home anyways, I have to work the day shift at work." I turned and picked up my plate, and the one I made for Julius and put them both in the sink of the kitchen.

"I'll take you home. At least I will know you are safe if I take you," Silas grabbed the keys to the Lexus out front, I assumed was Julius's car. Silas didn't own a car, well, except for the Mercedes he had when he took me to the diner, that fateful night that I met Julius and discovered they were both Vampyre's. That just about everyone at the club was.

My jaw was ready to drop when we went outside to get in the Lexus LFA. I had seen this car on Top Gear. Faster and better braking power than a Lambourgini. It was a sexy car. Like the Mercedes, I ran my hand along it's delicate curves as Silas made past me and opened the door of the passenger seat. I wasn't going to sit passenger, I wanted to drive the behemoth. "Do you mind if I drove?"

Silas's brow arched up, "You want to drive? Have you driven a car this powerful before?"

"Well, no, but I'd like the chance though," I said as Silas threw me the keys and I jumped with excitement as I ran to the driver door.

Silas laughed at me as I got into the seat and was practically jumping out of skin in excitement. My hands were nervous and sweating as I gripped the leather wheel and placed my feet on the gas and clutch. Ready to use the flappers to change my gears as I pressed the on button to start the roaring 4.8 liter, v10 engine. I adjusted all the mirrors and my seat so I was at optimal comfort. This car was delicate and quite comfortable. The leather seats hugged my legs, hips and around my torso as I pressed on the gas, wheels screeching, ready to use every bit of the 6,800 rpms that I was bearing down on it. Ready to let it loose onto the pavement where I would twist and turn around the curvy roads. And that's exactly what I did.

To drive the LFA was a rush. In no time it seemed as though the ride was over. The car was too fast to enjoy. Silas almost needed to live further away so I could have driven it longer. Maybe I would make a note for him to bring it back, or at least as Julius if I could borrow for a while. That seemed fair, I suppose. I mean, Julius did say he would be coming back for me. I wasn't sure if that was something I should be happy about or worried about. I guess more on the worried, since he did seem to think of me as some sort of possession. I was no one possession. I was my own and only my own. I made my own choices and no one made them for me.

"Thanks! That was a rush!" I exclaimed as we both got out of the car.

"You're welcome. Maybe I'll bring it back so you can drive it again," Silas answered.

"And now you can read thoughts?" I teased.

"Not hardly." He laughed as he leaned in and kissed me goodbye. "I will try to call later. I'm going to head to Julius's house and then to the club to see if he showed there. I'll come by the bar if I can."

"No problem. I'll hopefully talk to you or see you later then." I smiled and waved him off as he left the drive.

I turned back to the house to see Tristian staring at me with angry eyes in the doorway. His arms were crossed and he obviously was mad about something. "Hey" I said as I got to the door, hoping that he would move aside and let me in, but he didn't.

Tristian didn't say anything at first, he just stood there as I tried to get by, but he blocked my way into the house. "Where were you all night?" he asked.

"I was at Silas's. Something happened to Julius and Portia took me there," I answered and tried to push past him, this time I succeeded, only to be caught by my arm upon entering. "Let me go!"

"How did you get hurt?" Tristian asked, obviously shuffling through my thoughts and memories.

I pulled away from him and turned to smack him in the face. "Don't you ever go into my head without my permission! This is my home and you will not disrespect me like that!"

"This bond with Julius is going to end up killing you, you realize that don't you?" he yelled back at me, trying to drum it into my head that Vampyre's were all wrong for me. "You are a halfling! You are not immortal like them or I. You are weak and fragile!"

"Weak? You're calling me weak?" I screamed as I pushed him into the door.

"I am not weak!" I screamed again, pushing him harder, pushing negative thoughts and images of what I would do to anyone trying to hurt me again. "And I am not fragile!"

Without even a flinch or grimace against my grip he calmly said, "But you are still human. They desire you because of your blood, because you are human and you are also of the Danu. They would drink you dry if they could. Many of them would. Just because Silas or Julius hasn't, doesn't mean they won't."

"Silas loves me. He would never do such a thing. And Julius, I don't think he's much of a concern anymore," I pushed the images of Julius lying on the couch, his head in my lap, stroking his hair and Ilona confirming that he was now human, but tied to the Wolves for as long as his human life would give him.

"That is not a certianty," Silas said after receiving my image message. "He could change back, and what happens then? What if he is tired of being a Vampyre and choses the course of the Wolf? What then? Would he join the pack that is set on killing you?"

I let go of Tristian and backed away, "He wouldn't. He can't," I mumbled.

"Oh, but he can. All he needs to do is drink the blood of the wolf that bit him and then kill an innocent for him to change back. Unless he wants to become a wolf, then he needs to be bitten again," Tristian explained.

"But why didn't Ilona tell us that?" I asked. "Why would she hide the fact he couldn't be changed back to a Vampyre?"

"Well, maybe she has an ulterior motive then," Tristian said. "Maybe she is using him to get to you. Maybe she's using Silas. Who knows, all is possible with them. They are a deceitful kind Anabelle. They have killed our people!"

"Your People! Not my people!" I screamed back at him. "I am not one of you!"

"Then how do you explain everything you've gone through lately? How you have these powers that match my own? If you weren't from us, then what are you exactly Ani?" Tristian spat as he walked closer to me, pinning me against the table in the hall with the pictures of my parents. He looked down and grabbed the frame that held my coveted picture, "You think that you were human like them? You're not."

Tears streamed in my eyes as I grabbed the picture away from him, "Get out."

"What?" Tristian asked, caught off guard by my request.

"Get out!" I screamed and pointed towards the door. "Get out, get out, get out!"

"Sure, I'll leave, but you just remember this," Tristian grabbed my arms and tightened his grip as he pulled me closer to him. I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me, but he leaned in close and whispered into my ear, "You remember who has been watching over you the past few months. Whose kept problems at bay. I know she is still after you, and if I leave, you'll be fair game to her."

The moment he whispered the last part, he turned and left with a "Pop". I slunk down on the ground, my parents picture tucked close to my chest as I cried and cried. I had made a huge mess of my life. I sat there and wished for my parents. For my Mom that would sooth away the pain with a hug and my Dad that would have gone to several lengths to kill anyone that hurt his daughter. I found myself yearning for them.

After a lot of snot crying that dirtied up my shirt I got up and grabbed my cell phone. I had a text from Silas.

NOT HOUSE. WILL CHK CLUB

I sent him a message back, NEED 2 TALK. CALL SOON.

I put the phone down and went upstairs to change. I had to work in a little while so I had better get showered and dressed for the work day. I hoped that Silas would call soon. I desperately needed to talk to him. Though he had only been gone for a short while, I couldn't find myself to be parted away from him. I needed his comfort and to tell me it would all be okay. He was my wing, just like my Mom and Dad had always been. And not that Tristian is gone, I was yearning for some company.

I showered and shampooed then dressed. Still a bit sore in my lady regions from a very long love making session with Silas the night previous. Well, I guess you could say this morning technically. It wasn't painful but it wasn't necessarily comfortable either. I went downstairs to fix myself something quick to eat as I checked my phone. No new messages and no calls. Hmm. Oh well I thought. I would check on the horses before I left and give them some fresh hay. It was going to be a cold night so it might held to put their blankets on as well. I would be back late, so I had better do it now.

I walked out into the barn, petted and checked on Fera and Fauna. They neighed and tossed their heads as I patted them on their long, slender noses. They both had enough hay to last them a few more days so I grabbed their blankets and tossed them over. I went next to Cruz's stall as he was fast asleep already. I pulled the blanket over him and set to check on the other horses that I had acquired and boarded for a fee. The last stall I went to was Romeo's. He was my favorite. A shiny black stallion with a small white star on his forehead. Just like Black Beauty, one my favorite books a child. I clicked my tongue to signal to him, but I heard nothing. Usually he would stick his head out of the stall and kick his feet and toss his head, anxiously awaiting me to pet him. But I was surprised by what I saw, or what I didn't see when I reached the stall. Romeo was gone. The latch was lose and wasn't locked. I turned around to go into the saddle room and even his saddle was almost missing, along with the reins. Someone had taken him.