Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used from The Vampire Diaries and Kindred: The Embraced. I do not make any profit from these musings.

A/N: Thanks to all my readers. This is the second to the last chapter since this story only has 8 chapters. Any mistakes are mine since I just can't bring myself to find a beta.

Chapter 07

"That bitch!" Sasha fumed while she reported back to Cameron her brief recon of Elena. "A Gangrel was in there with her and she told Elena I was there. Then Elena was nothing but rude to me. I could snap her like a twig like the vermin she is."

Cameron let Sasha finish her rant. He needed her angry but focused. "We will snap her before the Conclave votes tonight. I just received word we will be meeting and no doubt she will be the topic."

Sasha looked up to Cameron hopeful, "What do you need me to do?"

"Plant doubt by talking to Cash alone. He may hate you for your blood, but he will still put that aside to talk to you for however brief. Let him know in no uncertain terms that Elena is a target, not only from Brujah but Toreador." Cameron said.

Sasha knew that Cash would have to be paranoid about this human he has dared bring here. After so many fuck ups this Gangrel could not chance a thing. "Toreador?"

"Lily, after meeting this human has hatred burning for all to see. Come Sasha, find the time and make it happen." Cameron stood from his office in the mansion. It was time to feed and he had several of his donors in mind before he had Conclave.

Elena returned to Cash's room to find him in what she's called the "Gangrel Thinking Position", that is crossed legged in front of a window staring out into the world but not seeing the contents of it.

Cash didn't move from his position as he whispered with caution, "So?"

"Seems as if I impressed them or something like that." Elena was smiling from ear to ear.

"We will find out at Conclave, you will be coming with me and that's a good sign that you were invited." Cash said remaining in his position.

Elena chuckled, "You stuck like that Cash, old man."

"Yeah could you help me up?" Cash was smiling in the inside with mischief while he was pouting on the outside.

Elena threw her hands in the air and crossed the span of the huge bedroom/living room combination. She held out her hand to Cash and grounded her self so she could pull him up. Cash tried to pull her down to him and get her fall in his lap. Elena knew this was his plan; he's done this before the bastard so she further centered her self and pulled harder.

By this time Cash was giggling as he tried harder to pull her down using some of his Kindred strength, if Elena was going to be stubborn he was too. Both felt the shock of electricity pass from Elena's hand to Cash's as she focused intently on staying put as if stone. Cash pulled harder, he didn't want to pull Elena's arm out of its socket, but he still wasn't going to give up on showing a bit of dominance.

"Having a hard time Cash?" Elena teased with a giggle.

"Apparently." He smiled and gave her his best puppy pout.

"Nope not going to work this time Cash." She winked back at him and gave him a yank.

Cash felt it tear at his arm. No human could cause this small sense of pain and panic. It was more surprise than panic but still he couldn't fathom it and it scared him that this human who had so much worth to him had these talents even before she was Embraced.

A knock at the door startled Cash and he lost concentration on the task at hand. Elena didn't and she pulled Cash up so hard he shot forward and landed in a pile of his legs and couch cushions.

Upon hearing a loud crash Josh opened his Primogen's door expecting the worst, instead he came in to a scene of Cash on the floor having a hard time getting up, Elena laughing so hard she was clenching her sides, and her taunting Cash between breathes with, "You know…I….got that…on film, right?"

Cash was blushing as he looked up to his right hand Gangrel, "This better be good Josh."

Josh was smiling but straightened up and held his hand out to help his Primogen get up, Cash took it and brushed him self off as Josh spoke, "The Prince has given Elena permission to roam around the Mansion and its grounds as long as she is escorted by a Gangrel at all times."

"Oh thank God," Elena sighed, "I can't stand to be in here for so long in captivity."

"I agree you need to get out of this small room and cause trouble elsewhere." Cash looked serious for a second before he gave a hearty laugh at the situation of it.

At that moment Trina came in, "Yeah you know just passing by my favorite room and heard you need a tour guide. I know you'd love to have Cash show you stuff but take it from me he doesn't know all the cool "girly" places." Trina explained with making the quotation marks sign with her fingers as she said girly.

Cash gave a smug look but agreed with Trina, "Go have girl time." He was smiling by the time Elena brushed her hair and was ready to explore. He kissed her nose and she kissed his and with a small hug she was out of that stuffy room and into luxury at its finest.

Elena turned to Trina, "What is it with vampires or Kindred in your case and having expensive things?"

Trina smiled; Elena was almost too perfect for Cash and the Gangrel Clan, "Not really sure. Ventrue like to show off what their business savvy can buy I suppose. Not to mention the Toreador Primogen that stays in the west wing likes pretty things."

Elena thought back to the Salvatore's and how they had so many things that had been passed down from family and wondered if that was the case with the Prince too. It seemed as if vampires held onto their humanity in unique ways.

There were so many halls with so many paintings and sculptures, heavy oaken furniture in every nook, wooden paneling to silken wallpaper adorning the walls, but Trina said the girly rose garden was in back.

This put the Salvatore gardens to shame. Roses of every color scent and size bloomed here in well manicured lawns and preened bushes.

"Wow." Elena had no other words for the sight before her. She wanted to smell every one of them that was for sure and she begged Trina to let her.

"Smell all you want, but after while they kind of meld together."

"Coffee beans, Trina are there coffee beans in the huge designer kitchen you showed me?" Elena asked.

Trina looked puzzled but nodded, "Probably, the human guards would have coffee I'm sure."

"Would you run and get me some?" Elena pleaded.

"I'm not supposed to leave you alone remember." Trina countered.

"Its fine," Julian Luna stepped from an office that led to the gardens, "I'll guard her." He smiled.

Still puzzled Trina took off in a fast walk to see if there were coffee beans in the kitchen.

"Hey thanks Mr. Luna." Elena said half muffled with her nose in red rose.

"Call me Julian." He returned. "You are a wise young lady." He added.

"How's that?" Elena asked as she pulled her nose out of the flower.

"Using coffee beans as a palate refresher so you can smell each flower as if it's brand new, it's a technique used for wine tasting as well." Julian explained.

The smile of genuine caring came from the Prince as he saw pollen adorning Elena's nose from the recent smelling. He leaned in and thumbed off the offending powder. It was hard not to like this human. He knew she was claimed by Cash and he couldn't help but want to test this bond to see if it was one sided. The Ventrue Prince had the talent of pushing out his aura and making whom ever it touches feel as he pleased so he sent out a warm vibe of sexual desire.

He saw her honey brown orbs widen in response and her lashes lower in lust. He took this opportunity to lean into her space again letting his lips come closer to hers. He would let her kiss him instead of him forcing the issue as he let wave after wave hit her.

Suddenly her eyes grew hard and icy and with strength foreign to any normal human being Elena pushed the Prince back from her nearly knocking him on his ass. Julian recovered quickly and didn't fall down but his animal came to the surface and his heart beat for a few moments.

Elena didn't flinch when she saw the blue glow in the Ventrue's eyes. "How dare you?" She said in a low warning tone.

Trina came out with a small bag of coffee beans onto a scene that made her heart beat in fear for her future Clan mate. The Prince was growling in a tone that meant trouble and his eyes were glowing. Trina didn't know what to do, she should run to get Cash, but if when she left the Prince hurt Elena she wouldn't forgive her self.

"How dare I?" Julian growled, "You need to respect me I will be your Prince." With the animal so close to emerging Julian was inches from turning it loose and letting Elena get a taste of what even her soon to be Primogen fears.

The Prince was prowling around her now and Elena kept turning to face him not letting him get behind her. She didn't trust him after that stunt. "You earn my trust just as you would anyone else."

Julian gave a sinister laugh, "You expect me to treat you as my equal human?"

"Why not? I do." She was scared but she wasn't going to let her heartbeat call to this Kindred in front of her. She could feel the tingles worsen and there was no doubt this situation was going to get worse if she didn't do something.

Lily was at the window in the office Julian had emerged from to watch Julian put this human back into her place. By what she was seeing and the fear that emanated from her, Julian was doing his job well. Good, Lily thought, if he didn't show her the hierarchy and how this all worked Lily was going to do it for him in a more Toreador way.

Trina sought out Cash as she knew Elena would need him but when she finally found him he looked stark white and she could smell the Brujah Bitch's lingering scent at the scene. Trina cursed.

"Cash, Julian is challenging Elena in the rose garden." Trina tried to explain more but Cash looked at her and she saw his golden eyes flash before he blurred to the garden. Trina followed but lacked the speed of her Primogen so when she arrived back to the garden she missed some of the action.

Something was odd about the scene but would be told of in Kindred History for ages. Cash was holding Elena tightly but not to comfort her, to keep her back from Julian who was now on the ground bleeding. Elena was spouting obscenities at Julian who was shocked more than wanting revenge. Lily was at Julian's side the heat of her glare had the power to start a fire, Trina guessed. Trina sensed Nosferatu close by and spotted a shadow further in the Garden that did not belong there.

Cash glared at his Prince and didn't know what to say. How could he verbalize his hurt at this betrayal by his Prince without retaliation from Julian?

"Let me go Cash, this sonovabitch needs a good walloping." Elena struggled against the arms of her mate.

The Prince picked himself up off the ground and brushed off his slacks. "Conclave will meet as scheduled but Cash; you have my personal permission to Embrace her. I will hear the arguments from the other Primogen's but my decision is final. You are made for each other." He smiled.