Tegan entered the warehouse from Oak Road. Her old friend was seated at a black marble table.

“Well, any luck?” she asked.

“He’s at a loft on Essex Street.” The old man said.

Tegan’s stomach sank. Why would Ian be here unless he was involved?

“And what of Wilhelm?”

“He is cloaked.”

She let out a long sigh.

“Alright let’s wait until dark, then we will head over to confront Ian.” she said.

“Shall I call Dylan?” he said as he pushed up his glasses.

“No.”

His brown eyes widened. She could see the familiar crinkle on his forehead whenever he was concerned.

“Don’t give me that look, Elia.”

                                                                         ###

Tegan entered the building from the alley where the streetlight was out. She could smell him. She rushed up the creaky wooden staircase. His scent grew stronger. It was apartment four. She stopped in front of it, planning her entrance. Should she frighten him, be nice, which play would get the fastest result? Violence of course. She kicked in the wood door and found him, hazel eyes wide, mouth agape holding two glasses of Champagne.

“Still like it rough, I see.” Ian said.

“Where is Wilhelm?” she asked. Trying not to smile at him.
He flashed his eyes at her.

“Really? This isn’t a social visit.”

“We have a problem. Wilhelm has been released.”

Ian took a sip of his bubbly.

“You mean your House has a problem. I doubt Wilhelm knows that I had any part in your sticky business.”

She felt a heat rise in her body. After all these centuries he was still the same selfish fucker.

“Maybe you released him,” she said. “I wonder what the Board would think about that?”

“Oh, hold on, I have no use for him. He wasn’t my pet.”

She turned to leave there was no point in spending one more second in his presence. Then she realized. The Champagne, he had two glasses.

“Were you expecting company?”

“No, well Sarah….”

“Of course, Sarah I almost forgot about your new …. pet.”

He saw her from across the street. Her blonde hair flowing in chaos all over her face. This would be easy. She shoved her yoga mat into the back seat and headed toward Spring Street toward the all-night cafe hidden by old oaks. It was in the trees he would appear. He chuckled to himself, he wanted her to be scared. He wanted her to beg for mercy.

He crept behind her as her tennis shoes glided along the cobble stone. She stopped and turned jamming her fist hard into his ball sack. He lounged forward, catching himself before his pale face hit the two hundred year old sidewalk. He had to catch his breath and take her but the fire in his balls slowed him. She stood over him and kicked him hard in the head. He rolled over into the moonlight. A bell ringing through his head as blood came out his nose. I can bleed? He thought. She got a glimpse of his face in the moonlight sneaking through the oaks.

“Oh my God!” she gasped. “How is this possible?”

He looked straight at her. Her blue eyes looked soft, as if they cared. There was no time to think, she had seen him. He summoned all he had to give, leapt to his feet and grabbed her by the neck, leaned in and bit.

A long slow breath eked out of her. The first drop hit his soul. This was what it was like to be alive. A surge of electricity rose up his spine. He almost ejaculated on himself. He couldn’t get enough, he drank and drank, each drop touching a part of him he had lost.

He bathed in the warm glow of it, but knew he had to leave, fast. He felt someone coming, someone stronger. He looked ahead and saw a thick fog, that chilled him from hundreds of feet away. It wasn’t a cold fog, but it was what would emerge from it that stirred him. He didn’t have time to move her body, he just ran off into the park across the street from him. He hid in the big oaks, hoping it would pass him. He was still high on her blood so his senses were heightened. He felt cold pins go up his spine. He turned around, the fog was right in front of him, he was surrounded in its thick gray mist. He felt a hand grab him by the neck and push him up against an old oak.

“Time to go where you belong,” a man’s voice said.