I can’t breathe.
     Gasping at the air evading her lungs, Evonne visualized her body submerged in a vat of cool mud. That was the best way her mind could describe the sensation. With this one feeling, others joined the fray. An annoying fragrance filled her nostrils as she struggled to breathe, mixed with a stinging inside her eyes and a hollow void within her gut.
     Evonne forced her eyes open. She saw the room, blurry at first, then clearer with each blink. The light she once remembered seemed brighter now. She blinked again, this time to calm the stinging within her eyes. The room was different than the one before, this one smaller and more personal.
     She pulled herself to sit on the bed, her muscles tingling under each movement. A foggy veil blanketed her senses. She waited for it lift as she fully woke, but the stubborn veil remained. Evonne then shuddered at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, brushing her hair back. She hesitated to look at the hand’s owner. But on a second touch, she turned to face him.
     Gabriel sat beside her, watching her.
     “How long was I out?” she asked. Even her voice felt odd as it left her.
     “One day,” he said as he looked away and left the bed, then grabbed her coat.
     “I don’t want to go anywhere right now. I just want to sleep a little bit longer.”
     He handed her the coat. “That’s the hunger talking.”
     Hunger? She studied her body once more. She felt the remnants of familiar hunger pangs, but intertwined with a craving so powerful it attacked her muscles, aching them to her bones.
     Gabriel pulled on his coat and extended his hand to her. “Time for us to go.”
     Evonne stood without taking his hand. She glanced down, seeing her clothes for the first time. They were ones she had packed away in her bag. Her tired body ached more as she pulled on her coat. She didn’t realize there would be this much pain.
     “It will subside,” he said.
     “Where are we going?”
     He answered as he opened the door. “To see some friends.”
     “You have friends?”
     He didn’t reply as he entered the hallway and led her away from the room, back to the familiar spiral staircase. Evonne watched Gabriel carefully, easily picking up on the subtle changes within him. He still didn’t look at her the way he once had. What else was there to hide from her? She thought that crossing this threshold meant that some sort of bond would be placed between them. Then again, she’d only been awake for five minutes.
     Outside, the darkening blue sky gave her plenty of light to see. The inconspicuous entrance was surrounding the thick woods and vines, things she failed to see when she first arrived. A wolf sat off to the side, his amber eyes following the two leaving the haven. He didn’t growl at them this time. Evonne, however, remained wary, glancing at the wolf every other stride.
     The drive south took them across the state of New York and into Pennsylvania. Evonne became worried upon seeing the state’s welcoming sign, but Gabriel tried to calm her fears, informing her that they were far from any SEVEN headquarters. She wanted to believe him, but SEVEN had members living away from any headquarters, and the possibility of them pulling the license plate number concerned her the most.
     Exhausted, all Evonne wanted was to sleep but her mind raced on. She did feel different but not as much as she thought she would. Everything around her appeared the same, yet her eyes easily picked up on low light, allowing her to see more than she expected. Looking out her window and at the passing scenery, she saw more than she could imagine. Evonne glanced at the clock on the dash. 11 p.m.? It seemed more like an hour after sunset.
     The Jeep finally pulled into a long driveway, ending at a large, three car garage. The accompanying house looked like a cross between a cozy, Colonial-inspired home and a typical suburban house, added with a decade of wear and tear, though they were far from the suburban areas. The place looked more like a quiet, country neighborhood. The nearest house was a short walk away, its bright porch light visible through the trees.
     Gabriel left the Jeep and grabbed one of his bags from the back. Withholding her questions, Evonne followed him to the front door. He rang the door bell. The familiar emotion of nervousness greeted Evonne. So I can still get nervous about things.
     After a rattling of chain and several clanks of metal, the door opened, revealing a human. At first glance, Evonne thought he looked like Emery, with the whole short, dark, wild hair and “rocker” look, but there were many differences the further she studied him.
     “Holy shit,” the human exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see you this soon.” His brown eyes then landed on Evonne. “Where are my manners? Please, come on in!” he said, stepping to the side and ushering in his guests.
     The cluttered house was filled with a thousand new smells, each combating to take hold of her interest first. And then there was the warmth. Each of the humans she saw in the living room carried an inviting warmth, including their own scent. On the sofa, two humans sat: one in his fifties, heavyset, and had a dusting of grey in his hair and goatee; the other was in his early twenties, average build, and dark, short hair. These two, once involved with a video game, stopped playing to greet their guests.
     The older man nodded respectfully. “Gabriel.”
     Gabriel returned the greeting. “William.”
     The human, William, turned to Evonne, his face lighting up. “And who is this fine lady?”
     “Evonne,” she said, her voice low and showing her uneasiness. The humans didn’t notice.
     William nodded. “Nice to meet you, Evonne.”
     The human who answered the door introduced himself, waving once to gain Evonne’s attention. “My name’s Derek, and chatty over there,” he said, pointing at the other human, “is Adrian.”
     “Now that that’s out of the way,” William began, “what brings you here ahead of schedule?”
     “Two things,” Gabriel said. “I need some information on something.”
     Derek crossed his arms. “Tit-for-tat, dear boy. Tit-for-tat.”
     Gabriel motioned to the bag.
     Gleaming with delight, Derek dropped his fake composure. “Well then, this way.” He led them to the basement, the true hub of their operations.
     Evonne was impressed by their efforts. They seemed organized and well thought out in their mission. Four rooms made up the basement: one held their many computers and other odds and ends, while another contained work benches and their arsenal, some weapons even hanging on the walls. The last two rooms housed maps, filing cabinets, and other items gathered over the years. Evonne caught sight of the largest room of the four. Along with a couple of cabinets, this one held a pool table, sofa, and two chairs, each one different from the other.
     Evonne spotted a sofa in the arsenal room and sat down as the others began talking.
     Gabriel sat the bag on the work bench, while Derek fished through a small refrigerator, grabbing himself a beer. With a small twist, he popped of the lid and sat down on a metal stool.
     “So, this information your looking for,” Derek said, placing the bottle to his lips.
     Gabriel calmly took the beer from Derek.
     The human didn’t seem to take offense at the action. “Oh. It’s going to be one of those visits, too.” He grabbed the bottle from Gabriel and place it back in the refrigerator, then returned to his seat.
     Gabriel began speaking. “I need to know about any drugs that can be used to harm a vampire.”
     Pursing his lips, Derek tried to recall anything he had heard. “I don’t know of any off the top of my head.”
     “But it’s very much possible,” William added.
     “Oh, I’m not doubting that,” defended Derek.
     Adrian spoke up as he stood in the doorway. “Don’t you remember the incident three months ago? A werewolf went on a rampage at this rave. It was covered up by SEVEN, but some of the details leaked out. The wolf was drugged and believed to be unleashed there. My theory is that someone placed him there as a test to see how effective the drug was.”
     “And?” Gabriel asked, leaning against the bench.
     Adrian shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. “That’s all I heard.”
     “I can check out channels to see if any other incidents have happened,” offered William. “Maybe someone else knows something.”
     “Okay. Down to business.” Derek swiveled in the stool, facing the black duffle bag, rubbing his hands menacingly. “What have you brought us this time?”
     “Take your pick,” said Gabriel, making no effort to stop him from opening the bag.
     Derek dove into the bag, removing the gun cases and ammo first before getting down to the good stuff. He retrieved a three foot long object covered in a black cloth. Carefully, he laid it on the bench and removed the cloth. Derek lifted the short sword into the air, looking it over.
     “This is nice,” Derek praised. “I can’t even tell that it’s been silver coated.”
     “Only partially along the center,” Gabriel informed. “That allows it to keep its edge without sacrificing its finish.”
     William gloated at the sight of the sword. “Leave it to you to combine function with perfection. Truly a lost art.”
     Derek placed the sword back on the cloth and looked through the bag once more. He removed another object, this one half the size of the sword, and slid off the fabric covering. It resembled a bowie knife, yet the blade was stylized differently.
     “Just what I wanted.” Derek’s face flashed with joy as he held the knife to his cheek, hugging it. “Thank you, Santa.”
     Uninterested with all the weapon talk, Adrian spoke up. “I’m going to make some rounds on the net to see what I can dredge up on this drug.” He left the room, making his way into their computer area.
     Derek removed two more knives in the bag. These two resembled the one Evonne use to have, however, simpler in design. Her knife: her father never returned it to her after she was sent back to Eden—the same with her gun.
     Looking at the two knives, Derek smiled. “I know who these are for. She’s going to love them.”
     William approached the bag and removed several gun cases. Opening each case, he checked the guns, making sure his babies were unharmed. “I see you’ve been taking care of these. I have some more for you to choose from.”
     “I will later,” Gabriel said.
     William then checked the ammo. “Oh, we have some more hollow points. Plenty to spare.”
     Laying on the sofa, Evonne lost the battle with her fatigue. She knew it was rude to do such a thing as a guest in someone’s home, but the agony to stay awake was too great.
     William glanced at her. “Poor girl. I believe we’re boring her.”
     “Oh!” Derek remembered. “I have something for you.” He left the room, searching his new toy.
     Rolling his eyes, William knew exactly what he searched for. “Here we go.”
     Derek returned to the room, ignoring William’s comment. “I picked this up a few weeks ago. I like its design and it may prove useful.” He handed the odd weapon to Gabriel. The single-handed weapon carried two crescent shaped blades on either side of the handle.
     “It’s called a ninja ring,” said Derek. “I was wondering if you could take this design and do something with it. And silver coat it, as well.”
     Gabriel studied the weapon. He had seen these before in various novelty weapon shops, even adopting some designs he happened to like. But this weapon offered a unique challenge.
     He handed to weapon back to Derek. “I’ll see what I can do.”
     “You know,” said William, “you can always tell him no.”
     “And suffer the silent treatment?” Gabriel laughed once. “One could only hope.”
     Setting the odd weapon on the bench, Derek crossed his arms. “Alright. I see how it is. Just remembered who’s the glue around here, and who pays the bills.”
     “It’s your house,” admitted William. “I don’t live here.”
     “Then I don’t want to see your drunk ass crashing on my couch again.” His quick comeback fell short.
     “I’m going to help Adrian scour the channels,” William said as he placed the guns back in their cases. He glanced at Derek and added, “Just remember who kicked your ass last week.” He walked out of the room.
     “That’s wasn’t a fair fight! It was three against one!”
     “Keep telling yourself that,” William called from the other room, “and perhaps one day you’ll actually believe it.”
     Adrian looked up from his computer, snickering at the banter.
     Shaking his head, Derek lowered his voice. “You’d think they’d know not to mess with me. I’m already planning my payback.”
     Moving away from the bench, Gabriel entered the room carrying maps and other papers staked on a cluttered desk. He looked at a large map hanging on the wall. Several areas were marked with pushpins, each holding a small piece of paper with notes.
     Derek followed him into the room, glancing at the map, as well.
     Gabriel singled out a pin on the map. “That one’s new.”
     “Yeah, but it’s out of our reach. Too bad, though. This one has the makings of a good fight. Sure wish you could help us on that one. We might be able to pull it off with you.”
     “Not this time. Just stay to your area and keep to what works for you.”
     Derek turned around, leaning against the desk, arms crossed. “Still a loner, aren’t you?” His eyes landed on the sleeping girl. “She’s a fine lady. A very fine lady. She has that ‘girl next door’ look going for her.” He glanced at Gabriel, seeing him still interested in the maps. “How new is she?”
     Gabriel answered, his voice low. “This is her first night.”
     “Wow.” He looked back at her. “I’m honored you brought her here. So what’s her story? How did a nice girl like that end up with someone like you?”
     “She’s Alexander’s daughter,” he replied bluntly.
     Derek’s jaw almost dropped. “The Alexander Ingram?”
     Gabriel remained quiet.
     “Not only am I honored, but I feel privileged. I can only take one tonight, though, and she seems like the sweeter deal. William, you know, is out to pasture. And Adrian… I know how you feel about wolf’s blood.”
     “Where’s Melissa?”
     “Silver run. Taylor went with her. They won’t be back until sometime tomorrow. I wish there was something more I could do.”
     “I’ll be fine. She needs it more than me.” Losing interest in the maps, Gabriel stepped away from the wall.
     “Well, let’s get this over with,” said Derek. “I really want that beer.” Going over to a tall filing cabinet, he grabbed a small box from on top and removed a single razor, then headed back into the other room with Gabriel following.
     Evonne stirred on the sofa as she felt someone sit on its edge. She looked up to see the human, Derek, removing his shirt. Confused, Evonne search for Gabriel, trying to understand what was going on.
     “This is your first time,” Derek said, removing the thin paper from the razor. “So you may need a little help.”
     Looking over his skin, Evonne saw many tattoos and scars. The tattoos covered most of his arms, but not fully, while others ran across his chest and stomach. The scars marked the inside of his wrists and elbows as well as his upper and lower neck. The poor human looked like a healed chew toy.
     Derek dug the razor along the base of his neck, and then tossed both the razor and paper into a nearby trash can. He took her hand, urging her to sit. Still uncertain, Evonne looked at Gabriel. What was she to do?
     She found no answer with him.
     Her eyes went back to Derek. The scent of his blood mixed with the scent of his skin, lifting her fatigue. She became focused on him alone. Nothing else in the room existed. Her mind switched from rational to primal as her eyes stared at the little trail of blood leaving the cut.
     Leaning forward, Evonne’s tongue met his skin, licking at the trail of blood. This was that perfection she remembered. She needed it to fill her, to squash that void back into submission. Following the blood to the small cut, Evonne closed her mouth over him. The blood left the wound slowly—too slow for her clawing hunger. Her human teeth scrapped over his skin, begging for more. Within the base of her upper teeth, the gums began to ache. She felt the annoying pain reach its apex, as though her teeth were slowly being pulled from their base. Her tongue brushed across the two extended teeth before scraping over his skin, once more. She pressed down, her teeth settling deep into his neck.
     Derek’s body tensed against her but he made no sound. He was enjoying this.
     Evonne found no blood leaving him. She withdrew her teeth and tasted the rush of heat escaping the bite. She began to drink, the blood wakening her further. Even with her senses heightened, her focus remained on him. The house could be crashing down around them and she wouldn’t care.
     “That’s enough,” she heard Gabriel say.
     Derek placed his hands on her shoulder and eased her away. Evonne didn’t protest. She left him and returned to lay on the sofa. He then stood to face Gabriel, his hands behind his back.
     “Call me a glutton for punishment,” Derek said, offering himself to Gabriel.
     Without hesitation, Gabriel moved in close and placed his mouth over the fresh bite, taking only what he needed. Evonne watched them, wishing to return to the human. Her body still craved his blood or any blood at this moment. She wanted to leave the sofa and join them, opening the human on the other side of his neck.
     Evonne’s mind snapped back into rational thought. What was she thinking? She mentally scolded herself. Those thoughts, those feelings—they frightened her. How could she really think like this? It was like she almost lost control. She could easily identify with Keelan and the drug that once raced through his system. This hunger felt like a drug, causing her to think and act differently.
     Evonne looked away as Gabriel left Derek. The human grabbed his shirt and headed upstairs to dress the wounds.
     Gabriel spoke, his words quiet. “We’ll stay here for the day and return to the haven tomorrow night. Go ahead and rest down here.”
     She heard him leave the room and walk upstairs. Evonne wanted to stop him and ask if he would stay with her, but her teeth had yet to return to normal and she felt self-conscious speaking to him like that. She rolled over and buried her face in the sofa’s cushion. What the hell am I doing? I can’t do this. Nothing about me is cut out for this kind of existence. All within the same moment, she wanted to cry, scream, and wish for death. The first night in her new life and she was ready for it to end.