Trapped in a House

Caleb finished eating in silence while Katrina leaned against the kitchen counter, watching him with a blank expression, as if she were a million miles away. Each felt the quiet oppressively building between them. After throwing his food wrappers in the trash, he puzzled over what to do next. He suddenly felt spent as his earlier adrenaline high faded, and he barely stifled a yawn.

"You're exhausted," she observed in a detached fashion.

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling the taut muscles through her blouse as he hugged her. He inclined his head to press his warm lips to her neck, noting her skin felt rock solid as well.

"Thanks for being there for me," he offered genuinely. "Once again."

Katrina deeply breathed in his body's scent, letting the air escape in one long sigh. He smelled tempting to the part of her nature that craved his blood, but she pushed the thought away and returned his embrace in earnest. It was then Caleb felt her body relax somewhat in his arms.

"Tired?" he asked sleepily. It seemed impossible to him that he could feel remotely sleepy after all that had happened. However, he anticipated part of the reason was that he finally felt safe at Katrina's estate with her.

"No, I'm not tired," she replied absently.

"How is that even possible?" he marveled out loud.

"Strong stamina," she commented distractedly. Her thoughts were focused on Alondra Vargas. The woman was a very old and dangerous vampire and had her sights on Caleb. The notion was entirely unbearable for her. Just as she must have targeted those other vampires, and their mates, she mused ominously.

It was obvious to Caleb that he had lost her full attention. He realized she'd surrendered herself once again to more pressing thoughts.

"Sometimes I don't sleep for days," she added with a distant look in her eyes. Particularly when I'm worried.

She gently disengaged from his embrace and moved down the short hallway near the kitchen to lock the door leading into the garage. Next, she walked to the security keypad near the kitchen door and entered what seemed like a fifty-digit code. Caleb heard a series of motorized whirring sounds and noticed heavy metal panels sliding downwards from out of the framing of the house on the outside of each of the windows.

"What the -" he muttered in amazement.

"Security panels," she replied. "They'll help keep intruders out. Or at least, give me more time to prepare for them. It keeps sunlight out, too, allows me to roam the house freely in daytime."

"Yeah, do you think?" he retorted at the pronounced understatement. Not only was everyone else held at bay outside, he was shut away inside, locked in a giant, oversized box. A very regal, comfortable box nonetheless, he reflected.

She stared at him in an expressionless, penetrating manner. He noticed her gaze and silently stared back. She seemed to come to a decision, and her eyes sparkled with renewed life. She reached out to take his right hand in her own, beckoning him to sit on a nearby kitchen counter stool. Once seated, she stood before him and tried to offer a supportive smile.

"Caleb," she began tentatively. "I realize everything that's happened this evening has occurred very quickly for you. This must be very unsettling. It must seem as though I've turned into a crazy woman and whisked all control from you suddenly."

He responded with a half-smile, but nodded his agreement. She seemed suddenly very assertive and insistent that evening, which was somewhat unnerving.

"I don't have the right to proceed any further until I ask you something," she said. "Do you trust me?"

He silently considered that for a moment and squeezed her hand in his. "Yes, I do," he offered sincerely.

"I'm glad. All I've done so far has simply been to try and protect you, but the final choice has to be yours. Do you approve of my trying to protect you from the dangers Alondra Vargas presents to you?" she asked pointedly. She hoped with all her heart he would say yes.

He considered that at length. It wasn't as if he had any experience with the sort of threats presented by a vampire. Other than hole up in his apartment, he lacked any plan of what to do next. But his apartment didn't seem like the safest place in the world anymore, either. However, he didn't know what to expect from Katrina, who seemed to have become awfully quiet, dark, and dangerous the past couple of hours, almost like another person.

Finally, he ventured, "Am I going to be a prisoner here?"

She smiled thoughtfully at his question, and brought his hand to her lips and kissed his palm reverently. He looks so innocent, just like the eight-year-old boy from so many years ago.

"No, love," she reassured him. "You're not my prisoner. I merely need to be the guide for your activities for a time until we're able to stop Vargas. But you may have to show some patience with me and be prepared to relinquish some control in your life for a time. Rest assured, I have your best interests at heart and would never do anything deliberately to harm you. I've had a lot of experience with combat, including against vampires, so I'm prepared to do what's necessary to protect you against a host of potential threats."

"I have to stay here for a time?" he probed. He didn't like the idea of being shut away from the world, if even for sound reasons.

Katrina features turned serious. "Honestly? Probably, at least until I formulate a plan of action and take steps to eliminate threats to you."

He sighed. "And this would begin when?"

"Well, the moment you give me your approval," she explained. "The sooner the better, unfortunately."

He nodded and pondered.

A pang of worry ran through her as she wondered if he were preparing to decline her offer. The thought of relinquishing him to the outside world unprotected broke her heart; his chances of survival would plummet soon afterwards. He already meant so much to her, and she only wanted the opportunity to try to help him.

He stared into her green eyes and glanced down at her soft hands. They appeared so gentle, and yet he recalled how they became the hands of a killer back at the apartment, albeit to defend him. But then, isn't that what vampires are good at: killing?

As the silence grew, she repeated, "Caleb, will you let me try to protect you?"

He never broke his stare with her. "Okay."

Katrina raised her eyebrows curiously. "Okay?"

"Please protect me, Kat," he requested. "If you think that's possible."

She smiled and felt a heaviness lift that she hadn't fully realized was hanging over her. She would do her best to help him, even if it meant her own death.

"Please, trust me and try to be patient," she implored. "I know it's a lot to ask under the circumstances."

He nodded and smiled as she craned her neck down slightly and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"We begin," she said. "Why don't you take a shower and try to get some rest?" she suggested. I'll try my best for you, she resolved. Her thoughts returned to the actions that she needed to take in the immediate future. She had the feeling it was going to take most of the night just to put together a preliminary plan of action. Alondra Vargas had caught her completely by surprise.

He nodded and turned to leave the kitchen, but realized he wasn't sure what part of the house he was expected to go to. He looked at her with a questioning expression, causing her to break from her self-imposed reverie.

"Oh, sorry," she replied to his unspoken question. "Your things are downstairs in my room, and I didn't cipher lock the door, so you can just walk right in."

He was happy that she still wanted him to sleep with her. She seemed so distant, and it unnerved him almost as much as Alondra had.

"And I can get out also?" he asked gently, not wanting to sound ungrateful for her efforts to protect him.

"You have unfettered access to anywhere inside the house," she replied matter-of-factly.

He nodded, noting "inside the house" with a nod. He hesitated, not sure if he should say more after all that happened.

She raised an eyebrow in silent query.

"I know I'm sort of a shut-in now," he began carefully. "And I realize that you have a lot on your mind, Kat. But I hope you won't shut me out. Okay?"

Katrina nodded slowly before he turned to leave the room. She watched him depart and sat quietly on a stool at the kitchen island counter in the middle of the room. She remained statue-still, thinking about what had happened, analyzing all the variables and processing how she should proceed. Even from where she sat, she could hear his subtle movements deeper in the house. Under different circumstances it might have filled her with happiness, but was instead tempered with concern for his continued safety.

* * *

Caleb finished his shower, pulled on some dark sweatpants, and brushed his teeth while reflecting on all that happened that day. His memories quickly returned to the moment when the elevator doors at his apartment building had opened to reveal Harry Maddox standing there with a handgun. It sent a shiver up his spine.

He marveled at how fast Katrina had reacted. She'd been a blur of movement that seemed impossible for any being. He was suddenly very relieved that she was so quick to respond, or he wouldn't be alive.

He turned to leave the bathroom and walked right into Katrina. Her hands immediately grasped his upper arms and stabilized him as he lurched with surprise.

"Jesus, you startled me!" he exclaimed as his heart raced.

"Sorry," she muttered while gazing into his eyes with concern. "How are you doing?"

He was instantly encouraged that she seemed much more like the Katrina he knew and loved, rather than the angry, distracted Katrina from earlier that evening. "Better, thanks to you," he mumbled as he inclined his head to kiss her lips.

She gently kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing and pinning his arms to his side. With a sudden exhilarating whirl, he found himself lying on his back on the bed with her next to him.

He kissed her passionately, thankful to have her so close to him and wanting to impart some form of thanks for saving his life. His right hand crept up to massage the back of her scalp gently.

She enjoyed his affections, equally relived that he was alive and well, but concerned for the coming days. The process of formulating a plan of action involved the two beings other than Caleb who she could trust the most. There were genuine logistical issues to confront, as well as a proper plan for securing him in the safest manner possible.

He sensed her distracted mindset, noting her lips stiffened as he kissed her. He stopped kissing her and removed his hand from behind her head to let his arm drop onto the bed beside him. Her eyes darted to his, and she frowned slightly.

"You left me again," he commented wryly.

"Sorry," she muttered. She stretched alongside his body while perching on her left arm to look down onto his face. "Tell to me again about Alondra Vargas," she probed gently. "Both the interview and the dinner."

He sighed and related all that had happened or was discussed. She prompted him occasionally, asking for clarifications, but mostly listened intently as she stared into his eyes, almost as if studying him.

"I didn't break any rules," he said finally. "But you were very angry, and I couldn't figure out what I did wrong."

She frowned and whispered, "I know. You didn't do anything wrong, my love." She took a moment to kiss him affectionately, not wanting him thinking that the situation was his fault. They were both being targeted by a lunatic.

"At the restaurant when you were on the phone with me," Katrina recalled, "it was Alondra's voice in the background I recognized. But I knew I had to guard what I said to you because, as a vampire, she could hear my conversation with you just as easily as I heard hers. I couldn't say anything directly that might have tipped her off, or who knows what she might have done in desperation. I tried to hint to you that I'd be upset when I saw you next, but you thought I was angry with you. I'm sorry about that."

He smiled supportively. "I understand that now. Thanks."

She was inwardly pleased that he was so forgiving. It was another aspect of his kind nature that she loved so much.

"So, just who is this woman?" he insisted.

Katrina sighed and stared across the room with a distant expression. "The woman who calls herself Alondra Vargas is actually known to my kind as Chimalma. It's Aztec and means 'shield-bearer.'"

"Aztecs?" he muttered with recognition. His Central American history text described the Aztecs as a warrior people who controlled the area around Mexico until the early 1500s, when the Spanish under the leadership of Hernan Cortes conquered them during explorations of the New World.

He frowned as a realization struck him. "The Aztecs haven't been around since the 1500s," he murmured. "She's over five hundred years old." The woman looked stunning for five hundred years old.

Katrina noted his surprised expression and was simultaneously impressed with the depth of his historical knowledge. "My little historian," she noted with a brief smile and a quick kiss to his forehead. "But she's actually closer to six hundred years old. She was turned in the early 1400s."

His eyes widened at the revelation. "But why is she trying to kill me?"

Her expression turned grim again. "You're just an outlet for her revenge against me," she explained. "In fact, I'm just the latest on a list of targets of my kind, apparently."

She surmised that Chimalma must have started with Garett in Paris and moved to Octavia in Trondheim, to Wallace in Lima, and finally to her in Atlanta.

"But why?" he demanded incredulously.

"It's a long story," she said with a sigh.

"Well, are you planning on letting me leave the house anytime soon?" he asked pointedly.

Katrina frowned, and her eyes swiftly darted to glare at him, "No, I most certainly am not."

He sighed. "Thought so. Then I guess I have time."

She rolled her eyes at him and began to recount events from the past. "There was a time in the late 1940s in Central and South America when a battle raged between vampires of two opposing ideologies. A vampire named Quintis began building his own personal Central American empire reflective of the crime syndicates of Sicily and Italy. At first, his endeavors gained him a reputation among nearby governments as a sort of mafia leader. But eventually, he sought to coerce vampires from the area to join him or succumb to his will, including a requirement for tithing to him. To make matters worse, Quintis proposed a plan to turn loyal human commanders into vampires in hopes of creating a vampire-supported leadership structure."

She explained that Chimalma and her vampire consort, a Brazilian named Davi, approached a number of fellow vampires in the region, which included Katrina, to rise against Quintis before further damage could be done.

She continued, "Our efforts served two equally important agendas. First, Quintis' actions were threatening the group of us directly, which none of us would tolerate. Second, it would serve as a message to the rest of the vampire world that overt actions that were in disregard to a path of secrecy would be dealt with."

Caleb found the history that Katrina described both compelling and remarkable. Best of all, she revealed a little more about her past to him.

"Ah, so if that took place in the 1940s and if you were in your late twenties when turned, then I know you were born at least by around 1900," he ventured with a half-grin at the revelation.

"This is hardly the time, Caleb," she admonished with a tight-lipped expression. She hoped he would stay focused on what she was telling him because it would help him to understand why all of what she was doing was necessary. Perhaps he wouldn't feel resentful of his circumstances so much if he understood more clearly.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"Unfortunately," she continued unabated, "while Quintis was ultimately dealt with by a number of us acting as a team, Chimalma's consort, Davi, was killed in the explosion with Quintis. He sacrificed himself because the detonation had to be done manually following a malfunction in the arming and timing mechanism. A number of us were severely injured in the fighting, including Chimalma, and he bought us the time to depart to safety. Davi was a hero that day, and we owe him our lives. The problem is that Chimalma lost a long-time mate, and she eventually held us responsible, blaming each of us for allowing him to die."

Caleb said nothing as the somber nature of the story fully registered.

Katrina got up and went to her computer across the room. She sat down and began typing and clicking on various windows on the desktop in a furious manner. The screen flickered and flashed like a lightning storm from the speed with which she changed screens and selections. She reached over to another smaller computer screen, which looked like it was attached to a laptop, and clicked some options. The lights in the room went out, save for the illumination from the screens before her. "Try to get some sleep," she instructed distractedly as she continued to type.

He sighed and slipped underneath the bed's satin sheets. At first he was too keyed up to rest and kept wondering what she was doing on the computer. But as he lay there, the sound of her clicking and typing eventually lulled him into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Caleb awoke with a start, not knowing what time it was. The room was silent, and the glow of the computer monitors was subdued by screensavers. Katrina was nowhere to be seen, but he heard the sound of a shower running in the bathroom off to his left. He illuminated his watch face and noted that it was nearly seven in the morning.

He stretched in bed and was instantly inspired to determine what Katrina was up to on the computer screens. He listened to make sure the shower was still running and gently slid out of bed.

His bare feet were quiet across the thick carpet as he tiptoed over to the computer hutch. He pressed the shift keys on both keyboards and noted the smaller screen session that controlled the house security systems was password locked, but the large flat panel display session to the right went immediately to the Windows desktop.

He looked at the list of minimized applications, recognizing some as being financial, while a couple of Internet browsers had headings related to European travel. He frowned and started to click on the travel topic browser, but then heard the shower stop.

He froze and quickly tiptoed back over to the bed to lie down. Realizing his mistake, he hoped the screensavers would come back on before Katrina exited the bathroom. He momentarily considered going back to the larger console and forcing the session into screensaver mode, but the bathroom door quietly opened before he had time.

He closed his eyes and tried to lie quietly on the bed as if asleep. Yet another mistake. Katrina's a vampire with excellent senses. Oh crap, he cursed silently as his heart began beating more quickly.

Breathing in, he smelled the sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms, which was her favorite. Following the sound of a quiet sigh, the bed shifted as if someone were lying down, and he felt Katrina's warm body press against his.

He dared not open his eyes, despite the fact that he probably wasn't fooling her. He focused on trying to calm himself, but was having trouble concentrating.

Her warm breath tickled the side of his face as she whispered to him in a steely tone, "What am I going to do with you, Caleb?"

While partly annoyed, another part of her found his curiosity endearing. Unfortunately, she didn't have the luxury of encouraging him under the circumstances.

He swallowed hard and his heart raced loudly in his ears. Keeping his eyes shut, he murmured, "You mean, in a rhetorical way?"

"Open your eyes," she commanded quietly. You're not fooling anybody, she thought with amusement at his antics. Still, she was determined to take a stern approach with him.

He slowly opened his eyes. Her stoic expression spoke volumes. He hated the thought of her being angry with him. "I just want to know what's going on, okay, Kat?" he replied defensively.

She regarded him with a tight-lipped expression, though she inwardly understood his curiosity.

"I didn't see much," he reassured her. "The windows showed financial information and travel to Europe."

"What online activities did you perform?" she asked pointedly. Hopefully he didn't try to do anything rash like initiate online communication with anyone, she appraised. Chimalma's a shrewd hunter who'll make use of any resources to scope out a target, even online.

His confused expression showed plainly in the room's dim lighting. "Nothing. I only looked at - listen, what were you expecting me to do, exactly?" he stammered.

"Good," was her simple reply before disappearing from beside him with a lurch.

He heard clicking sounds, and his gaze darted to the computer hutch where she closed applications and locked the keyboard. She muttered something under her breath about being more careful. Seconds later, she moved in a sudden rapid motion, only to reappear beside him again.

At least her eyes aren't angrily glowing at me, he considered.

Katrina gathered him in her arms and pulled him to her, melding her lips onto his and kissing him warmly. He gave up trying to make sense of the exchange a few moments ago and focused on her immediate attentions.

You dear young man, she thought. How I adore you, Caleb.

He managed to part his lips for an instant to whisper, "I don't understand what's going on, Kat. Help me understand."

She paused, still holding him in her arms, and replied, "I'm taking care of things in my own way, Caleb. Let me do what needs to be done, and try to be patient with me."

Her soft lips found his again, and his mind became pleasantly distracted.

"Why won't you tell me?" he pleaded between another series of kisses.

"Because it would only upset you," she answered before rolling on top of him and nibbling at the soft skin of his neck.

The blood desire was rising in her quickly as she took in his body's scent, and she both felt and heard the powerful pumping of blood through his veins. She craved the distraction, as well as the opportunity to share herself with him before initiating her plans. She needed to savor the moments with him and didn't want to waste precious time in conflict with him.

"I'm not going to just sit around helplessly while you take care of everything," he objected gently.

"Oh yes, you are," she stated in a tone harboring no further argument. You agreed to this, remember, she mused.

"We're partners, Kat," he insisted. "We help each other when times get tough."

Katrina paused, her lips nearly touching the soft skin of his neck. "This is way out of your league, my love. Your expertise is history," she explained softly as her breath almost tickled his neck. "Mine is hunting and killing. Leave this to me."

And let me return to that tasty neckline of yours, she added as her feeding urge increased. She returned to nibbling at his neck and kissing his lips. He wanted to argue further, but his mind was effectively distracted by both her body and his own desires. Still, he had no intention of letting the matter drop for long.

He felt a set of razor sharp fangs touch the skin of his neck and froze like a statue.

"I'm partaking unless you say no," she rasped into his neck with hot breath.

She had surprised him, being so forward about taking his blood. But in the span of two heartbeats he knew his answer. "I wouldn't dare," he managed to gasp as he felt the immediate numbing sensation from her tongue against his skin. I owe her my life. What price then is a little of my blood?

Later that morning, after they both roused from dozing in each other's arms, Caleb slipped into jeans and a T-shirt and went to the kitchen for something to eat.

Fortunately, Katrina still had leftover food from his recent 'flu recovery. He heated some soup in the microwave, opened a package of crackers, and removed one of the Cokes that Katrina kept stocked in her refrigerator. While making a mental note to ask her about groceries, he wondered if she could hear him from the sub-level room.

"Kat?" he whispered as he pulled the soup bowl from the microwave.

He sat down at the island counter with his cola and crackers. A minute later, he called in a normal tone of voice, "Kat, I need you."

He smiled while stirring the bowl of hot soup. "Not such good hearing after all," he mused quietly.

"Really?" queried her voice at his left ear.

"Crap!" he yelled as he nearly flew from his chair.

"You called?" she asked, completely satisfied at his surprise. I just love doing that to him.

His heart raced as he realized how close he'd come to dumping hot soup in his lap. "Jesus, Kat," he muttered as he shook his head, trying to catch his breath.

"So you're passing your time by testing my hearing?" she asked with an amused expression.

He blinked at her with bewilderment. "Just curious."

"Try to remember that vampires have excellent hearing. Your life may depend upon it someday," she admonished mildly.

Suddenly his little boon wasn't so amusing anymore.

"Eat your soup before it gets cold," she suggested as she moved to lean against the counter.

He reseated himself and recalled what he meant to tell her earlier. "Oh, yeah. I noticed we're low on food, human food, that is. I suppose a trip to the grocery store is in order tonight, under your watchful protection, of course."

"Cabin fever already?" she teased. I suggested this might not be easy. She smirked, almost impressed with his artful attempt to gain some outdoor freedom even under the current dangerous circumstances. But she had already considered the issue and had a solution well in hand. "No need," she said.

His expression soured.

"I already found a local grocery store service that delivers at night. After you finish your soup, come down to my room, and you can order what you want."

He sighed, aggravated she was so determined to keep him under lock-down conditions. He was used to open windows, open doors, and free passage at a moment's notice. Now he didn't even get the benefit of the sunlight through a window. Night and day were meaningless under his current circumstances. But at least he welcomed some Internet distractions. Maybe she'll let me surf the Web.

"Sure," he replied. "Thanks."

She turned as if to leave, but he hastily swallowed his mouthful of soup and waved at her.

"Wait," he urged. "I misplaced my cell phone last night. I had it when we got to the house."

"It's safe," she said dismissively. "You can have it back when this is all over."

He frowned, wondering what his cell phone had to do with anything. But before he could inquire further, she sped down the hall back to her lair. He groaned as he returned to his soup.

A short time later, he sat beside her clicking on the various food items for sale on the grocer website, while she intently observed his selections.

"If you have something else to do, it's perfectly okay with me," he offered.

"Nope, I'm fine. Your product choices are intriguing."

He rolled his eyes and continued shopping. It felt more like she was monitoring his activities.

"Don't forget toiletries," she prompted.

He clicked on a number of relevant items.

After twenty minutes, he finished his selections. He had covered all of his favorite foods, as well as other necessities he'd need for a couple of weeks' stay. He had no idea how long his current isolation might last. The final price of shopping cart selections with the delivery charge was a small fortune, but Katrina seemed unconcerned.

As he clicked the order button, he opened up a new window to do some surfing. However, her hand darted out to cover his on the mouse and locked his hand firmly in place.

"Okay, thanks," she offered. "We're done here now."

He gave her a vexed look, but she merely stared back at him with a polite, resolute expression.

"I'd appreciate some surfing time," he suggested. "It would be a great way to occupy myself, and it'll keep me out of your way."

She merely smiled slyly and politely countered, "Oh, then you'll love my movie collection in the theater room. I have hundreds of titles covering numerous genres. And if nothing strikes your fancy, you can order as many movies as you want via cable. Either way, it's a great way to pass the time and still be out of my way."

He started to click the mouse to open a new window, but her grip tightened around the bones of his knuckles. It was firm, but not enough to cause him pain...yet.

"I'll play nicely if you will, my love," she offered in a friendly voice, though her eyes were steely.

It was the most pleasant-sounding warning he had ever received. He gave her a dirty look as she allowed him to remove his hand from atop the mouse.

"So, what if I decided to retract my agreement to let you protect me?" he asked pointedly.

She paused, letting him stew a moment before replying, "Sorry, but my plan is in action now. I'm afraid you missed your window of opportunity. But trust me, you'll thank me when all this is over, my love."

"I'll be upstairs if you need me," he said flatly as he got up to leave.

She watched him depart with a sigh, knowing full well he was upset. Certainly, what he was going through was difficult. But for the first time since events unfolded, she felt comfortably in control. Unfortunately, she also sensed that he was nearing a boiling point soon, and she wasn't looking forward to the confrontation.

The boiling point came sooner rather than later.

Caleb spent part of the early afternoon loading a computer game on the notebook he had brought from home, but the software wanted to perform a hardware update for his video driver to work correctly. Unfortunately, Katrina locked him out of the wireless Internet access throughout the house. That nixed checking both his personal and work email and killed Internet surfing, as well. So he ultimately turned off his notebook.

Instead, he decided to pass the time playing a game on his cell phone. That is, until he recalled that she had taken his cell phone from him. He growled under his breath and barreled through the house to stand at the top of the stairs leading down into her lair.

"Kat, this is crazy," he complained. "No phone or text messaging, no Internet access, no email, no outdoors access, not even an open window during daytime!"

"It's for your own protection," she countered with an even voice as she typed on her keyboard. He has no idea what lengths Chimalma will go to in order to get to him, she considered.

Her patience was running a little thin, but he apparently failed to pick up on that. Doesn't he realize I have important preparations to make?

"I just don't understand," he persisted irritably. "I think I have at least some say in this."

Her patience level weakened, and she flew from her computer console in a blur to tower before him at the top of the stairs. She grabbed him by the shoulders and instantly placed her face less than an inch from his. His head darted backwards as if he'd been struck.

"No, you don't have a say," she said in a cold, level voice. "I'm the vampire here, the one with the important skills and experience that are going to keep you alive. That makes me the alpha in this partnership right now, understand?"

"I won't be bullied, Kat," he snapped. "Not by you and not by some rogue maniac vampire."

"I'm not concerned with your male ego, Caleb," she countered heatedly. "I'm worried about saving your life!" You overly sensitive man, she fumed silently. Can't you see I love you and can't have a future with you if you're a corpse!

He had no response to her outburst. Instead, he merely glowered at her.

She rolled her eyes in disgust. "Listen to me, Caleb. Chimalma's an expert predator and loves to use cruelty and intimidation as part of her arsenal. She'll butcher some innocent person just to send the images via cell phone or email. She'd issue threats to you, some very creative in their imagery, to work you into a scared frenzy. All simply to unnerve you before moving in for the kill. She takes terror to new levels for humans. And she's very good, too good."

His muscles tensed as the chilling nature of her explanation hit home. But another thought at the forefront of his mind bothered him. "Exactly how do you know so much about her techniques, Kat?" he insisted in a rough voice.

Katrina loosened her grip on his shoulders and moved her face away from his slightly. She gazed right past him as her eyes took on a distant stare.

"I've been a violent creature at times, but never like that, Caleb. And fortunately, my last mate was spared such treatment," she continued grimly. "But after Chimalma's mate died, she changed. She became cold and cruel. Her bitterness towards me slowly grew greater over time because she was closer to me than to the others, so I watched much of her cruelty develop firsthand. Before we severed all ties, she left a path of butchery and intimidation in her wake through Central and South America. There were letters, pictures, films, and a sordid host of other horrors with her calling card on them. The authorities thought it was the work of death squads or crime lords, but others of my kind knew the truth, and some of us tried to reason with her. She went after a number of our human associates and their loved ones to send a message that she felt betrayed. Some of my peers and I hunted for her, but she disappeared with no trace.

"We thought she went into the sunlight for a final time to end her pain or simply went underground into isolation. The killings stopped, so those of us searching for her returned to our own lives. That was maybe fifty years ago. A number of weeks ago, some of my peers who participated during that horrible time suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Then she showed up here in Atlanta to come after you. That's my first contact since she dropped off our radar all those years ago."

He thought that she was recollecting the script of some horror film rather than reality. He was dumbfounded as he stared into her eyes. She slowly pulled him into a firm embrace, which he didn't resist, and held him against her body for a few silent moments.

"When Chimalma suddenly reappeared with you in her sights, almost in her grasp, I had to hide you, Caleb, immediately isolate you from any access to her or the world in general until I have the opportunity to deal with her once and for all," she explained.

"I apologize. I didn't realize any of those things," he whispered as his arms wound loosely around her slim waistline.

They stood silently embracing each other for a time before he let his thoughts turn to an equally dark topic. "How do you fight a vampire, exactly?"

She sensed his heartbeat increase slightly, and her expression grew hard as she considered his uncharacteristic topic of interest. She pulled away from him to look into his eyes, but still encircled him in her arms. "I don't think that's something you need to worry about," she replied carefully. "Leave the vampire fighting to me."

"I think it's good for me to know," he insisted. "Just in case, you understand."

Katrina's expression turned grim, and she released her hold on him. She took him by the hand and half-dragged him out into the hallway. Fine, she thought, you want to see how to fight a vampire? You may reconsider once you see this.

"Come here," she insisted as she pulled him behind her. She led him through the house to the exercise room. When they entered the large wood-floored room, Katrina rolled a ten-foot-square, heavily padded crash mat to the center of the floor. She removed her sneakers and socks and told him to do the same.

"Come on, Kat," he pleaded with annoyance. "Look, don't beat the crap out of me just because I asked -"

"Shoes!" she ordered again as she moved to stand near the center of the mat she had laid out. I have no intention of abusing you, she fumed silently, much less try to take out my frustrations on you. You're my charge, after all.

He sighed, slipped off his sneakers and socks, and joined her at the center of the mat. When he was in place, she stood with her feet slightly apart and her arms relaxed to her side and instructed him calmly, "Now, just touch me."

"What do you mean, 'touch'?" he asked warily.

She sighed with exasperation. I forgot how much patience it takes with new students in the realm of combat techniques. "Just try to touch me anywhere," she clarified. "Use your finger, a hand, a foot..."

He shrugged and whipped his hand out to swipe at her arm. But she was no longer standing there and instead was just inches out of his reach. He groaned.

"Again," she prompted.

He focused on relaxing his body so that he wasn't tensing. He moved close enough to her to be able to reach her without extending himself. And he repeatedly tried lashing out to his left, his right, straight ahead, and even stomping at her toes or foot with his own. But each and every time, she either moved backwards or to one side.

She remained very calm as he worked himself into a sweat. After nearly ten minutes, he felt like he'd gone through an aerobic workout, while she appeared completely relaxed, almost bored.

"That's all?" she asked incredulously.

He bent over at the waist and grabbed his knees with both hands to stretch his back and catch his breath. "That's ridiculous," he panted with frustration.

"Hm," she replied in a displeased tone. She was hoping to impart firsthand just how fast vampires could move, but it seemed like he wasn't getting the picture.

"You don't have very good long-term memory, Caleb," she admonished. "Remember the night at the park, the attack at the college parking lot, and Maddox in the elevator? Didn't any of those events impact you somehow?"

"Yeah, they scared the hell out of me. So, show me what to do so I'm better at this," he insisted irritably.

She shook her head and growled in frustration. Patience and practice is what you need, she thought. "I can't teach you to be faster," she explained. "You have to practice that yourself."

"Fine," he retorted. "You try touching me this time."

She shrugged as he put his arms out to his sides and adopted a balanced stance like he would in baseball, allowing quick movement in either direction. Just like stealing bases, he silently affirmed. He nodded and relaxed his muscles to react faster. His eyes concentrated on her center mass so that he might have some warning to telegraph her movements easier.

Katrina whipped her hand outward and gently poked his chest with her fingertip before he could even react.

"Damn!" he cursed. "Try again."

The same scenario repeated itself for many minutes, only she varied the locations of her pokes: once again on his chest, on each of his arms, on his forehead, then tapping the top of his foot, and finally pinching his earlobe.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "No pinching!"

She sneered at him, and he grumbled under his breath. This is actually kind of fun, she mused, I forgot how satisfying teaching can be!

"What am I doing wrong?" he insisted. He had been pretty fast both in running and reacting in baseball just a couple of years ago in college. And he was still very fit.

But she merely shrugged and replied, "You're too slow." Don't take it personally, she reflected. Not everyone is Bruce Lee.

A sudden rush of frustration rose in Caleb, and he growled. He lunged out at Katrina to grasp her with both hands. She was slightly surprised, but reacted by pushing her right hand forward towards his chest as she swept his foot with hers. His left hand deftly managed to slap her on the right arm as the flat of her right hand pressed into his chest, forcing him backwards. His knees buckled from underneath him as his body shifted backwards from the force of her hand. With a swift pressure, her hand redirected him onto the crash mat to land flat on his back, knocking the breath out of him.

"Oof," came the rush of air from his lungs as he impacted the mat.

"Temper, Caleb!" she chastised him sharply as she pressed her hand onto his chest to pin him in place.

Losing control is the fastest way to get hurt, she considered silently. "Unlike me, another opponent will use the opportunity to hurt or kill you," she warned.

But he was ecstatic and began laughing as he struggled to gather his breath again.

She stared at him with a mix of confusion and irritation.

"I touched you!" he rasped.

She regarded him with a wry expression. "Yeah, a glorious defeat." Is he crazy?

Caleb continued to chuckle despite himself. He caught his breath and asked with as much sincerity as he could muster, "Kat, can you please show me how to do that?"

She shook her head, removed her hand from his chest, and muttered, "Oh, brother." Yep, he's giddy-crazy, she confirmed.

"Please?" he begged. "Just some things in case I run into angry humans?"

She pursed her lips as she considered his request, conceding it wasn't such a bad idea. "No vampires," she insisted, silently reflecting on how Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a good show, but hardly presented the challenges of fighting real vampires.

"Just for humans," he assured her.

She shook her head, sighed, and proceeded to instruct him in basic falling techniques so he wouldn't hurt himself. She covered balance and throw techniques, as well as fundamental punching. They practiced for a couple of hours, and Katrina conceded he was an attentive student.

By the end of the third hour, he was comfortable with some of the most basic moves. Katrina enjoyed the time spent with him, despite the martial nature of their focus. While not encouraging him to turn to violent behaviors, she also didn't like the idea of his being totally defenseless. Most of what she showed him was defensive in nature, anyway.

As for Caleb, he felt empowered to protect himself for the first time in his life. He realized that Katrina was the best body guard he could dream of, but he still felt more independent and self-sufficient knowing some basic moves.

Following a short break, he insisted on demonstrating what he had learned. She only made a couple of small corrections to his techniques and was for the most part quite impressed with his mastery. She explained that it would take hours of practice to become competent, but he was well on his way. In an odd way, she appreciated sharing the experience with him since it was his first exposure to such knowledge. She felt comfortable knowing he was learning from an appropriate source, at any rate.

After practicing his routines twice more with her, he asked, "How long did you train in your fighting skills?"

She considered his query, recalling the years of experiences related to such mastery. "Many years, my love. I lived under the tutelage of a martial arts expert for a time before gaining enough competence and expertise to be lethal. Even then, it was through many more years of practice that I perfected those skills. Plus, I trained with other vampires when possible and adapted new techniques that worked for me. I added firearms training, as well as swordsmanship and fencing."

He regarded her with awe as he considered the experiences she must have had over the years. It also suggested her possible age. Surely she was more than a century old. "You were born in 1856," he guessed.

She frowned at him. "No. Next topic." Give him credit for trying.

He sighed with resignation. "How do you hurt a vampire?"

She regarded him with narrowed eyes and a grim expression. After traversing the short span next to him, she pressed the tip of her finger to his forehead. "By using this, Caleb. You can't outrun or outfight us, but you can hope to outthink us."

He frowned with a dejected expression, countering, "I didn't mean you, Kat, never you. Don't include yourself with other vampires like that."

Her expression softened, and she snaked her right arm around his waist as she pulled his body against hers. Her green eyes stared into his as she reassured him, "I know that."

I adore you, Caleb. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Killing a vampire requires that their body experiences extreme damage in a very short period of time," she said. "Much more than you could deliver without assistance, my love."

He considered the grave information carefully and nodded.

"Beheading works fine, of course," she explained. "As does prolonged exposure to sunlight. And there's always abrupt corporeal obliteration, such as a massive explosion or immolation in fire."

He blanched at the grisly nature of what she described to him. He didn't mind watching such violence in horror films because that was just special effects, mere fantasy. But the idea of graphic violence against someone in real life sickened him.

"I know I'm not a pacifist, but I don't know if I could deliberately kill anyone either, Kat," he offered as he kissed her neck and hugged her against him tightly. "At least, I've never tried to kill anyone before."

He appreciated their embrace, loving the feeling of her body against his. He had never felt so closely and intimately bound to someone as he did to Katrina. The experiences they had shared in their short time together were amazing and occasionally terrifying. And the affectionate manner in which she treated him was remarkable. Even her taking of his blood felt intimate, as if he were truly offering something valuable of himself to her.

She held him closely and whispered, "I suspected as much, but there's no shame. You're a gentle spirit, Caleb. It's a blessing, not a curse."

Katrina sighed, equally enjoying their embrace. Besides, I have enough violence inside for both of us, she thought grimly.

That night, the groceries delivery arrived. However, Caleb was forced to remain in the kitchen unloading the bags. He made only one attempt to peer around the corner and out the front door, at which time Katrina turned to glare at him with both hands placed firmly on her hips as she guarded the front entry. Scowling, he quickly skulked back into the kitchen to continue unloading groceries.

"...like a drill sergeant," he muttered irritably as he put things into cabinets.

"I heard that!" she snapped from the front area, causing him to wince slightly.

Fortunately, the remainder of the evening was uneventful, and she sat with him on the couch in the living room watching a movie. As if sensing the tension that had formed between them earlier, she snuggled next to him in bed until he fell asleep.

Caleb slept fairly late the next morning and, upon waking, immediately heard Katrina typing on her computer. He glanced over to see her already dressed in blue jeans and a sleeveless tank top. He stretched, yawned, and got up to wish her a good morning.

Though not as distracted as the day before, she still only kissed him cursorily before returning to her Internet activities and messaging. He gave up asking what she was doing and quit trying to read over her shoulder after a few pointed admonishments from her. Instead, he slipped on a pair of jeans and shaved.

As he pulled on a dark T-shirt, a sudden idea occurred to him based upon something she had said earlier about using his head against vampires. Maybe if he could prove his ability to be resourceful, she'd consider how useful he could be to her in whatever plans she devised. He grinned as he ate breakfast and considered the matter further.

After taking his vitamin and iron supplements and washing the dishes, he made his way up to the first guest bedroom at the top of the stairs and moved to stand with the window closely at his back. "Calling all vampires," he announced in a raised voice.

It was only a few seconds before Katrina appeared in the doorway to the room wearing a perplexed expression. She regarded him curiously and asked, "Is something wrong?"

He smiled playfully and mock-complained, "You know, I really didn't approve of that half-kiss this morning."

She smirked and retorted, "Oh really? And what do I get for a do-over?"

He turned his head slightly to expose the soft skin of his neck to her and teased, "Maybe a little nip?"

She immediately crossed the distance between them, wrapping one arm around his waist. She leaned into his body to brush her lips against the exposed side of his neck. That's my kind of reward, she relished.

The blinds flew upwards as he jerked on the cord behind him to reveal the glass window and solid metal shutter on the outside of it.

"Could've had some sunlight for you," he teased with a smirk.

She smiled slyly. "Nice try. But that's definitely using your head."

"Caleb Taylor, world famous vampire hunter," he crowed with satisfaction.

"Cute," she replied with a wry smile.

"It's all I had. I left my vampire mace back at my apartment," he replied dryly.

She smiled with sly approval. "Very good. Now you're thinking."

His smirk faded. "Vampire mace?"

She shook her head and explained, "Well, not vampire mace, but mace or pepper spray nonetheless. My kind has very sensitive senses, and mace would provide an abrupt overload to our sense of smell, as well as causing our eyes to tear momentarily. It might not be a very powerful defense, but it could gain you enough time to escape."

"I know it's daytime right now. But maybe tonight we could run out to the sporting goods store for some mace," he offered hopefully.

She saw right through him and countered mildly, "Or we could just get some from out of the storage cabinet in the basement."

"What if yours is too old? It's newer and fresher at the store," he challenged.

"Caleb," she warned him with narrowed eyes.

"Well, crap!" he exclaimed with aggravation.

She considered him with a frown, but her expression grew mischievous again. "We need to work some aggravation out of your system, my love," she suggested and gently kissed him on the lips. Her eyes flashed seductively as she stared at him with slightly upturned edges of her mouth.

He noted her expression and leaned his head to the left, neatly exposing the soft skin of his neck to her. "I apologize, Kat," he offered gently. "How about a small, quick nibble as a peace offering?"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," she whispered as her fangs extended slightly in anticipation, and the strong blood craving surged through her system.

He deserves a little something special afterwards too, she considered generously as her tongue found the soft skin of his neck in preparation for her bite. She had to be careful, though. Despite the small amounts of blood she was partaking in, she didn't want to strain his system before he regenerated more blood. She just couldn't resist warm, fresh human blood when offered so freely. The sense of intimacy she shared with him was addictive. Still, this will have to be my last indulgence for a little while, she considered as her fangs broke the soft skin of his neck.