Summit at Sunset

Chapter 6: Politics and Polemics



It was late afternoon as Paige strummed her fingertips against the desktop while staring at the displays before her. She clicked her mouse to switch between the various miniature surveillance windows, expanding one at a time to review the images. She momentarily lamented taking brief turns with the rest of the security staff to do the thankless task.

Still, my staff respects me for it, she determined, believing that it was the right thing to do. So very unlike the major, who wouldn’t be caught dead taking a turn at it.

She enlarged the image of the front lobby entrance and noticed the returning shuttle passengers filing onto the sidewalk. As she watched the faces of the arriving humans, something subtle nagged at her.

Then she perked up and used another camera view to look outside the front entrance where she had a clear view of the shuttle. She quickly scrutinized the images of the lobby interior and realized that something was missing, or rather someone.

“Where’s Caleb and Dori?” she wondered out loud.

She surveyed the small office, and her eyes settled on the auburn-haired female guard who was typing information into a computer.

“Hey, Enora,” she snapped. “Come over here and cover this station. I have to check into something.”

The woman got up with a nod, but Paige was already halfway to the door before the guard took two steps. She rushed down the hallway and through the lobby until she reached the main doors, though she stopped where the first set of doors stood closed; they were the ones with the UV-protective coating. She paused to await two of the human security guards who were entering.

“Problems, Captain?” one guard asked.

“Didn’t you count everybody before heading back from town?” Paige insisted.

“Yeah, I counted before we left,” the other guard replied. “We had twenty-three.”

The first guard looked at his partner with surprise. “Twenty-three? We took twenty-five with us.”

The other guard looked completely embarrassed. “Oh, shit.”

Paige shook her head and ordered, “You two get back to town with that shuttle right now. You’re looking for Dorianne Rousseau and Caleb Taylor. You probably remember Caleb.”

Both guards sharply looked up at the mention of Caleb’s name.

“Well, hell,” one guard cursed with immediate recognition.

“Yeah, hell, and it’s coming soon if you don’t bring them back now!” Paige confirmed with a flash of her bright blue eyes.

Both men almost ran into each other as they barreled back through the two sets of sliding glass doors to board the shuttle outside.

“Just great, all the guards in the world, and I get the Keystone Cops,” Paige muttered under her breath while shaking her head.

She paused and added, “Gawd, what an outdated reference. I must be getting old.”

She turned to cross the lobby in the direction of the security office then stopped, wondering if she should inform Katrina and Alton. Discarding the idea, she looked outside to the waning afternoon sun, wishing she had brought her leather riding outfit and cycle helmet.

“Get a grip, Paige,” she mumbled. “Kiddo probably just got distracted and missed the bus.”

Just after sunset, Paige made the fifth call asking for the status of the search for Caleb and Dori. She had sent two additional human guards to help inquire around town, hoping to expedite the process.

Then the radio buzzed to life.

“Captain, we just talked to a shop owner downtown. The lady said she saw Ms. Rousseau and Mr. Taylor being driven away in a local police car earlier in the day, but she didn’t recall the time,” the guard reported.

Paige frowned. Police car? What the hell?

“I’ll call the local police,” she said. “In the meantime, you head over there with another guard and find out what you can.”

“Well, that’s the problem, Captain,” the guard explained. “I called the police station a few minutes ago after we talked to the shop owner. They said they don’t have anyone there by those names, but when I pressed the matter, they said there were still people in custody that haven’t been processed. And they insisted that they won’t discuss detainees until they’ve been processed.”

Paige cursed under her breath and snapped, “Fine, fine. Keep trying to dig up what you can from anybody else who’ll talk. I’ll handle things at this end.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard replied.

Shit, she thought.

Hastily, she penned out a note for Katrina and Alton and barreled down the hallway to the conference room. The two suit-clad guards at the front of the hallway held out their hands as she started to walk past them.

“Uh, Turner, they’re still in session,” one guard tried to inform her.

She glared at him with blazing blue eyes and declared, “Too bad. I’m on a mission from God.”

The vampires reflected surprise from her response, clearly taken aback by her insistence. As if sensing something grim, they each stepped aside. She proceeded to the door, knocked twice, and entered the room before being invited.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her with a mix of curiosity and incredulousness at the interruption. However, upon seeing that it was Paige in a tense state, both Alton and Katrina’s expressions turned stony. The blonde vampire passed the note directly to Katrina, turned on her heel, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Katrina read the note: Caleb and Dori in trouble in town. Detained by police. Can’t get information. Three more minutes, and I’ll handle it.

She glared at Alton as she passed the note to him. He took a mere second to scan the note and immediately turned to address the group.

“My apologies, but we have an urgent matter requiring immediate attention,” he explained in a firm tone. “We’re adjourned until tomorrow morning.”

Katrina sprang from her chair before Alton was able to push himself back from the table, but he managed to catch up to her as she barreled down the hallway towards the lobby.

He caught one of the suit-clad guards by the sleeve and ordered, “Bring a vehicle to the lobby entrance immediately.”

Katrina could only contemplate dire thoughts as she scouted the lobby for Paige. Spotting the young vampire, she was at her side in seconds. Paige filled her in on what she knew, and Katrina listened even while she focused on getting to Caleb and Dori as soon as possible.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! What the hell happened?

Paige sensed her friend’s concern and gently touched her arm. “Whatever’s happened, we’ll fix it. I promise.”

Katrina forced a heavy sigh. “I know. Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Stay here.”

“Oh, no, I won’t,” Paige protested. “Our boy’s in trouble.”

“Yes, you will,” Katrina ordered. “I need you here to coordinate resources, if necessary. If you don’t hear from me in less than an hour, you bring everyone you can trust and meet us downtown.”

Paige nodded her assent with hooded eyes as she folded her arms before her.

Alton beckoned to Katrina from the front of the lobby, and she moved like a blur to the exit and the vehicle waiting outside.

Katrina barely contained her growing agitation as the SUV seemed to take a leisurely pace down the dark mountain road leading to town. In fairness, the vehicle was moving at a rapid pace thanks to the keen reflexes of a vampire driver, but any delay seemed unbearable.

Alton spent most of the time on his cell phone, which from the part of the conversation that Katrina could overhear, indicated that he was consulting with legal counsel on the finer points of Slovene law.

I don’t care about Slovene law, she darkly resolved while chewing the inside of her lip. I’m getting them out of there tonight.

The Podjelje police station was a two-story brick building with a small parking lot and a single police car parked in front. Their SUV barely came to a stop before Katrina opened the passenger door, but Alton managed to grab her by the upper arm as he held his cell phone in the other hand.

She glared back at him with a stern expression.

“Go in, but don’t attack anybody, for God’s sake,” he urged. “I’ll follow as soon as I finish this call. I’m sure they’re fine, Katrina.”

She tried not to slam the vehicle’s door closed too hard as she exited. The vampire guard observed her from the driver’s seat as she proceeded up the front sidewalk.

The building’s exterior lights cast a pale glow across the front entrance of the building as she approached the dual glass doors. The door made a swooshing sound as she deliberately controlled her strength and speed. A short hallway led into a small waiting room where a lone, young-looking police officer stood before a long, high counter idly sorting paperwork before him.

The front part of the facility appeared to be devoid of other people, which she confirmed with her keen sight and hearing as she stalked to the counter and glared at the man standing there. He warily observed her.

“I understand you are detaining an American named Caleb Taylor and a French woman named Dorianne Rousseau. I want to know the charges,” Katrina commanded with authority.

The young man fumbled for a clipboard next to him and deliberately studied it for a moment. He moved to a small computer to his left, and following some quick typing, he regarded Katrina with a blank expression.

“We do not have people by those names processed here. Are you sure --” he said in English, but with a strong Slovene accent.

“Yes, I’m certain,” she insisted. “They were brought in earlier this afternoon. Check again.”

The officer raised an eyebrow and flipped some pages on the clipboard.

“Strange. The lieutenant mentioned two people detained, but I do not see any processing information.”

“And that is proper procedure?” she pointedly countered.

The young man swallowed and appeared slightly unsettled. “Actually, no. I’m sorry, but I only arrived within the hour. Please, remain calm, and I will call my superior, Lieutenant Boleslav. He is upstairs, I believe.”

He reached for the phone, but Katrina leaned across the counter to stare into his eyes. “Listen to me. I will see them now, and then you can call whomever you like.”

The officer shook his head as he regarded her with a sincere expression. “I do not think I can do that.”

Katrina steadied herself before asking in a lethally calm voice, “I know exactly what I’m going to do in twenty seconds. Do you?”

The man started to protest, but then frowned as if wrestling with conflicted feelings. “Things are already irregular. I will let you see them and then call my supervisor.”

The young man seemed earnest in his behavior, and she detected no attempt at evasiveness.

“Fine,” she replied simply. She wondered what could be taking Alton so long.

The man hesitantly opened the wooden partition to Katrina’s right, thereby allowing her passage behind the counter. He led her down a short hallway where he unlocked a metal doorway at the end and allowed her to enter past him. The room held only two small jail cells, partitioned from each other by a concrete wall. Dori sat on a small bed in the first cell and launched to her feet at seeing them. Katrina noticed she had a blistered lower lip and slightly swollen cheeks, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

“Dori, are you okay?” Katrina asked.

“Never mind me, help Caleb,” she urged.

Her words impacted Katrina at the same moment that she smelled Caleb’s blood scent in the air. Her eyes flashed bright green, but were hidden from view of the police officer with her back turned to him. She peered around the corner wall partition to see Caleb lying on his right side with his wrists still cuffed behind him. His wrists were bloody where the metal dug into his flesh. He appeared to be only semi-conscious and had obviously been beaten from the contusions on his face, one side of which was badly swollen.

Katrina turned to glower at the officer with barely contained contempt. Part of her was breaking inside over concern for Caleb’s welfare, while another part of her wanted to tear the place apart. “Open the cell,” she flatly ordered.

The officer spied Caleb, and his eyes bulged to twice their normal size. “Oh no, this is horrible,” the young officer protested with a look of alarm as he viewed Caleb’s condition.

“You’re damned right it’s horrible,” she snapped as her anger quickly skyrocketed. “Open this cell now!”

The officer fumbled with his keys as Caleb tried to raise his head slightly and peer at her with squinted eyes. “Kat?” he weakly asked.

“Stay still, my love,” she urged in as calm a voice as she could muster. In his wounded state, she was having a hard time tearing her eyes from his prone form.

“…beat me, but…didn’t tell them anything,” he muttered with a strained voice.

The implications in that simple statement impacted not only Katrina, but the officer before her.

“What?” the officer asked with disbelief.

“Katrina!” Dori exclaimed.

“Stop!” ordered a gruff man’s voice.

Katrina turned to see a senior-level officer wearing a lieutenant’s insignia, presumably Boleslav, holding a shotgun pointed directly into Dori’s cell. Another police officer stood behind the lieutenant with an assault rifle pointed past his superior in the direction of Katrina and the young officer next to her. She noted that he had an ideal firing angle on them, which only complicated her available options.

The junior officer asked something of the lieutenant in Slovene. While Katrina didn’t speak the language well, she understood some basic phrases and terminology that she had studied before their trip overseas. The young man had no idea what was taking place and was confused at multiple levels.

Boleslav ordered his subordinate to step away from the cells and leave the room. The young man looked at Caleb and Katrina and shook his head.

“They need medical attention,” he insisted.

At least Katrina appreciated the junior officer’s sense of ethics. Her eyes darted to Caleb, who remained prone on a cot in his cell.

“Move away, or you will be shot for aiding criminals in escape,” Boleslav ordered.

It momentarily appeared that a standoff of sorts was in progress. Katrina’s eyes narrowed to glowing green slits as she prepared to attack at her earliest opportunity. One problem was that the officer next to her was partially blocking her path.

Where the hell is Alton?

The young man was visibly shaking, but he moved to stand before Katrina with his hands out in a placating fashion. In Slovene, he attempted to appeal to his supervisor’s sense of proprietary and ethics, but failed to realize he was way out of his league at the moment. Katrina thought that he would be lucky to survive the next few minutes given the hard look in the lieutenant’s eyes.

Alton suddenly appeared in the hallway behind Boleslav’s crony and pulled him to the floor with one deft motion. The man’s rifle discharged, but fired into the wall to his left.

As the lieutenant’s attention was momentarily distracted, Katrina raced past the young officer in a blur of motion, knocking him into the bars of Caleb’s cell. She managed to reach the lieutenant, knocking the shotgun barrel upwards. A spray of pellets blasted into the plaster ceiling.

Katrina broke Boleslav’s right arm with one motion while slamming the man’s head into the nearby concrete wall. His head impacted the wall with a simultaneous meaty thud and cracking sound. Fully enraged, Katrina openly growled as she picked up his body and threw it with amazing velocity.

Boleslav’s body sailed across the room, impacting against the opposite concrete wall with a deep boom. It dropped lifelessly to the floor in a tangled heap as both Dori and the young officer watched in horror.

Alton rushed into the room to inspect both Dori and Caleb. Meanwhile, Katrina snatched the cell keys from the young officer’s shaking hand and proceeded to unlock Caleb’s cell door. She entered long enough to remove his handcuffs then casually tossed the keys to Alton, who turned to release Dori from her cell.

Katrina knelt beside her mate, gently rubbing her hands across his body to assess the damage to him.

“It’s okay, my love,” she cooed. “I’m here now. We’re taking you to safety.”

She meaningfully looked to her right at the junior officer, who was still in a state of semi-shock as he stared at her.

“Yes, yes,” the officer insisted. “Medical attention for him.”

“Are you okay, my darling?” Alton asked Dori as he momentarily embraced her.

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” she gratefully replied.

Dori hastily explained that the lieutenant had beaten Caleb, while the other officer had secured her in the police car earlier that afternoon. She recounted how Caleb was beaten again during a brief interrogation in his cell, but that she had been spared anything harsher than being repeatedly slapped.

Alton’s jaw clenched as he looked at the younger officer, but Dori quickly explained that she hadn’t seen the young man before.

“He just came on duty,” Katrina irritably snapped as she lifted Caleb’s shirt to view the bruises on his back and stomach.

“Get on the phone and call your senior officers. Get them here immediately,” Alton ordered the young man. “I already called your town’s mayor before I came in.”

“Yes, of course,” the officer dutifully stammered. “This -- this is -- no excuse. I don’t understand.”

“We’ll talk about this soon enough,” Alton interrupted him. “Go make the calls.”

The man nervously slipped past Alton for the main office area. The stately vampire immediately went into Caleb’s cell and stood over Katrina as she examined him.

“We need a doctor,” she insisted in a tight voice.

“We’ll use Dr. Reynolds back at the hotel,” Alton replied. “I don’t trust anyone else right now.”

She merely nodded in agreement, not trusting her voice to utter anything further.

* * * *



At the hotel, a blanket from the police station was used as a makeshift gurney to carry Caleb gently from the SUV. The eyes of everyone in the lobby turned to stare with surprise as Caleb’s gurney was carried at one end by Katrina and the other by Alton. Dori followed behind them with one hand rubbing at her jaw.

Dr. Reynolds was already standing in the lobby wearing his white physician’s lab coat with Paige at his side, and he led them to his small examining room.

“Whoever did this is going to pay,” Paige angrily muttered as she stared down at Caleb with painful disbelief as he lay on the examining room table.

I’ll personally rip them apart, she promised.

Caleb weakly moaned, but his eyes remained closed as he appeared to drift in a semi-conscious state.

“The primary culprit is already dead,” Katrina coldly muttered between clenched teeth.

“Good,” Reynolds whispered as he used medical scissors to cut the shirt from Caleb’s body, being careful not to tug on the material or cause him further pain.

Katrina’s and Paige’s eyes met briefly with surprise at the doctor’s comment.

After a moment’s pause, he added, “I’m a doctor, but whoever did this obviously enjoyed the task. The world’s a better place without them.”

Agreed, Katrina thought.

A momentary pang of curiosity echoed in her mind at what must have transpired in the hours that Caleb and Dori had been gone, though she realized that the time for explanations would come soon enough. Her primary focus returned to the wounded man whom she loved so dearly.

“Caleb? It’s Ethan. Can you hear me?” Reynolds quietly asked as he lifted each of the young man’s eyelids to quickly shine a penlight into them.

Caleb moaned again, and his eyes fluttered open.

“Ethan?” he asked.

He felt confused, and pain coursed through his midsection and head. His eyes managed to focus slightly, and he looked up into the faces of the doctor, Katrina, and Paige as each peered down upon him.

“Dori? Safe?” he asked with sudden recollection of the events at the police station, only hazily remembering arguing voices and the sounds of gunshots.

“I’m here, Caleb,” Dori softly replied from a nearby chair.

Alton stood with his arm gently wrapped around her shoulders.

“We need to examine you for injuries, Caleb,” Ethan said.

“Ladies first,” Caleb offered in chivalrous fashion.

He had no idea how injured Dori might be.

“Sorry, Caleb. This is a triage situation, and you won first pick,” Reynolds lightly said.

“Lucky me,” he groaned as a wave of pain shot though his stomach.

“I’ll need to ask everyone else to move into my office next door, please. I need to examine him,” the doctor politely instructed.

Alton gently led Dori from the room. Katrina looked at Paige and motioned with her head to the door. Paige patted her friend on the shoulder as she passed.

“I’ll be right outside,” she said.

After she shut the door, Reynolds looked at Katrina.

“I’m going to need a little space to work, please,” he said before returning his attention to his patient. “I’ll try not to hurt you further, Caleb, but you’ll need to communicate with me as best you can. Can you try to do that?”

“Work your magic, Doc,” Caleb said with a chuckle, which only sent another wave of pain coursing though his body.

Katrina marveled at how deftly and gently the doctor’s hands played across Caleb in assessment of his condition. It was readily apparent to her that the handsome physician wielded his medical skills with both experience and passion. She had never seen a vampire with such a measured or sincere sense of duty to care for complete strangers before; certainly he was an anomaly in her centuries of encounters with her kind.

She watched as he continued to examine Caleb, and she was proud of how her mate was enduring what must have seemed a painfully slow process. When the doctor produced a small digital camera from his lab coat, Katrina’s eyes flashed bright green, and her hand caught his wrist.

“It’s okay,” he reassured her in a soft voice. “We may need this as visual evidence in the future. I’ll need to do the same with Dori. My intention is to begin their healing process immediately, which means there may not be as compelling evidence by tomorrow.”

Katrina hadn’t anticipated that. She reluctantly assented and released her grip on his wrist.

He offered a supportive expression and turned to take the photos. She helped to turn Caleb so he could more easily photograph the young man’s back. The bruises and contusions on his body were distasteful hues of red, purple, and blue.

“You’re missing my good side,” Caleb weakly mumbled as he gritted his teeth to endure the discomfort of his body being rotated.

“Well, at least his sense of humor’s intact,” Ethan observed.

Minutes later, Katrina assisted the good doctor as he cleaned the wound areas on Caleb’s body while further examining him. It amazed her that no bones were broken, though Ethan suspected that Caleb had bruised ribs.

“Would you be willing to use your saliva to close the wounds on his wrists?” Ethan asked while turning to retrieve items from a storage locker.

“You have to ask?” she shot back as if insulted.

I’d do anything to help him.

“I’ve learned not to make presumptions about humans relative to their vampire partners,” Ethan smoothly explained.

She began licking at Caleb’s wrists. The normally pleasant taste of his blood was tinged with the flavor of the rubbing alcohol the doctor had used to clean the wounds. Still, she felt useful being able to help minister to his wounds.

Familiar and soothing numbing sensations proceeded through Caleb’s wrists as he realized what was happening. Despite the pain still coursing through his body, he was suddenly so grateful for the caring vampires in his life, particularly his beautiful, red-haired mate.

Reynolds produced a handful of gauze and a small syringe. Katrina anticipated the task at hand and immediately unbuttoned the cuff of her blouse sleeve to allow access to the veins in her arm. He delicately withdrew enough blood to fill the syringe and turned to his patient.

“Caleb, I’m going to inject some of Katrina’s blood beneath your skin now. My plan is for the healing to begin subcutaneously and work its way outward,” he patiently explained.

Caleb briefly moaned and then managed, “Okay.”

“Katrina, since you’re here, would you please use your saliva to numb the areas next to his wounds while I follow by injecting the blood?” the dark-haired physician asked.

“Don’t you want me to heal the actual topical wounds?” she countered.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. If he’s examined by other human physicians or government officials as part of an investigation, there would be too many questions about his rate of healing. However, if we begin the healing from inside first, nobody’s the wiser, and Caleb still benefits. We can always use your saliva to expedite the surface healing later on,” he explained.

She admired the doctor’s forethought.

You’re good. Much more than I could have hoped for, in fact.

For the next few minutes, the doctor injected small amounts of blood below or near the various wounds after Katrina numbed the injection points.

Caleb had already learned firsthand how robust the healing powers of a vampire’s blood could be. And while the process sparked renewed waves of pain, he nevertheless appreciated the assistance.

Once Reynolds completed the injections, he turned to his medical cabinet and retrieved a fresh syringe and a small bottle.

“Just a little something to help him rest,” he explained while injecting Caleb’s arm with the clear liquid. “You can use the wheelchair in my office to take him upstairs to your room now.” He put the syringe aside.

“Thank you, Dr. Reynolds,” Katrina sincerely offered as she opened the doorway to reveal Paige standing there with a worried look on her face.

“Please, call me Ethan,” he encouraged. “And you’re welcome. I’ll come up to check on him in a couple of hours.”

Reynolds and Katrina gently placed Caleb in the wheelchair that Paige retrieved, and the two women prepared to take him upstairs. Alton and Dori entered the examining room as Caleb was wheeled out, but not before the brunette woman lightly touched Caleb on the shoulder in passing.

The lobby seemed overly busy for the evening as onlookers watched Caleb being wheeled away. A number of faces reflected sincere concern, while others appeared merely curious.

“I think I like Ethan Reynolds,” Katrina mumbled to Paige in the elevator as she lightly ran her fingertips through Caleb’s tussled hair.

Paige softly replied, “Yeah, me too. He’s something, isn’t he?”

Katrina’s eyes darted to her friend as if recognizing something more in her statement, but Paige’s expression quickly turned stoic.

* * * *



Katrina continued to watch over Caleb at his bedside while her mate slept. She felt so helpless just sitting, watching, and waiting. While she understood the need to curtail surface healing of his wounds, she nevertheless hated seeing the harsh appearance of his swollen face. Just imagining how painful it must have felt to him made her appreciate that Ethan had given him a sedative.

Caleb’s body was slightly feverish as his immune system tried to kill the vampire blood cells that were rapidly repairing the damaged tissue below the surface of his skin.

She gazed down at his still form, wondering when he might wake. Despite his need for rest, Katrina wanted to chat with him about what had happened. She was dying of curiosity to hear his perspective on what had taken place in town. Yet she was relegated to sitting in the chair staring at him while listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

At least it’s strong and healthy-sounding. That’s certainly a good sign.

She lost track of time as her thoughts fluctuated between her mate, the conference, and a host of other concerns. When she heard a light rapping at the suite door, she quietly admitted Paige into the room. The blonde vampire offered her one of the two thermal mugs of warm blood, which she gratefully accepted.

“How’s our boy?” Paige asked as Katrina shut the suite door behind her.

She had wanted to stay with Katrina as she watched over Caleb, but her duties interrupted her plans. Not for the first time since her arrival, she wished she were just a guest and not a key support person for the conference.

“Still asleep, but his heartbeat is strong,” Katrina replied. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“I’d have been here sooner, but –”

“No, it’s okay. I completely understand,” she interrupted as they sat next to each other on the living room couch.

“I met with Alton and Dori a few minutes ago,” Paige said.

“How is she?” Katrina asked, suddenly ashamed that she hadn’t called or gone by to check on Dori. Alton had done so much for Caleb and taken such an interest in him.

As if sensing her friend’s concern, Paige reassured her, “She’s fine. Sore, but she’ll be okay. And don’t worry, Alton said to tell you to stay here with Caleb. They plan to come by to see him tomorrow morning.”

Katrina frowned. “But the conference –”

Paige held up her hand. “Alton’s already rescheduled the start time for one o’clock, after lunch. I’ll take over for you here when it’s time.”

Katrina nodded appreciatively. Suddenly, the conference meant so little to her by comparison to Caleb’s well-being. It was as if her priorities had shifted one hundred and eighty degrees in a matter of seconds.

“Dori and Alton shared some of the details with me concerning what happened,” Paige ventured.

She explained everything that had taken place from the time Dori and Caleb arrived in town that morning, as well as the suspicions they were following up on that led them to the storage building in the woods.

“But none of it makes any sense,” Katrina insisted once Paige had finished.

“I know,” Paige said with a shrug. “We’ve got nothing to go on, and the only two people truly implicated are either dead or sitting in the town jail.”

Katrina’s eyes narrowed. “Except for Baldar Dubravko’s role in everything.”

“That’s if Baldar Dubravko even has a role,” Paige corrected her. “Right now, all we know is that Caleb apparently saw the fellow meeting with people late one night in town. There’s no grand conspiracy there. And besides, until Caleb wakes up to tell us what he saw, we don’t have much more to go on.”

Katrina didn’t like her friend’s tone and sharply looked at her. “You don’t think there’s anything to it? Why would the lieutenant act so wantonly towards Caleb and Dori then?”

“Hey, for all we know, the lieutenant and his cohorts don’t like foreigners,” Paige retorted. “All I know is our boy’s seemed pretty bored and also has an active imagination.”

“So, they simply mouthed off and ran into the wrong locals?” Katrina pressed. “Wrong place at the wrong time, so to speak?”

“I’m just sayin’,” Paige replied.

They both fell silent and sipped at their mugs of blood for a time.

“I’m sorry,” Paige finally offered in a quiet voice.

“No, it’s okay. You could be right,” Katrina replied.

Her eyes drifted to the bedroom beyond and became a distant stare. She recalled the recent happiness that she and Caleb had shared on their camping trip before the conference became a pressing topic in their lives.

She merely wanted to enjoy spending time with him as they built their life together. The machinations of vampire politics suddenly paled by comparison to a simple day spent with Caleb. She adored his kind nature, was drawn to his fit physique, and relished the compelling way that his blood called to her. Another moment’s reflection was all that was required for her to wish that they hadn’t even come to Slovenia.

* * * *



As if matters hadn’t already become complicated with Dori and Caleb’s experience with the local police, the conference itself progressively devolved into discord and chaos. After sitting at Caleb’s bedside overnight and into the next morning, Katrina was compelled to reconvene with the rest of the attendees at Alton’s insistence. Though polite, she greeted her former mentor in a disinterested manner as she sat to his right at the head of the table.

You’d feel differently about this if Dori had been more seriously injured, she thought.

Then a wave of guilt flowed through her as she realized the delicate balance that Alton was trying to find in spearheading the diplomatic endeavor before them.

As if in silent reply to her thoughts, Alton slipped a small folded piece of paper to her while shuffling agenda paperwork. It read, I can only imagine what you’re feeling, and I know where you’d rather be. Just know how much I appreciate your help. – A.

She maintained a neutral expression as she folded the note and slipped it into her folder of paperwork. The edges of her mouth upturned slightly as she focused her attention upon him.

He turned to address the group to initiate the day’s topics. For a few scant seconds, a fond feeling washed over Katrina.

Alton understands me better than I give him credit for sometimes.

As on previous days, two opposing factions of perspectives propelled the discussions, or rather, debates. The pro-unification faction wanted to discuss far grander issues than the mere concepts of cooperative agreement among their kind.

The opposition decried the loss of independence or individual control at the mere mention of collaboration or cooperation. A much smaller group of neutrals merely listened, waiting to see who would gain the upper hand.

Alton did his best to operate as mediator, but the opposition kept leading him to take sides on a matter, as if goading him to commit to a perspective. Katrina clearly saw the tactic for what it was, a ploy for them to cry foul under the auspices that the moderator’s view was biased from the start.

She admired her friend for his sense of measured patience and unwavering commitment towards his duties as chairperson. She realized how useful his past experiences dealing with squabbling English nobles many centuries ago were for the task before them. In some ways, she envisioned how suitable he would be to lead the group in a more autocratic setting.

Still, she conceded that may have been in part to how well-favored she was in Alton’s eyes. She did her best not to smirk at that thought while listening to another tirade from Dominic Ambrogio on the unsuitability of the conference without a larger representative group of vampires in attendance.

Once again, Alton patiently reminded the persistent fellow that the conference’s mission was to formulate basic premises to advance their kind on a global scale after the summit concluded. Katrina clenched her jaw while silently wishing she could rush over to snap the complainer’s neck for impeding the discussion.

Hmm, perhaps I’m a little autocratic, too, she assessed.

The moment quickly passed, and her mood darkened again.

God, how I hate this conference.

* * * *



By mid-afternoon, Caleb managed to sit upright at the small table in their suite wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants as he took another bite of his cheeseburger. The mere act of chewing sent aches through his jaw.

Dori sat across from him wearing designer jeans and one of Alton’s long-sleeved shirts while picking at a salad with her fork. Caleb’s swollen and bruised face gave him the appearance of the loser from an intense boxing match, while Dori’s swollen lower lip and reddened left cheek suggested she had been in a domestic dispute.

Each was keenly aware of the aches, pain, and soreness accompanying their sorry physical states. It was their mutually unpleasant conditions, coupled with wanting to avoid the stares of staff and visitors alike, which caused them to sequester themselves in the suite in the first place.

“Still curious about that storage building?” Dori asked.

Caleb stopped chewing, glared at her with a dower expression, and mumbled, “Not on your life. I’m too sore to care right now.”

“Agreed,” she said with a nod. “And besides, Alton told me not to go to town without him.”

He continued chewing, albeit tentatively.

After swallowing, he offered, “Yeah, Kat made it quite clear, in that stern but friendly way only she can pull off, that I wasn’t to leave the conference property without her or Paige.”

He felt like a child who had been grounded, though he wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous, either.

“Baldar Dubravko’s up to something,” Dori affirmed. “We just don’t know what yet.”

“Not that I can convince Katrina of that,” he countered. “She doesn’t want me anywhere near him.”

He recalled his attempts to get Katrina or Paige to go look at the storage building, but each declined on the grounds that relations were strained enough with the town while the mayor’s internal investigation continued.

A knock at the suite’s front door interrupted them, and Caleb shuffled slowly across the room to answer it. Madison Baker and Aiden Henderson greeted him, and he made a sweeping gesture with one arm to invite them in. He winced from the pain that shot through his shoulder at the attempt.

“Maddy, Aiden,” he politely offered, “this is Dorianne Rousseau, Alton’s mate.”

“Dori, please,” the violet-eyed Frenchwoman insisted. “And I recall being introduced to each of you at the reception that first evening.”

The two visitors hesitantly glanced at each other before Aiden spoke up.

“Uh, Caleb, we just came by to check in on you and see how you’re doing. We thought maybe you might want us to pick up something for you in town.”

“Nah, thanks. There’s not much I really need,” he appreciatively replied.

Maddy and Aiden focused on Dori, who merely shook her head.

“Well, we’re not actually going into Podjelje right now, given all that’s happened,” Maddy hinted.

“Oh?” Caleb asked.

“Alton and the other vampires voted first thing this morning to ban all hotel tourist access to Podjelje, except when in the company of a vampire,” Maddy said. “At least until the investigation is over.”

Caleb’s eyebrows rose with surprise. “I see. So, where are you two going then?”

“Yeah, well, we’re actually headed into the town of Jereka,” Aiden explained. “It’s further away, but a nice day trip. And it’s larger than Podjelje. But we’re the lucky ones because we made the first roster.”

“Roster?” Dori asked.

“My mate, Talise, said that Alton convinced the other vampires to accept new traveling terms for the human companions. No groups larger than twelve, and there must be a human security person with every four tourists. It’s pretty competitive getting on the roster right now. It seems that everybody’s anxious to see more of the country all at the same time,” Aiden explained.

Caleb and Dori exchanged meaningful looks before returning their attention to Maddy and Aiden.

“Yeah, I guess I can see the allure of venturing out,” Caleb conceded.

“Well, anyway, we’re leaving in the next half hour or so and wanted to check to see if you wanted anything,” Maddy offered.

“Oh, well, thanks,” Caleb said. “I’ll probably just go down to the lobby bookstore and find something to read.”

“Just a friendly word of advice for you two,” Aiden offered. “Most of the human companions are pretty irritated with you that you’ve drastically curtailed their sightseeing liberties, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a cold reception from them for a while.”

“Oh, really?” Dori irritably asked.

“Hey, not us,” Maddy retorted with an upraised hand. “We figure you two must have run into something really wrong in town. You, in particular, don’t seem like the kind to cause trouble.”

“But then there’s Caleb,” Aiden interjected, “A lot of folks think that after yesterday and the earlier scene in the lobby that first day that you might just be one.”

“One..?” Caleb vaguely alluded.

“Troublemaker,” Maddy said.

He adopted an offended expression, and his mouth gaped open slightly.

That’s outrageous!

Dori smirked, discreetly covering her mouth with one hand, and Aiden bit the inside of his lip while smiling.

“Oh, come on,” Caleb stammered. “I’m a trouble-magnet, at worst.”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger,” Aiden replied. “And we’d better get going. We don’t want to lose our seat on the shuttle.”

“Take care, you two,” Maddy offered as she followed Aiden to the door. “If we happen to see something interesting, we’ll bring something back for you, okay?”

“Thanks, Maddy,” Dori said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Caleb dejectedly replied. “Have a good time.”

Aiden started to say something, but only nodded and preceded Maddy through the door. She winked and mouthed the word “troublemaker” as she closed the door behind them. Caleb immediately turned to Dori with an exasperated expression.

“Hey, admit it, you’ve got a track record of sorts,” she temporized.

“Oh, hush,” he snapped while folding his arms in front of his chest.

Troublemaker, indeed!

* * * *



The conference session lasted all day and into the early evening, but Caleb spent the entire time sequestered in his suite. He felt achy, sore, and in no mood to confront negativity on the part of the other vampire companions.

Paige was quite busy, but managed to check in on him periodically, even bringing him dinner from the kitchen. The spritely vampire helped improve his mood somewhat, including finding new ways to poke fun at his unsightly condition upon each visit.

“You look like one of Mike Tyson’s old punching dummies, kiddo,” she commented once. On another brief visit, she teased, “Hey tiger, I see somebody took extra turns beating ya with the ugly stick.”

Ethan also stopped by to visit during midday and again during early evening. Caleb appreciated the kind and sincere nature of the vampire physician, who reminded him a little of the London vampire psychologist, Dr. Roehl Guilhelm, who had helped him recover his lost childhood memories of meeting Katrina when she had killed his abusive father. His thoughts drifted to the revelation of memories that strangely felt so fresh and recent to him despite being from his childhood.

Well, it was a long time ago, but the memories are still new to me, he reflected.

When Katrina finally returned to the suite, it was nearly ten o’clock. She attentively evaluated his condition with a pained expression. It hurt her each time her thoughts contemplated the beating he had endured at the hands of the renegade local officials. While a simmering anger still persisted, she managed to keep it in check with increasing effectiveness.

Having been cooped up in the room all day, Caleb was quite interested in the conference events. He quickly sensed his mate’s disdain for the affair and tried not to delve too deeply into matters. Still, he was left with the definite impression that things weren’t going well.

“I really don’t know how we’re going to improve the tone, much less appeal to any sense of logic among the participants,” she noted with resignation.

“We’re?” he pressed. “I thought you really didn’t want anything to do with it?”

“I didn’t, at first,” she replied. “But now it’s starting to feel personal. Alton’s trying his best, but even his diplomatic and political skills are starting to look strained.”

“So? You can always say that you tried, right?” he said.

“I’m going to do more than try,” she assertively remarked. “So far I’ve tried to stay on the sidelines, hoping that things might wrap up quickly. But instead, things are dragging along at a snail’s pace with each and every objection. So now, I’m giving it my all, right alongside Alton. We’re planning to strategize some more early tomorrow morning before the group reconvenes.”

“They sound like a paranoid bunch,” he observed.

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m beginning to feel there’s much more to it than just paranoia. The anti-collaboration faction, they have their own agenda, I think. It’s like they’re waiting for this to fail miserably, so they can proceed with something else. Somehow, I can’t help feeling like Baldar Dubravko’s steering the group.”

“I knew it, Kat,” he remarked with an intent expression. “If Dori and I can just –”

Her gaze fell hard upon him, practically pinning him to the chair where he sat.

“Stop,” she ordered in a flat voice. “You’re not doing anything, my love, except recovering. Why can’t you just relax and enjoy the conference like the other companions?”

“But I can help,” he insisted. “Dori and I think –”

“Enough,” she commanded in an uncharacteristic manner. “I don’t want to hear another word, Caleb. Alton and I are well-equipped to handle this, thank you. Besides, you and Dori aren’t to leave the conference site without me or Alton.”

“That’s not fair, Kat,” he retorted while rising from the couch to pace the floor. “We’re not children.”

“Perhaps not,” she conceded.

She covered the distance between them in a second to stand before him and reached out to grasp him gently by the shoulders and stare down into his pale blue eyes.

“But recent events are unsettling, to say the least, and I don’t want to see you in anymore trouble. I can’t bear to see you get injured again...or worse.”

He frowned, not quite certain if she meant his own behavior was unsettling, or just that of the local authorities.

“I’m not a troublemaker,” he quietly stated while looking away from her.

She used one hand to turn his face back towards hers, staring into his eyes in a penetrating fashion. Her predatory visage bore into him, and she whispered, “You are a troublemaker, but I’m confident I can fix that.”

He started to say something, but was silenced by her soft lips pressing against his as her palm cupped the base of his neck. Despite his sore lip, he immediately responded to her passionate kiss, forgetting his objections entirely.

Gone was the angst over their conversation, replaced only by his desire to be loved and wanted and embraced. His arms slipped around her waist as her kisses continued, and he hungrily pressed his sore lips to hers.

She relished their intimate contact, but pulled her lips from his long enough to resolutely stare back into his eyes.

“You’ll remain on conference grounds for the time being.”

He started to assert himself, but she quickly kissed him on the lips again.

“Promise me,” she persisted as she pulled away from the kiss.

“For now,” he quietly acquiesced. In his mind, he wasn’t giving in so much as diplomatically conceding to a respite.

It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but it was the best she could hope for at the moment.

“Trouble with a capital ‘T,’“ she mildly chastised. “Come here, Mr. Trouble,” she added, gently slipping her arm around his waist and guiding him towards the bedroom.

Despite his achy and sore condition, he managed to slip from his clothes, and they lovingly shared each other’s bodies for the first time since their arrival in Slovenia. Their shared passion was tender, and each thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of the other. Then time stood still, at least for a few hours.

* * * *



The next day, Caleb felt the cold stares of some of the other guests while making his way to the restaurant for breakfast. Fortunately, he was too sore and tired to care. Local investigators appointed by the mayor and police commissioner arrived after breakfast to interview both him and Dori. Much to their surprise, Alton attended Dori’s interview, while Katrina was present for his.

To Dori’s and Caleb’s surprise, both Katrina and Alton encouraged them to be forthcoming with any information, save for their suspicions involving Baldar Dubravko. As for the storage building incident, both firmly held to the suggestion that the building had been broken into prior to their arrival, and they were merely curious. It was their position that they intended to notify someone, but the lieutenant and his officer showed up to engage them hostilely without provocation before they could explain, which was partly true, at least.

The only downside to the interview was the way that Katrina’s intense stare penetrated into Caleb’s eyes when she sensed the subtle change in his story involving the storage building’s breach. However, she said nothing either during or after the interview.

In truth, he had already disclosed the entire story to Katrina beforehand, so it wasn’t as if he were hiding anything from her. Still, it was unnerving to realize that he was being closely evaluated by her. Despite that, the investigators gave no indication of perceived doubt or suspicion, so he felt comfortable with his responses in the end.

Alton later informed Caleb, Dori, and Katrina that the investigators weren’t getting a great deal of cooperation from the surviving officer who had attacked Dori, though Alton didn’t mention where he had acquired that inside information. He suggested that the incident could erupt in unpopular media coverage, possibly generating an international buzz, which wasn’t in Slovenia’s best interests. He conveyed his suspicions that the case would be handled internally in the department, though Caleb was inwardly surprised that the story hadn’t leaked out to at least a local news source yet.

The focus quickly fell upon the conference again, and both Katrina and Alton returned their attentions to vampire politics and subsequent debates. However, Dori and Caleb’s attentions weren’t so easily diverted, and the two met in Alton’s suite to discuss matters further.

“Time to refocus on our objective,” Dori said. “Dubravko’s worth watching.”

“We’re stuck here for a while, you know,” Caleb lamented. “All he has to do is leave the site, and we’re in the dark.”

He stretched his body’s lean muscles, experiencing a series of aches and pains for his effort. While Katrina’s blood had significantly healed his wounds, a great deal of recuperation still remained.

“Dubravko stays in the hotel for the most part, you know,” she observed. “Besides, we still have to follow up on the storage building connection. There has to be something of interest in or around the area.”

“And just how do we do that?” he asked.

“There’s more to the process of investigation than skulking around the forest, Caleb.”

“Who are you? Nancy Drew?”

It wasn’t the first time he wondered about the woman’s background, about which she had been cagey at best.

“Quaint reference, but no,” she replied. “I have some additional venues of investigation that I’ll follow up with. In the meantime, why don’t you keep an eye on Dubravko’s activities on-site?”

He stared at her in bland fashion. “Have you ever tried to sneak up on a vampire?”

She shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Caleb. And to think I once said you were quick-witted. Loiter in the lobby until he leaves the conference sessions, and discreetly observe him from a distance. It’s not like you’re not expected to be relegated to the conference property. Everyone knows you’re grounded.”

“Bad analogy, Dori,” he said with a withering expression.

“Sorry,” she quickly apologized. “Listen, just maintain a low profile and observe. There’s no crime there, and it may reveal something tangible to follow up on.”

“Well,” he conceded, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to camp out in the lobby for a time. Perhaps catch up on my reading?”

“Good idea,” Dori agreed.

However, he was suspicious over the ease with which she had directed him. Somehow he had the impression that she had the more interesting angle to delve into, while he was relegated to nothing short of a child’s errand.

“I’ll let you know when I uncover anything,” she offered. “You do the same.”

Caleb spent the next two days sitting in the lobby reading novels, magazines, or idly passing time on his notebook computer. When not enjoying one of the comfortable chairs or couches, he would perch on a stool at one of the bistro tables placed just outside the lobby restaurant. Fortunately, the bar staff would serve food and drinks there, even outside of the dining room’s normal operating hours. And it was fairly scenic because he could appreciate the view of the grounds through the large floor-to-ceiling sections of coated glass that framed the perimeter of the lobby.

On the afternoon of the first day, Ethan, Aiden, and Maddy each briefly stopped by to visit and ask how he was feeling. However, most people gave Caleb a large berth, often completely ignoring him. That evening, Dubravko exited the conference and went directly to the security office carrying his telltale leather briefcase. Soon afterwards, Katrina and Alton appeared and accompanied him and Dori to dinner, idly watching them eat while chatting.

The next day, Caleb woke early enough to escort Katrina to the lobby, where he lingered long enough to notice Dubravko exit the elevator with Major Pietari before heading down the hallway leading to the conference room. By late afternoon, the conference let out early as Caleb dozed on the couch with a novel laid across this lap. He jolted awake in time to see Dubravko and Dominic Ambrogio enter the elevator and proceed to the upper floors.

Thinking he had gleaned nothing of value, he started to take a walk outside, but then halted upon realizing that he had missed something. For some reason, Dubravko hadn’t been carrying his briefcase. He walked back into the lobby just in time to see Major Pietari carrying Dubravko’s distinctive briefcase into the elevator. He watched as the car descended to lower level one, the basement area.

Why is Dubravko the only vampire carrying around a briefcase? Perhaps he hauls around a lot of cash with him wherever he goes?

“Whatcha up to, kiddo?” Paige asked seemingly out of nowhere.

Caleb lurched with surprise, and his head whipped around. “Geez, Paige!”

Her eyes immediately narrowed. “So, like I asked, whatcha doin’?”

You’re up to something, my little friend.

“Oh, just hanging around,” he evasively replied while glancing outside. “Not like I’m going anywhere interesting, you know.”

“Hmmm. Yeah, so I’ve noticed. In fact, I’ve been observing you for the past two days, in between the major’s endless errands, of course. Anyway, it seems like you’ve spent a good deal of your time just sitting around.”

“Just healing,” he replied. “Doctor’s orders, after all.”

“Uh-huh. Let’s chat,” she suggested while wrapping one of her petite arms around his waist and leading him across the lobby in the direction of a small, unused conference room on the other side of the building.

“You look good in a blazer, by the way.”

“Whatever,” she chimed, refusing to be distracted.

She ushered him into the small conference room and shut the door behind them.

“Okay, spill,” she insisted as her bright blue eyes penetrated into his.

“Spill what?” he innocently asked, even as his heartbeat increased slightly.

“What you’re doing hanging around the lobby. You’re waiting for something, or watching someone.”

“Aw, come on,” he irritably countered. “I’m not bothering anybody.”

“Stop spying on Dubravko,” she flatly stated. “You’re just going to piss him off, and that’ll make things harder on Alton and Katrina.”

He silently stared back at her.

How the hell did she know?

“Look, behind all this cute, playful exterior is a competent vampire,” she chastised. “I’m actually good at what I do, kiddo.”

He folded his arms before him, shaking his head slightly.

“I’ve never implied otherwise,” he countered. “But if you’re that good, then tell me what the major’s doing with Dubravko’s pet briefcase.”

She blankly stared at him for a moment as she considered his request.

Briefcase? she wondered.

“Um, I dunno...let’s think about that. Oh yeah, the major is in charge of security. So, it’s likely containing valuables and needs to be secured. Hell, for all I know, the paranoid weasel probably keeps his secret ‘usurp-the-conference-plan’ in it or something.”

The Croatian jerk’s a pain in the ass, that’s for sure.

“Somebody sounds kind of angsty. Maybe you need to cut down on the caffeine a little,” he quipped with a playful shake of his finger.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t push my buttons, punching bag boy.”

He returned a bland, less-than-amused expression.

“Okay, so the major is securing the briefcase. Securing it where, exactly?” he asked.

She frowned at him. “Who’s asking the questions here, tiger?”

He threw up his arms with exasperation and stormed across the small room towards the door.

“Well, crap! I can’t even –”

She darted out with her hands to grasp him by the shoulders and steady him in one place.

“Okay, okay, just chill. I’ll play, if you’ll just take a deep breath.”

He focused upon her with a flat, unimpressed stare.

“Probably the vault,” she said. “Before the conference, they installed a really secure, bank-sized vault on the basement level. Then they walled off that section of the basement so that the primary controlled access is through the lobby elevator. But you still need a code for the car before it even stops there. There’s a fire escape, but it’s only a one-way exit in the stairwell. Kind of overkill in my opinion, but then, nobody asked me.”

He pondered that for a moment.

“Can we get into the vault?”

“Dammit, Caleb!” she snapped with a bright flash of her blue eyes.

She took a deep breath and deliberately calmed herself before planting her hands firmly atop her hips.

“Kiddo, you’re killin’ me here. No, nobody but the major and the hotel manager can get in the vault. And no, I’m not asking for access, or for a tour for you.”

His shoulders slumped.

I sure hope Dori’s having better luck than I, he lamented. Of course, the Frenchwoman hadn’t said much to him the past day or so.

“Can’t you just play nicely for once?” she wearily implored. “I’m going crazy trying to keep up with things around here as it is. Hell, I haven’t even had time to do more than drink a cup of warm blood now and again, much less get any rest.”

“Look, please just check out what the major’s doing in the vault –” he urged before being cut off by Paige’s holding up her hand for silence.

She cocked her head to one side and moved so quickly that the air whirled around him. The door to the room swished open, and she stood outside pivoting her head so fast that she seemed to view all directions at once.

She froze, cocked her head to one side again, and listened. Finally, she shrugged while reentering the room and closed the door behind her.

“Did you hear somebody?”

“See? Now you’re making me paranoid,” she chastised.

“I’m sorry.” The last thing he wanted to do was make her angry with him.

I’m already pressing my luck with Katrina.

Her aggravation seemed to dissipate in mere seconds as she stared into his gentle eyes.

It’s so damned hard to stay angry at him.

Her graceful, pale hand reached up to caress the side of his face, and she appreciated the rough, masculine stubble forming on his cheek. She lightly patted him, and then playfully pinched his cheek with her fingertips.

“Twerp,” she muttered. “Try to stay outta trouble, will ya?”

He reached up to caress her hand. “I’ll try, just for you,” he promised.

His warm touch sent a small tingling wave through her, as a lover’s touch might. She snatched her hand back, as if lingering there might burn it.

“Good boy,” she said. “Now get outta here. I’ve got real work to do.”

He walked past her as she held the door open for him. However, as soon as he departed, she contemplated the fleeting sensations that he had just sparked in her.

Then she forced her thoughts to other matters, specifically how urgently Caleb had pleaded his concerns about the major and Dubravko. She shrugged and made a mental note to try and pay more attention to them.

“Yeah, in all my plentiful spare time.”

* * * *



Once the active session ended, Katrina and Alton met at length with Talise Penbroke for a private meeting in the conference room after the other attendees had departed. Alton hoped that Talise’s expertise in contract law could be leveraged for mediation of some agenda topic disputes. Katrina suggested that an arbitrative role instigated by Talise might help appeal to the negative, extremist elements in the room. While dubious, at least Talise seemed sincere and promised to try.

By the time Katrina returned to the suite, it was late evening. She found Caleb lounging on the couch watching a movie on television. He sat up and grinned at her over the back of the couch as she entered, which quickly warmed her heart. For the first time in a few days, and despite his still-evident physical injuries, her mate appeared more relaxed and settled. It brought a wan smile to her lips as she crossed the distance between them to kiss him.

“You’re late tonight,” he casually observed. “How did everything go today?”

She shrugged. “Pretty much the same as the day before. I’m just glad that nobody has walked out. That must say something about our efforts, I suppose.”

He took her by the hand and led her to the front of the couch, pulling her down to sit next to him. Turning her away from him slightly, he massaged her shoulders and neck with his strong fingers.

The sensations were both soothing and welcome and evoked small moans of pleasure from her. She concluded that it was the perfect physical greeting after such a long, trying day. Moreover, she resolved to get some real sleep that night for a few hours.

“You’re precisely what I need,” she complimented as his fingers continued their ministrations against her taut muscles.

He’s definitely in a better mood.

He kissed her neck in response to her compliment and murmured, “I love you.”

Best of all, he kept massaging. It was the first night since their arrival that things felt more like they were supposed to between them.

She only hoped that it would last.

* * * *