Eventually these painkillers would kick in. Staggering up the stairs this early required barely achievable coordination. The rock had fallen down a few steps, either by drunk me or someone else visiting. Paranoia made me do a quick scan of the basement. I set about reviewing boxes, counting collectibles, and looking for disturbances in the dust.

Non-human invaders should avoid the charm wall. Failing that, the silver and iron strips on my stairs would hurt others. Wolves were often barefoot. Home defense was a careful art that I almost compulsively built as my collection grew. Most spare money went into the protects. Each layer of defense pushed the border of Julianne's property rules. She owned this place, but I made it mine.

My treasures included many items. There were first edition comics, statues with gems, rare coins, and decent artwork rolled into tubes. A small collection of ornamental swords lined one wall. In one of the boxes from my travels I acquired a real sword and shield, heavy weighted, solid materials. Those items included unfair amount of jewelry. I could have given Kahina a gift every day for a year and had some leftover, but I didn't. Everything down there belonged to me alone.

I went back upstairs and set about my morning workout. A breakfast burrito went into the microwave and the ding of completion signaled my readiness to face the world. Upon opening the door I discovered a man in a well dressed suit and black sunglasses. He stood not ten feet from the door while outlined by a blazing afternoon sun.

Minimal clarity and a microwave breakfast wrap made it hard to take anything serious. The ineffective painkillers and post workout pump almost counteracted things. I gave him an idle once over while munching at my food. This visitor had deep red hair, a black suit, tanned skin. The corona illuminating him made it hard to pick out more specific features.

"Jeff Fields, I believe?" The voice sounded gruff, but familiar.

"How long you been out here?" I asked.

"Long enough to wonder if you died down there man." There was a hint of humor and most of the rough tone vanished, leaving behind a familiar voice.

I took another of bite of my food.

"Crummy?" It wasn't polite to talk with your mouth full, but if it was Crummy, he deserved it.

The figure stepped out of the sun with a wide smirk. Some things had changed in four years. His head full of hair had been trimmed down so far that it was nearly non existent. Freckles that should have been present were buried under a deep tan. The man surfed like crazy during his downtime. I had never gone once in our decades of friendship.

Crummy put a hand out to shake.

Lazily, I juggled food from one hand to the other before reaching out in return. Daniel Crumfield didn't settle for the shake, pulling in instead for a shoulder bump.

"Welcome back. Heard you were back in town under another stupid name." His hand gave a wave towards my front door. "I see you didn't bother to move."

"Been hiding."

"I heard that too. Someone called in a disturbance, said a large man with a busted nose had accosted an elf over gambling debts." Daniel's grin was barely visible against the violent morning light.

"Someone called huh?" I hadn't even noticed the blond was an elf. He had too much matted hair for me to be sure.

"Yeah man, they sent me down here to bring you in for disturbing the peace."

I took a final bite and let out a muffled "Bullshit." He laughed.

"Don't shoot the messenger!" Daniel said.

"How about a friend?"

"Don't shoot them either. Besides, you know I was kidding man." Both his hands went up in a insincere surrender.

"That elf would never call." I said.

"Those types never do. And you don't exist on paper man, remember?" His accent killed me every time. Surfer cadences rung through his speech. No amount of suit could bury the dude lurking below.

"Little Julie dropped a line when you got back in. I tried to pop in last night but you'd already taken off, so I asked where you were."

That made sense, when he talked to Julianne she must have informed him last night's apartment dweller was Elven. Well at least that cleared up which one he was from the picture. This series of events bothered me. First I see my ex, sort of, and managed to survive the night. Now one of my few friends shows up.

"No files in four years?"

"Not a peep man, thankfully. I've been keeping tabs on bulletins that might match you over the years. Nothing, no where. You've been a ghost." The admission made me feel accomplished. I hadn't wanted to be found during these last few years.

"Anyway, what're you up to today?" Daniel asked.

I looked up at the sky.

"Before sunset? Nothing really."

"Sunset?" He put a few things together. "Still avoiding Kahina?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"Oh man, I'd move out of the Western Sector all together, if I had a choice and pissed that woman off." Daniel was a Sector Agent. He didn't get to leave without a damned good reason.

"Not moving. All my stuff is here."

"Right, that collection. You've been building since we were kids." There was a hint of resigned amusement to his words.

"I've got more to sort out still." During those wandering years the hoard had only grown in size.

"I'll believe it, if I see it."

"Maybe." Like hell would I let him downstairs. Friendship didn't go that far.

"Listen man, I've got some time and cold cases. I wanted to ask over beers, but that idea's busted. You able to help?"

This exchange wasn’t new.. Favor for favor. When we were younger, a lot younger, he handed me one of the files that had stumped him. I managed to provide tips that went places. Occasionally he grabbed another set to consult me on. Daniel had gotten promotions and commendations because of our deal.

"Knew this wasn't social."

"I know man, I'd drop by for just drinks, but crime never sleeps. My next few assignments are shaping up to be huge. If I can find a place to start." Daniel shook his head.

"Anyway, thought maybe you'd help me find some of these people as an in with this assignment." He didn't need to explain it. Crummy's missing files included all sorts; long lost children, runaways, murderers. Often my involvement was limited to a direction and letting him know which ones were dead. There were only a handful of trackers in Western Sector and Daniel worked every resource he could.

But we were friends.

"Sure, I'll try."

I didn't mention money. I would take cash for finding and collecting debts, or a reward for recovering items. By applying my talents for debt collection I got to engage in a favorite past time. Punching the deserving in the face. Being paid for it was a bonus.

Finding people was another issue. Missing someone you cared for was heartbreaking. It scarred a soul down deep. I knew that pain. My own parents had left me, abandoned me. Their faces lost to time. There was nothing within my entire collection to track my own family with.

Daniel guided me and my vanishing breakfast to his car. From the back came a stack of files and items in evidence bags.

"You know the rules, I can't actually let you touch any of it." Which was fine, since I didn't want fingerprints on government tagged and bagged items.

"I know, makes it harder, but I'll do what I can."

An hour passed while cruising through the five cases he'd presented. Two children, one alive and north somewhere. The other provided no response. The answer, once found, would likely be depressing. One missing person looked familiar. I wound back to the file Daniel had and tapped on the picture.

"Who's this?"

"Arnold Regious, son of one massively rich family, missing, believed kidnapping." Daniel grabbed the case file then flipped through the thin stapled pages. "Human, no signs of the other races being involved so I'm not sure how they routed it to Sector." Sector only got involved if it was interracial.

He was looking at a few different pages across the file and sighed.

"Anyway, this dude vanished on the road during the day heading between family estates. Driver and a guardian both missing too."

"Let me check something." I said.

"You're kidding, on this case?" He looked excited. "Man that's perfect."

"Hold on." I went back into my apartment, carefully making sure to close the door behind me. When I returned to Daniel it was with the picture of two blond boys.

"This him?"

"Let’s see." Daniel took the picture and compared it to some of the other photos in the file.

"Hard to say, but looks solid, one's human, other's Elven. Where'd you get this?"

"An elf I certainly didn't accost, sir." I tried to put on my best innocent girl act. Too bad my voice wasn't built for valley girl tones. At least the poor impression got a snicker.

"Alright, was he still alive?"

"Couldn't tell. Elf is, don't know about the human." Couldn't tell was code for likely dead. Daniel had been through this dance more than a few times with me.

"Mind if I steal your meal ticket?"

"Please do, if it's more than just a gambling debt, I want no part of it. Nothing personal." Working with Daniel was fine but the thought of being in his way wasn't comforting.

"I hear you. Alright, I'll take this and go. This will mean a lot if it pans out, thanks."

"Anytime." I said.

Daniel probably couldn't hear me, since he was already settling himself into his car and slamming the door shut. The Sector Agent quickly drove off. Next he would be bothering Julianne for information and then back to whatever nest the suits were stationed out of. She didn't exactly like him nosing in on her clients, but like most bookies, when it was a bad debt there was no harm throwing them under the bus. Especially if it kept someone out of the rest of their business.

I slowly wandered back to the bar. Julianne's employees ran about clearing leftovers from the lunch group and prepped for dinner. Friday nights were crowded. Which meant lots of bets being placed, hopefully someone big and dumb looking would be able to score a job as a bouncer tonight.

"Jannneeee." I hollered down one of the hallways behind the counters that lead to a medium sized kitchen and the bookkeeper's office.

Wheels ground against the thinly carpeted floor. A man's head peeked out of the back office. I nearly forgot he worked here. Tall, huge balding forehead, and thin wire framed glasses. His remaining hair was uneven and splattered with shades of gray.

"Oh."

His size said nothing about the personality. He was quiet. Most people never knew he was back. The man tallied the bills, figured out taxes and would slip every fourth twenty under the counter for the less than legal funds. Half his magic was shuffling money around without arousing suspicion.

There was some muttering.

"Hold on, Jeff, I'll be out in a moment. We gotta fix the records for our little loose end that your friend took away from me." Good, she was okay with the situation. An angry Julianne skipped straight to screams.

It was so hard to keep the world straight when I changed my name so many times. Not even sure why I did it.

"You need a big, dumb man to protect you tonight?" My words would carry well enough.

Julianne came out of the accounting room and walked down the hall. She looked mildly annoyed but willing to play my silly game.

"I could put up with for you tonight, but considering you smart enough to be dumb is a stretch."

"Bitch." Which she was. I smiled a bit, careful to keep my teeth covered.

"So you've told me, pay’s gonna be low for a night though, still okay?" Julianne never stopped moving. Her hands straightened everything in range while we talked.

"Fine. Meals this week and the rest towards rent." I could use something that didn't come from a microwave.

"Deal."

It kept us both from worrying about the books. Hamburgers were easier to write off than cash. Working would keep me busy too. Kahina might leave me be until the end of my shift. If she showed up at all.

I headed back to my apartment and put on my less raggedy belongings. Clean clothes that were comfortable enough to swing my arms in. Some bouncers operated by intimidation factor, others just looked deadly. Sometimes they were sneaky little martial arts majors. Muscles and size made me the former. The right clothes would help me look like a wolf or a blood partner. Which I almost had been.

Kahina hadn’t spoken to me in almost four years and she still fixated. Vampire studies showed that they kept the same type of associates their entire lives. Dead comrades were often replaced with someone of a similar build and personality. Obviously Kahina hadn't replaced me.

Clothing ended up being a tight shirt showing clear muscles on the chest and arms. Shopping for taller shirts was hard. Jackets were harder. I donned one of my fluffier coats and a loose pair of pants. The shirt covered a cross. As long as it was unexposed things should remain calm. The hint of its form would keep any visiting vampires mindful.

Visible threats were all part of a clever facade ensuring a semi peaceful existence. If that failed then Western Sector's Agents would resolve those still standing. Daniel Crumfield was one of many that forced a fragile peace. Decanters were rare. No one wanted wars. Hell we got along as much as we could these last thousand years. Nearly every city had a substantial percentage of non humans.

Julianne's bar served all types. Most did. Wolves, Elves, Vampires, they all migrated across the ocean along with humans. Imagine, three ships headed for the Western Sector. The bottom cargo hold would have been dedicated to coffins at night. Wolves would have prowled up top during the day. Elves took their own ship since they've always been snobs. No one wanted to ride with their trees anyway. Things were different in the other Sectors. Millenniums of history and superstition drove the races to segregate.

At the bar things were already in full swing.

"Jeff, you're on IDs. Get back out there." Julianne's voice kicked me out before I even made it ten feet. Me, my jacket, and my big dumb persona went to the main door and carded. It was monotonous work but had its moments.

A few gaggles of teenagers would try to sneak in. Turning them away was fun but screening got tough. Youngsters often thought a pair of prosthetic ear extensions would make a fake ID look better. Envy meant those with money spent tons staying in good condition. Heaven forbid anyone feel inadequate next to an elf twice their age. By sundown I only found one actual fake ID card, which I took pleasure in tearing up. Sure, there were laws in place to report them, but that required me to exist on paperwork. Besides, dropping the ID confetti down a shirt was more fun.

Stand at the door long enough and all sorts were bound to show. Occasionally younger crowds had an Elven member or two. The elf was typically decades older than the people they were traveling with. Most of the time they were bubbly and non aggressive.

Other crowds had someone who seemed too quick, a bit jumpy. Frat groups always had one dumb human mixed in who would take the dive as soon as he had money and the right friends. People grew up watching for signs. The likelihood of a childhood friend going furry in high school was often tied to how bad the kid got picked on. Shifting never solved anything. Bottom rung in human relations, bottom rung in the pack. Changing races wasn't a cure for a submissive personality.

A lot revolved around their family. Most wolves were male, since females rarely scored high marks after transition. Being permanently unable to bear children turned most women away. With all the regulations in place women were forced to face facts before signing on the dotted line.

Tonight a full blown wolf tried walking into the bar on all fours. Between the lack of a collar and the way he eyed everyone's faces instead of their bodies it was clear there was a human mind in there.

He had been keeping pace next to a few girls who might have been minors yesterday. Their chattering continued unabated as they approached Julianne's. We weren’t the first bar they stopped at. I looked at each ID. Sensitive fingers ran over the continental seal which displayed the North Americas. The pictures on these cards matched their owners.

Finally I looked at the wolf for a moment, careful with my eye contact. Leveling it, getting his attention. Keeping eye contact would ensure he regarded me as a potential equal. I just had to speak quick, before the little voice in the back of their heads yelled attack. Julianne had given me a rundown on how to interact with a wolf years ago.

"Gotta lose the fur."

He looked at me, then back at the girls for a moment. My gut said this wolf was escorting one of the girls. His wolf looked young, not puppy young, but certainly not a grizzled adult.

The very slight whimper let me know the problem here.

I sighed and stepped into the doorway for a moment to grab a standard care package. One cheap white shirt, long pants, and a belt. All donations from our local pack. Julianne actually went so far as to wash and vacuum seal them in so they didn't get an outside smell on them.

"Lucky you. Change in here."

I opened an inconspicuous door on my left and let him pad inside. Julianne had converted the front closet into a changing room. This way they could avoid walking through the bar. Drunks and an abnormally large wolf did not mix. Shoes were optional. Shirts were not. Moments later a barefoot twenty something male stepped out.

"Told you the wolf was a bad idea, Amanda." First thing out of his mouth was a complaint. His shoulders twitched while trying to relax. The kid had to be a six or seven on his rehabilitation. Any lower and he would start snarling this soon after a shift.

"Daddy made me take you, and this is a girl's night, so you can yell at him." One of the giggling squad looked ready to throw a fit.

"Ladies, in or out." I put myself between their squabbles. The small squad huffed in unison before going inside.

"Thanks for the spare." The male looked tired of his escort duties. His hair was short, cropped black, with deeply tanned skin. With those looks he might actually find a good time inside if he loosened up. Only watered down drinks though, wolves aren't allowed the heavy stuff in public.

"Enjoy your night." My normal friendly smile was kept well under control. I found out years ago that something about my teeth drove even the most domesticated wolf to aggression.

Julianne's bar was one among a string that catered to all races. Accordingly this entire portion of road usually warranted a patrol car or two on heavy nights. They didn't pay attention to a man like myself, I clearly served a helpful purpose.

"Chicka says head on in and do the rounds." The voice came from behind me. He was a short Hispanic who migrated from the Central Sector with his family. The man was also a wolf who belonged to one of three packs in our region. He came out because another wolf had gone in.

I nodded and went inside.

The crowd was fairly mixed. Some people were riveted to television screens displaying interracial soccer. Other screens had football reruns or politics. This city was a busy coastal metropolis with having two major colleges and all the sports teams. Our baseball players were doing terrible this year.

A turn in the room later and I was face to face with Kahina's features. Her eyes stared unblinking into mine. She wanted my attention but her lips weren't working. The black and violet clothes wrapping her body lit up all the right places. I had to fight the old reaction to kiss her.

She still wasn't talking. Her face held that excited or possibly angry tint that I never could sort out. The way she teetered between smiling or scowling made both reddened lips quiver slightly.

"Hello, Kahina." I dared speak first.

Her unwavering stare continued. Kahina’s brain must be going a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do with me. Hopefully it wouldn't involve leveling those arms in my direction. Or throwing me outside.

"Alright, I've got work." I tried to step around and she sidestepped with me. Another sidestep resulted in us doing an awkward dance.

"Little help, Julianne?" I leaned to one side while shouting around the black woman's shoulder.

"Kahina, either drag him to bed or let the man work." She shouted back. Leave it to Julianne to watch the entire thing.

Kahina's attention shattered and she turned towards the bar with a hiss. Not one word had been uttered towards me. Heels clicked as my ex charged to the bar. The sight of Kahina's tall black form near Julianne's shorter one gave an odd impression that normal was just the wrong size to be.

"You didn't tell me he tasted so different!" I could make out her angry tone over the music easily.

"You didn't ask..." Her words trailed off as their volume lowered. "...and how should I know what he tastes like? It's not like I licked his face when he came back to check for you." Part of me considered eavesdropping and seeing where the conversation went. The other part of me figured the distance was safer than risking her circular thinking.

A couple laps through and I picked a corner to settle in. The crowd tonight wasn't as wired as some I had been in. Hell, Julianne had thrown me out of this same location once or twice in the year's past. Not that I didn't deserve it, I think, I had been pretty drunk.

One of the little waitresses handed me a platter with a hamburger on it. It was hard to make anything out about her beyond a set of shadowed eyes peering out of a face surrounded by pitch black hair.

"Must be strange working here again," The raven haired female shook her head. "Amazing how things come full circle."

"Your point?"

"Nothing. The miss wanted you to take a break then finish up out front. We're closing down at midnight." The waitress cocked her head at a weird angle to look at me, then she swiveled her head towards Kahina at the bar.

I grunted.

"She looked mad." She was questioning, probing for details.

"Or excited." I muttered.

"Be careful tonight, doubt she's the kind to get over a breakup like that." I couldn't remember the waitress' name but she seemed familiar. We must have known each other from before my wanderings.

I devoured my food and headed back out front. From just inside the doorway I could soak up heat and still keep an eye on both directions. Occasionally I would glance towards the bar. Each time Kahina was easily visible, talking to Julianne, or on a phone.

By shift end I wanted nothing more than to collapse at home. My head felt heavy while both legs slowly dragged their cargo across the parking lot. As a former enforcer my constitution was good by necessity, but exhaustion always caught up.

My life had existed on the shady side of the world for almost two decades. Experience had taught all about watching for warning signs. Tonight I'd been on guard for clues, the way someone moved their legs. Shifting weight, heavy staring over glasses. People shaking hands, smiles, facial ticks, how many drinks someone had. All those things were details I'd sorted through in order to protect Julianne's place.

There were warnings now too, even after shift. The stillness hanging about. Dark patches that didn't mesh with the night. Both were warning signs of a sort. The real kicker was me disbelieving that dealing with Kahina was that easy.

With a small sigh I sat down, picking the most convenient car hood under a street light. One finger scratched at my disfigured nose. Now it was a matter of waiting to see what showed up. If Kahina had something to say it needed to be before I got to my sanctuary. There was no one else that would be after me. Not after four years of absence on my part.

The stillness went on. I strained my hearing for additional clues. A wolf would do better. My tricks were of a different nature. Being between home and the bar would help. A method I had, that operated a lot like the tracking, was necessary at this point.

Calling on these abilities had been difficult over the last four years. Like the tracking, this was a matter of focusing on a belief. A mind set that brought everything to the fore.

This is my area. Mine. My home, my sidewalk, my work.

It had been so long since the last time. Years without so much a a peep. The heady rush of my thoughts shifting. A mental switch turning everything upside down. A claim of ownership that required defending that which was mine. This ability allowed me to go toe to toe with wolves over debts.

The response was similar to tracking Kahina’s lock of hair. Tactile sensations fed it from everything around me. A low hum grew in the back of my mind.

Dense rubber presses against firmer asphalt. Tainted air swirls through the parking lot. Laden with cigarette smoke and exhaust. Streetlights barely warm the sidewalk below. Figures in darkness displace air. Not breathing. Not moving. Silent. Small heat, scarcely human.

It was a tiny sense of omnipresence that almost felt like seeing the world in daylight once my mind settled. There was someone nearby, and it wasn't just mental paranoia. They were a few steps away from Vampire. These partials would only lack a fraction of the speed and power the fully converted received.

Two were staring absently. Almost bored. The third looked right at me. Female, all the curves I'd known far too well. Kahina.

Her jaw smooth, firm. Eyelashes slowly bat. Orbs curving betray where she looks. Towards me. Clothes absorb light. No reflections.

If anyone says that vampires dress in all black because of their affiliation with the night, it's a lie. They dress in black because it makes blending in and urban hunting easier. Hunting was theoretically outlawed, and to the public eye it was only rare abominations. Fully turned vampires tended to police their own rather thoroughly.

No matter what happened, I'd survive.

She was still again, trapped in a motionless circle of thought. The other two weren't frozen. They looked around, slowly, taking in the sights, planning routes, looking for weakness. Gazes I knew.

Fingers curled through modified knuckles in my pocket. Crosses on top would have been helpful. Then a vampire would be twice as afraid of being punched in the face. Silver warped too easily. Even the cross under my shirt was a frail thing. The symbol wasn't for physical strength. It would induce mental terror on those affected by the vampire condition. Going for it now would be a gamble.

I tried not to shake from the midnight chill. Only focusing on the right thoughts would save me when things turned sour. Belief of ownership, protecting what was mine, fighting off these invaders. Apprehension, self pity, doubt, they would ruin me.

Air combs through fine hairs on skin. Her head jerks abruptly. Other two ticks move in unison. Forward. Towards me. Speeding. Quickness cuts the air. I stir to action.

One leg pushed off the car's hood. An arm shot forward, bringing my knuckle covered fist out. It jabbed into one charging vampire's path, predicting where he'd be flitting to. My punch and his running one hundred feet took the same amount of time. Fighting a vampire, even a partial, required being one step ahead. They only moved fast, rarely changing course.

The impact of a high moving sack of flesh colliding with my extended arm jarred my teeth. There was a crunch of bone that didn't hurt enough to be anything of mine snapping, thankfully. My other hand was busy sliding the cross up and out resulting in a soft crimson light spreading in front of me.

Just after the punch the second vampire landed on my back and whaled on the arm holding the cross. Whatever he hit numbed me from the shoulder down making me drop the symbol. It dangled in front where the second vampire couldn't see.

No line of sight meant no paralyzation.

The vampire's scrawny form held an unfair level of strength and he quickly wove his arms through mine in a grapple. He pinched my arms together then pressed reedy fingers into shoulders. Muscles strained, trying to get an arm back into its normal position. The other arm was still numb and might be out of the socket.

I tried to shake his smaller form off. Maybe in the old days, before I'd left years ago, this would have been a lot easier. Four years of laziness meant I couldn't even handle a second vampire before the first one stood up. His jaw was almost healed from where it had snapped.

Both feet strained to push us as high as I could. Twisting myself right and falling backwards got the cross right in number two's face. Even without touching the symbol it would send jolts of panic through him. Being a partial change meant he still had some sanity, enough to release his hold and bend both legs under me then extended rapidly.

His half coherent effort only shot me a few feet off to the side. A lifetime of being thrown helped me remember to land on my side and clench my jaw. I stood up, arm tingling from the lock. Using my undamaged hand I managed to grab the cross and get it into position out front.

That was the hard part.

A few worthless street lamps couldn't light up the area like the cross did. That glow had never been a part of television documentaries or mentioned by any vampires. I was fairly sure it was all in my head. Another strange aspect of my own abilities. Out of all the people I knew, the only time it illuminated any color was in my hands.

My head throbbed. Side ached. Eyes were shooting around the parking lot taking in all the details. I felt each footstep roll against asphalt. Bits of dirt and grime ground along the rubbery under soles. These vampires had attacked me in my territory. My home was close and I felt that extra sense open up completely, something that hadn't happened in a long time. Years.

I straightened fingers around the modified knuckles to get a better grip. My neck cracked and I stalked to the already wounded vampire. Belief was something I had, not in God, but in defending what's mine.

"Mine."

The word magnified inside my head, drumming along with a heavy pulse of rage. My heartbeat would be like a dinner bell to the Vampires, further screwing them. It was like a mouse attacking the cat.

Ribs hurt from where I'd landed, but not enough to hinder my bull rush into the first vampire. I carried him backwards, slamming abruptly into a wall. One fist repeatedly lifted and descended while I kept the cross on my necklace facing him. Even numb, there was a satisfying crack to each punch.

Mine. My area. Violation. Invaders. Unwelcome ticks. Wait. Other one. Feel feet slam. Figure charges from behind. Heavier than my current victim.

I whipped the first one into the second one. If he had been standing still then the partial vampire could have dodged, but I'd caught him while he was moving. They crumpled together in a sad heap. Following just behind the tossed vampire, I slammed a booted foot into the second one's groin. Pain couldn't stop the combination of rage and steel toed boots from doing their worst to his crotch. Ask any obsessed woman, vampires are fully functional. Ask any man, of any species, being kicked in the package hurts.

Stomping the foot back down sent a second shock of pain spiraling up my spine. That little jolt wouldn't stop me. One hand reached out to grip the vampire's head before he fell backwards. I ripped the cross off of its chain with the other hand and palm it quickly. Then I slammed the symbol into the other side of his head. Treating my hands like a vice I laid the pressure on. Heat flowed into my palm and radiated down my arm, but this time the pain wasn't for me, only his flesh burned.

My turf. My home. My area. A heartbeat thumped, drum like, rapid. Neck pulsed against the air. Ticks hiss in frustration. Fingers claw against my skin.

"Jay!" Kahina yelled behind me, startling my senses. I dropped the vampire. He face now bore a blistering scar that would likely become a full time feature on his face.

Heels clicked as Kahina closed the distance between us. No matter how much space, in miles or time, my thoughts always came back to her. For years the fear of home had kept me away. Coming back was like closing a four year gap in perceptions for a brief moment. Across that distance of time was a woman I'd once felt strongly about.

"Jay." My hand curled around the cross blocking the reddish light. Kahina was close enough to hear. Her slow breaths were being used to taste the air.

Should I attack Kahina too? Should I stay on the offensive? God help me if I had to fight her. I didn't want to hit her, not because she was a woman, but because it was her. She had been mine.

I should never have come back.

She trailed a finger along my arm sending chills throughout. More memories floated up from the motion. Her trail continued down my other hand. Her hand spread over the knuckles, across skin that split and still bled. That tantalizing finger scooped up a drop of blood and tasted it. I heard a gasp of pleasure.

"Cat nip, it is you."

I was still looking away from Kahina, at the two slowly recovering vampires. He wasn't healing as fast this time. A few more deep breaths passed before I trusted myself to say anything. The word mine underlined each thought.

"Couldn't just say hi?" My words came.

"You never said goodbye, so I'm not sure you deserve a hello." She was close enough to almost curl along my back. One hand on my shoulder. Shoving the cross in her face would be a clear message. Only the scent of peppermint gave me pause. A pleasant purr of memories that tried to resurface.

"I'm going to bed." It was a mundane statement.

"Did you want company?" She asked.

I turned around in anger.

"You're the reason I left in the first place, did you think I would just come back to you the minute I got home?" I failed to curb my shouting.

Kahina was serious. I saw her face, it was an odd mix of hopeful and vulnerable. Her eyelids blinked slowly, covering crimson irises then revealing them like a rose blooming.

"Why not? You belong to me." As if she couldn't comprehend why I'd say no.

"I'm not even close to ready. I don't know if I'll ever be." Not if it went anything like the last time she'd tried to bond with me.

"You will not leave again." Her voice and features shifted in an instant. Her eyes lost that coy aspect and the words were icy.

I looked around at the ground, at the area. At what I considered mine and replayed what happened a few times in my brain.

"I'm not leaving again."

That much was certain but nothing more. Not right now, maybe never. Keeping it together out here was growing difficult. I gave one of the vampires another swift kick and turned away. Kahina let me leave without further incident.

The adrenaline wore off as I stumbled down the stairs. Shaking started once I was past my makeshift wall of wards. Sleep came in off and on bursts for the rest of the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that Kahina may have tried to kill me. Again.