"Here," Kearran said from off to his right, and Logan turned his attention to the woman. He nodded when she gestured throwing something to him and put his hands up. She tossed a black cap to him and then pointed at his clothes. "Schultz, give him your jacket. Logan, trade him. Let's try to throw them off in case they have intelligence hanging around the wharf."

The Blood Warrior nodded in agreement as he unzipped his leather coat and tugged it off. He passed it to the man beside him and took the BDU jacket in return. "I'm going to want that back at some point," he told the soldier, who quickly nodded. "It's my lucky jacket," he added as he pulled the hat on to hide his recognizable blonde hair.

Twenty minutes later, he looked up when the van came to a halt and Kearran moved to open the door again. She and one other man got out to check the surroundings of the remote outpost. "All clear," she said, waving Logan forward. She led the way to the door and unlocked it with a four-digit code and her thumbprint. She gestured Logan and the other two inside as the rest stayed with the vehicle.

Logan went in, gun drawn as he quickly cleared the corners and the other guards moved forward to check the stairwell.

"Welcome back, Bravo team," came the sound of Nathaniel's voice. He came down the stairs, holding his hands up so the guards would quickly identify him.

"Nathan, you made it," Kearran breathed in relief as she rushed to him in a sprint of vampire speed. She hugged him immediately, her arms going around his neck.

"Yes, all good. We created enough chaos to keep them busy until we could retreat," he said, hugging her before pulling back. "Logan, good to see you in one piece."

"Thanks for the jailbreak," he answered with a grin. "How's my family?"

"They're fine. They should be halfway to their first checkpoint. I instructed Marcius to contact us once they make it," Nathaniel responded.

Logan sighed in relief and nodded, happy to hear those words. "We're going to have to change the plan," he said after a moment. "The enemy made it clear they know the Dark Child was on their way to Italy. They're planning an attack on the Italian border, which means they know we have them in transit."

Nathaniel frowned, looking at Kearran to see her nod in confirmation. "Where else could we send them that would be safe?" he asked.

"What if we routed them through by boat? Sail them in from Marseilles," Kearran suggested. "If they're thinking we'll come by land, then they could have agents in any border town."

The Blood Warrior shook his head. "I'm not willing to risk it. I know where they'll be safe, but I'm going to need more men from another coven to help."

"I'm all ears," the coven leader said, his expression still concerned.

"My secondary home in New Zealand. Most are aware of the large mansion near Masterton. I have another off the Te Ikaamaru Bay. It's completely isolated and miles from the nearest civilization," Logan explained. "Only I know where it is. I've never brought another soul there beyond Dracula."

Nathaniel inhaled and exhaled heavily. "And you're certain no one else knows where it is located?"

Logan nodded. "Yes. If you can get them rerouted going east, I can make my way to them with your help. If possible, they should get to Wellington in case I'm not able to catch up with them before they leave the continents. Dracula has another safe house there. I can get you the address."

The husband-and-wife pair looked at one another and Kearran nodded in agreement with the plan. If sending Avalon and Ranelle to Italy was too risky, then they had no other choice.

Nathaniel nodded soon after and looked back to Logan. "I'll make the call immediately to Marcius. Once it's closer to daylight, we'll head back to the main coven house and ship you out by the end of the fortnight. I'm not risking tipping them off that we're trying to move you so soon. They may follow you straight to them."

Logan's jaw clenched, unwilling to delay until he held them in his arms again. But if it was safer and would protect Ranelle and Avalon, he would concede to Nathaniel's plan. Finally, he nodded, looking down at the ground.

I'm coming back to you, Ranelle, he thought silently. I promise.

A week and a half later, Logan found himself in another undercover vehicle within Sydney, Australia as he was transported from the coven house there to the private airport. He looked out the windows at the city lights and white lines on the pavement that came and went in flashes of brightness before disappearing behind him. He had been shepherded from coven to coven across Eastern Europe to the Middle East, Asia, and finally Southeast Asia before flying to the land Down Under.

He'd been instructed to stay there for one night until the following evening while the intelligence communities tracked to see if anyone had tried to follow him from Thailand. But everything had remained quiet. Moon Worshippers weren't able to track him past Turkey.

Logan sighed as he replayed the last several nights through his memory. The coven leader of the Sydney Shadow Stalker house had reported that Ranelle and Avalon had been there only the week before, just a few nights ahead of him. He'd assured the Blood Warrior that both were fine and healthy, but had been tired. Hearing that his wife and son were okay had given him some comfort. Other coven leaders who had also crossed paths with Avalon and Ranelle had said similar things.

He looked back out the window again as the car exited the freeway and followed a sign for an airport. He had hope that his family was waiting for him in Dracula's safe house where they would be off the streets and away from any prying eyes of an enemy. But New Zealand had always been one of the rare places to find vampires, which had made it so perfect for the Dracula fledge decades before. With the low amount of human populations, it would have been hard to house and sustain a large coven or community of vampires. Logan had often only gone into the settled areas to hunt and rob the local blood bank when it would receive shipments of blood bags. He had never taken more than he needed. And unlike his mansion outside of Masterton, he never kept any blood donors in his beach-facing second home. He had decided to keep it in isolated secrecy for a purpose.

Once they made it to the airport, he loaded up on the small, private jet. When he was settled, they took off and set the route for Wellington, New Zealand. He continued his habit of staring out the window as they passed over the city and then off into the airspace over international waters. He inhaled a deep breath again as his ears popped from the change in cabin pressure. He found himself lost in thought again, replaying memories from the past few centuries through his mind.

He hadn't seen his sire in decades and could only hope that the infamous grand elder was still lost somewhere in opium-infused Asia or Middle East and not in the southern, isolated homes he'd acquired a century before when the country had been founded. If Dracula discovered that the prophecy was in motion, there would be consequences for both Logan and Ranelle.

And that was something Logan couldn't let happen.

He leaned back in his seat and tried to relax. It was a good three-and-a-half hours to Wellington, meaning he wouldn't make it to the safehouse until nearly daybreak. He surrendered to his thoughts again, trying to only think of the happiness ahead of him rather than the darkness behind him.

A few hours later, he made his way to the address of his sire's secure shelter. He noticed none of the front lights were on within the condominium, as if it were still vacant. He trailed down to the small side alley and made his way for the back exit that came from a door off the kitchen space. The sleepy neighborhood hadn't changed much in the years it had been since he'd last set foot in the outer limits of Wellington. With the lack of activity and no indication of anyone being there, Logan knew it either meant that his sire was not in the country, or Ranelle and Avalon had never arrived as they had been scheduled to.

Just as he got to the back gate, he heard the safety come off a gun as it was made ready to fire. He paused, turning his head to see a dark figure waiting in the yard, a gun pointed in his direction.

"It's alright," he called softly, keeping his voice quiet so as not to draw any attention.

"Lord Mezdor?" the man answered him in question, his tone hesitant.

"Yes," Logan assured. "I'm going to open the gate and step inside. You can check me." He unwrapped the chain from around the metal fence posts and pushed the gate wide enough that he could slip through. He closed it behind him, dropped his duffle to the ground, and then held his arms up in a show of good faith.

The guard came forward to look at him, squinting to be certain he had the right person. He moved forward and circled Logan, patting him down carefully. He then pulled out the Blood Warrior's identification from his back pocket and checked it. "Welcome back, Lord Mezdor," the young man said when he was sure he really was the Blood Warrior.

"Thank you," Logan responded with a gentle smile.

"They're inside with Shadow Augustus," the man said, nodding towards the backdoor. "All be advised, Eagle has landed," he said into his walkie-talkie that was fastened to his uniform.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," he said again, nodding his head in thanks. He took back his wallet, slinging his duffle back onto his shoulder before he headed up the steps. A dim light came from the kitchen door and he opened it to peer inside. Only a small night-light was plugged into the outlet near the sink. Another man waited in the dark near the doorframe.

"Welcome back, Lord Logan," he said, keeping his voice soft. "They're in the basement. We wanted to keep the place looking empty."

Logan smiled and nodded, knowing that had been Marcius's idea. He patted the man on the shoulder once and moved through the house. He made his way to the basement stairs and headed down. Just as he reached the bottom step, there was a fluster of movement.

"Dad!" Avalon called excitedly as he rushed to get up off the floor where he'd been reading near a floor lamp. The boy dropped the book to the carpet and raced to his father's waiting arms. "We've missed you," he cried as he wrapped his arms around his father's neck when Logan crouched to meet him on his smaller level, his luggage discarded so he could hug his son.

"And I've missed you," Logan answered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm so happy you're safe."

"Logan, good to see you made it," came the sound of Marcius's voice from where he was standing on the other side of the room.

"Thanks, Brother," Logan responded to his comrade before stroking the back of Avalon's hair.

"We're fine, promise," the boy said in response to his father's previous statement, pulling away to grin at his parent. "But Mum's been super tired."

Logan chuckled and nodded. "I'm sure. Where is she?"

"In the bedroom," Avalon replied.

Marcius nodded in agreement.

Logan kissed the top of his son's head. "I'll be right back," he told the boy as he moved off to the right where the closed door waited. It had often been his sleeping quarters when he was in Wellington while a separate suite down the hall had served as his sire's. He pushed the door open. "Ranelle?" he called.

The woman, lost in her thoughts, looked up from repacking Avalon's clothes into a bag. "Logan," she breathed. She rushed to him as he moved forward to meet her in the middle of the room. Her head tipped back the moment his mouth lowered to hers, and she grasped his jacket in her hands as he kissed her. She could feel his fingers grip her shoulders and then trail down her arms to her hips to pull her body into his. When he touched the swell of her stomach, she sighed in relief between their lips.

"I'm so sorry, my love," Logan breathed as he broke their kiss to pull her head into his chest and he rested his nose on the top of her hair. He'd broken the vow he'd made to himself on the night of their last reunion. He'd made his old mistake again. "I'm sorry. I never should have left you."

"I'm just happy you're here," she whispered into his shirt. "I was terrified you wouldn't come back."

"I know, I'm sorry," he repeated, kissing the top of her head. "But I wasn't going to leave this world without you, I promise." He pulled her face away from his shirt so he could look at her fully, taking in her softened expression. There were slight bags under her eyes, showing her exhaustion and anxiety, her eyes red as if she had cried in recent hours, and her cheeks had filled out a little more to show the subtle weight-gain from her pregnancy over the past three weeks. He stroked her hair back behind her ears, his fingers running through the silky strands. "I'm never leaving you again."

"I was so afraid," she whispered. "Nathaniel made us go without you and then they said we had to change our destination. Why couldn't we have gone to Italy?"

Logan sighed and continued to study her face, committing it to memory. "I know. I'm sorry," he said again. "Moon Worshippers found out about the Winslows' plans to move us to the Capitol. And this was the safest place I could think of where no one would come for you." Fear colored her face, prompting him to comfort her. He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth again, his fingers finding her baby bump as he tried to soothe her panic. "They won't find us here, I promise... How are you?"

She exhaled heavily again when she felt his warm hands across her stomach. "I'm fine," she said after a moment, hearing her own lie. "Tired, I s'pose," she added.

"I'm sure," Logan said, empathy in his voice. "Well, tonight, I'll be here to lull you to sleep. You need your rest. I hope this one hasn't made it harder."

Ranelle nodded tiredly, a smile finding her mouth when he rubbed across the most pronounced area of her stomach. "Other than the usual nausea, they've behaved," she answered. "I think I've been stressing them out as much I've stressed myself."

Logan grinned, resting his hands there as he tuned in on the sounds of the fetal heartbeat. "I wish I had been here to see it for myself," he said softly. Relief filled him as he listened, knowing he would have missed out on these moments if Nathaniel and Kearran hadn't staged a rescue. He'd waited hundreds of years for their future, and it was nearly stolen from him. "I've missed you so much," he added.

"And we missed you," she replied, smiling at him.

The man grinned and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "It's getting late," he said softly. "Maybe we should call it a night and put Avalon to bed?"

She nodded in agreement, glancing at the queen-sized bed beside them. She had planned on both her and Avalon sleeping in the room; but now that Logan had arrived, they would need more space.

As if knowing where her thoughts had gone, Logan spoke, "There's another room just next door. It used to be Dracula's den. I can fashion him a bed in there, further away from the stairs."

Ranelle nodded again. She let go of his shirt from her grip and moved around him to look out at the boy. He had gone back to reading on the floor while Marcius sat sharpening a stake in one of the chairs. "Avalon," she called softly. "Are you ready for bed, my darling? It's past your bedtime."

The boy rolled over to look at her, smiling. "Yeah, I'm getting sleepy," he answered her with a grin.

Logan nodded from where he stood behind Ranelle and stepped around her. He waved Avalon to follow him as he walked down the hallway towards the large basement suite that had served as his maker's for the daylight hours. He opened the door slowly, scanning the bedroom. He stepped inside the spacious room that was outfitted with a king-sized canopy bed, an armchair and bookshelf in the corner, and a desk on the opposite side that was littered with old parchments and stacks of paper. The suite smelled of old incense and musk, having faded to be nothing more than a distant memory of its last inhabitance. Logan inhaled a small breath, walking inside as he made his way to the large closet near the bathroom door. He glanced into the secondary room, noticing the mirrors were still gone from the wall.

Dracula had always hated looking at his own reflection.

The Blood Warrior stepped into the large closet, retrieving two comforters from a stack of bedding, all of it in dark colors. He glanced over his shoulder to see Avalon standing hesitantly in the doorway, afraid to enter. "It's okay, Avalon. No one has been here in a long time."

The boy continued to stare at the room, refusing to meet his father's eyes. His gaze took in each detail of the bedroom slowly, shifting from each piece of furniture. "He wouldn't want me in here," he whispered. "He doesn't like kids."

"Who?" Logan asked, frowning.

"The man who lived here," Avalon said, his tone still quiet as if Dracula would hear him.

Logan sighed, understanding the boy's unease. "It's all right, Avalon. He won't know." He wondered how much Ranelle had told the seven-year-old about the Count or that it was his maker's home they were staying in. He retrieved a bed pillow from a lower shelf and began to walk back towards the boy. "C'mon," he added and nodded towards the hall.

Avalon turned and hurried back to the safety of the hallway, glancing over his shoulder to be sure his father was behind him. He paused when Logan stepped around him for the room beside the other bedroom suite he and his adoptive mother had slept in the night before. "How do you know he won't know?" he asked, still whispering. "He always knows."

Logan glanced at him as he stepped into the den. He sat the bedding down on an armchair as he began to separate the pieces, making a cozy spot for the boy on the floor. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"That man. He knows everything. He sees things. What if he saw me?"

The father frowned again, wondering if Avalon had the same supernatural senses as his sire. Dracula would often have moments of déjà vu and premonition. "I'm sure he didn't, Avalon. You have nothing to fear from him. He's been gone for a very long time. Even I haven't seen him in years."

Logan finished folding up the thick, down comforter on the ground to resemble a sleeping bag. He then grabbed one of the pillows and laid it beside the bedding. He patted it a time or two and then adjusted the covers. "Are you going to be okay sleeping in here by yourself tonight?"

Avalon shifted on his feet as he looked down at the ground. He nodded finally. "Yeah. It's just like home when I had my own room." He looked up at his father again. "Mum's missed you. She was scared... It made me scared, too."

Logan smiled, balancing his weight on his knees as the boy moved to sit down on the makeshift bed. "I missed you both, too. I'm sorry I left you before. I won't do it again. There's nothing to be afraid of from now on. We'll be safe here."

"It's okay," the boy answered. "I know you had to... But, she's not the same when you're gone. She gets sad. So do I."