Zachary stood before an old, country house. With his mind he searched through the house and found it empty. But Evonne had been there. Her scent was faint. Cautiously, he approached the house.
     While speaking with Evonne, Zachary memorized the scent of the vampire she had undoubtedly met with. From there, he found the vampire’s trail leading away from the estate. The trail was weak, perhaps five days old. It wasn’t his scent that he followed, but the scent of Evonne in which Zachary knew he carried. Tracking a vampire in a city or town was next to impossible. The uninhabited forests gave him better odds to decipher between scents
     He found another scent. Werewolves. This made his searching more complicated. But through the confusion, he located a house that silently spoke of Evonne’s recent visit.
     The front door was locked, which he figured it would be. He then headed for the back door. It, however, was surprisingly unlocked.
     Entering the kitchen, Zachary found his sister’s scent becoming stronger. He carefully began to search each room. Her scent was the strongest downstairs. It was another sitting room or perhaps a TV room. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Evonne must have slept on the sofa, but her scent wasn’t on the cushions.
     Zachary felt his senses spin as he was caught off guard. Someone stood on the stairs, watching him.
     “You have me at a disadvantage,” Zachary admitted as he turned around. Why couldn’t he sense him earlier? Was he even in the house?
     “Really now,” Keelan said. “Why are you here?”
     “I want you to stay away from Evonne,” he ordered. If his instincts were telling him the truth, then this vampire was weak, perhaps a fledgling. Zachary had the true advantage.
     Keelan stood his ground. “She is none of your concern.” He looked the vampire over, reading the shallow strength he carried. “Why are you so worried about… ” He tilted his head, figuring out the truth. “You’re Zachary. I’ve heard plenty about you. But imagined you’d be slightly taller. How did you find me?”
     “Obviously, I followed her scent.”
     “Her scent, her blood,” Keelan toyed, “she is my domain now. Whatever you say will have no influence with me.”
     Zachary clenched his fists. “Stay away from her.”
     “I’m sorry,” he mocked. “I can’t do that.”
     “Why have you seen fit to appoint yourself as her keeper?” asked Zachary, hinting towards this vampire’s visible weakness.
     “I have my reasons.”
     “Stay away from her,” Zachary repeated.
     “I take no orders from you.” Keelan took a step down the stairs.
     Zachary didn’t move. This vampire held no threat against him.
     Then he felt it. A rush of unbridled strength moved from the vampire, showing Zachary his true nature. This was no fledgling. He had heard of vampires with the ability to mask their strength, and only one he knew of was acquainted with Gabriel. He knew this vampire.
     “So much like your sire,” Zachary remarked at his defiance.
     Keelan responded with the same. “And you are so much like your father.”
     “Do you understand,” he wanted to shout, “Alexander and everyone at Eden have more to deal with than you can comprehend. You’re involvement with Evonne will only complicate matters.”
     “Not my problem.”
     Zachary’s frustration heightened. “I don’t want to fight you. Just do as I say and I will bother you no more.”
     The passiveness in Keelan turned to aggression. “Fight me?” He wanted to laugh. “How old are you? A little over two-hundred? Still a headstrong boy by any elder’s standards. And yet you came here willing to fight. Come on, then. But we need to head outside first. The owners of this fine house would like to return to it in one piece.” He waited for an answer.
     Zachary dared not to move. He could read the strength emanating from Keelan’s body. A fight with him wasn’t the best idea. And he was beginning to believe that this wasn’t his true strength. If he was anything like his sire then the assumption was true.
     “Well,” Keelan continued, “I’m not keeping my distance from her, no matter how persistent you are.”
     “She is my sister and I will protect her.”
     “As of now, you needn’t concern yourself,” Keelan said, taking the last steps into the room.
     Zachary backed away.
     “Put your time to better use and protect your father.” Keelan kept the intimidation on high as he moved to the side, silently telling him to leave. He took Zachary’s little invasion as an insult, and for that, he wanted to personally remove him from the house. Just like Alexander, he thought. Never following the rules.
     There was a pause as Zachary watched Keelan with wary eyes. He then moved toward the staircase and made his way outside, all the while keeping his senses sharp and aimed at Keelan. The arrogant vampire didn’t follow.
     Dawn would arrive in two hours, long enough for Zachary to seek shelter for the day. He thought about speaking with his father personally, but tossed the idea aside. Seeing Alexander for the first time in well over two-hundred years didn’t sit well with him. He promised himself that he would never see him again, and yet he knew it was a promise he may need to break.