Waking slowly, Evonne looked around the room. Gabriel was gone. She sat up to gain a better look and found his boots and coat missing, as well. Did he change his mind and decide to leave without her? She was somewhat thankful if that were the case. But the feeling of vulnerability resurfaced. She doubled checked the door’s lock.
     Evonne’s stomach growled as her mind drifted to the food left on the table. Using both hands, she grabbed a cup of noodles, two snack cakes, and her previously opened bottle of soda. The noodles weren’t hard to prepare. Just add water and set in the microwave for three minutes. As the noodles cooked, she turned on the TV and settled in to have some time to herself. It was nice being alone, if only for a brief while. Though her uneasiness towards Gabriel was still strong, she was beginning to lower her defenses. He had done nothing to harm her and kept to his word that he would protect her. Yet she had to remain on guard. The fact was that he was a vampire, and vampires should never be trusted, especially by humans.
     Evonne sat on the bed with her little “picnic” and dove into her slew of junk food. The constant hunger pangs faded.
     There wasn’t many TV shows to choose from. Her rounds of channel surfing ended as she found a show talking about recent celebrity sightings. The show held little interest.
     A rustling came from the door as it opened. Evonne nearly jumped at the sound. She saw Gabriel enter the room, quickly closing the door.
     “That was fast,” Evonne remarked as she took a bite from her noodles.
     He looked out the window, visibly concerned about something. “I didn’t walk too far.”
     “What’s wrong?”
     “Werewolves,” he replied, moving away from the window. “The woods surrounding this town are a part of their territory. Their scent is strong tonight. Tomorrow is the night before full moon and they will be roaming this area.”
     Evonne caught the urgency in his voice. “That Thomas kid? Is he with them?”
     “I’m not sure.” Gabriel walked to his bed and began to grab his bags.
     “Are we leaving?” she asked.
     There was a light knocking at the door.
     “Heather,” said a voice from the other side. “It’s me. Hey, I know you’re in there. I can hear the TV.”
     Gabriel whispered to Evonne. “Answer the door and get him to leave.”
     She nodded and headed for the door. With a deep breath, she slowly cracked it open. “Hey, Terry, is it?” she said.
     “Forget so soon?” he replied. “It’s Tommy.”
     “Oh, Thomas. I remember.”
     “You can call me Tommy.”
     She forced a smile. “But only your friends call you that.”
     “Hey, listen, I was passing by and I remember that you were staying here, so I wanted to know if you’d like to get a drink with me.”
     “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to get up early and check out before nine.”
     “Check out is at noon,” he corrected.
     “I know. I have to be on the road at nine.”
     Thomas smiled. “Then we can have a drink here.”
     Evonne took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I have to get ready for bed.” She tried to close the door but he stopped her.
     “Come on,” Thomas urged, “give me a chance to change your mind.”
     From around the door, a hand grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him into the room. Evonne stumbled back against the wall, watching as Gabriel tossed the boy onto the floor and closed the door.
     “What are you doing?” Evonne yelled at the vampire.
     Thomas’ eyes meet the end of a gun’s barrel. He then looked up at the vampire standing over him. His heart nearly stopped. “What the fuck is going on?”
     “Hello, Thomas,” Gabriel began. “When a lady politely turns you away, you should take your leave.”
     “Are you psycho, man?” Thomas called out. He tried to play dumb, tried to hide what he truly was. If they didn’t know, then he had the upper hand.
     “How many?” Gabriel asked.
     “ ‘How many,’ what?”
     “How many are in your pack?”
     Thomas’ expression went from shock to serious. “Eight.”
     “How many females?”
     “None.”
     “Where are they now?”
     “Around.”
     “Who is the Alpha of this territory?”
     “Harlow,” he replied, not missing a beat. “What’s it to you?”
     Evonne addressed Gabriel. “He might send them after us.”
     Thomas glanced at her and then the vampire. “No, I won’t. I promise. Harlow likes to keep the peace around here. If I squeal to him, he won’t come after you anyway. Harlow doesn’t mind vampires in his territory, just as long as they’re passing through. So you see, I have no grounds. Plus, it’s not like Harlow will listen to me anyway. I’m not a member of his pack. They just tolerate us to an extent. Please, don’t kill me.”
     Gabriel thought over his words and replied, “I’m not going to kill you. We don’t need that kind of attention.”
     Relief hit Thomas. “That’s good. I’ll just leave then and forget all about this.”
     Lowering his gun, Gabriel handed the weapon to Evonne. “The blood of a wolf isn’t high on my list. But since I can’t hunt in these woods, I’ll have to make do with what’s offered.”
     Thomas realized what the vampire planned to do. His human hands became clawed as sharp, animal-like nails extended. His lips parted in a sneer, showing two sets of fangs on top and a set on the bottom. Werewolf teeth weren’t meant for drawing blood—they were designed for tearing flesh.
     Growling, Thomas rushed for the vampire and threw his clawed hand forward. His pathetic attack was met with air.
     Gabriel stepped back and then forward, catching the werewolf off guard. He had no time for a fight. With swift hands, he grabbed onto Thomas and pulled him close, forcing his head to the side. He bit into the struggling werewolf and began to drink.
     Wolf’s blood; it was similar to that of a human’s but it carried a certain taste with it. Though a few vampires liked the blood of werewolves, Gabriel thought it reminded him of animal blood, something he wasn’t too fond of. Some vampires even mistook werewolves for human prey until they receive the first taste. Experience was the best tool, as well as age. It took Gabriel years to pick up on the scent of werewolves, and to also see beyond their human facade.
     Gabriel pulled away, allowing Thomas to stand on weakened legs. The boy looked displaced, his eyes trying to focus.
     The vampire spoke to him coldly. “Now you may leave.”
     Watching him carefully, Thomas stumbled from the room, his feet shuffling as he fought to keep his balance.
     Evonne closed door, locking it. “Why did you let him go?”
     “He doesn’t have the strength to change his form or call for help. If I killed him, then it may spark the others to come after us.” He returned to his bed and grabbed his bags. “Get your things. We’re leaving.”
     A part of Evonne was happy to be leaving. Not for the fact that they needed to find a safer place to stay, but it was something to do besides wait. She grabbed her belongings and headed for the Jeep.
     Within five minutes, they were on the road. In Gabriel’s mind there was only one place they could stay. Demetrius’ Haven. He had thought about staying there as his first choice, but was afraid of how Demetrius would react once he found out about Evonne. The Elder even requested to speak with him, undoubtedly sensing the human at his side. It was still dangerous to take her there, but he didn’t want to deal with finding another motel. In this odd situation, he preferred the haven.
     Evonne saw the familiar unmanned gate. Instead of driving straight for the front of the building like before, the Jeep turned down the second road. The road dropped into an underground parking area. There were more cars here than out front.
     Gabriel parked the Jeep. “We’re staying here tonight,” he said.
     Evonne felt a knot forming stomach.
     “Keep everything in here, including your weapons,” he ordered.
     “But I didn’t have to last time,” she pointed out, not liking the thought of entering a haven unarmed.
     “We will be staying underground where no weapons are allowed.”
     Hesitating slightly, Evonne removed her holster and set on the floorboard.
     Inside the haven, the décor remained similar to the levels above and had a feel of early 20th century high class. Though the interior design had a warmth to it, the low light made everything seem cold and dreary.
     The woman, Samara, greeted them once more. It was as though she knew of their arrival and was requested to meet them there.
     “You can not deny Demetrius for a second time,” she said.
     Gabriel agreed, “Then I will speak with him. Samara, will you show my guest to her room?”
     “Demetrius has requested to speak with her, as well.”
     A look of worry came over Gabriel as he accepted the request.
     Samara turned and left down the hall.
     “When we enter,” he warned Evonne, “say nothing to him unless he addresses you. When you answer, speak truthful. Demetrius can read the thoughts of anyone he converses with.”
     Evonne swallowed at the dryness in her throat. “Now I’m scared.”
     Gabriel led her further into the haven’s underbelly, down several flights of stairs until they came to a large, dark oak door. They entered without knocking.
     The room was covered in white marble, going from the floors to the walls and even ceiling. There was a bare, emotionless aura filled within, something that confused Evonne. The rest of the haven seemed inviting to her, but this room aroused her fear.
     In the center of the room stood a man dressed in solid black. The coat he wore was more out of fashion than for function. It fit his upper body perfectly and the length came a inch above the floor, giving him an appearance of gliding as he walked. Around the high collar covering his neck, an intricate silver design moved down and surrounded the buttons of the coat. It looked like something from the history books, as though seen through the eyes of a fantasy novelist.
     Evonne focused on the vampire’s face as he turned to see his guests. To her, the vampire had been seventeen or eighteen when his human life ended. His wavy hair, a dark mahogany in color, cascaded over his shoulders and back, stopping at his waist. But it was his eyes in which she stared at. The color of his irises were dark brown, almost black.
     He was an elder. The very first child of Gysai, one of the Originals.
     “Hello, Gabriel,” Demetrius began. “How are you this night?” His voice was innocent and void of anything threatening.
     Gabriel gave a respectable half-bow. “I am good.”
     Demetrius turned his attention to the human. “Hello. And by what name shall I call you?”
     She diverted her eyes from him. “Evonne.”
     “Ingram,” he added. “Your father is famous among our kind.” He glanced at Gabriel and mockingly added, “Flirting with the enemy?”
     “A favor for Keelan,” Gabriel explained.
     “As it started out, yes.” Demetrius looked back at the human. “Come closer.”
     Unsure at first, Evonne did as he said. She tried not to fear him but her instincts held strong. Standing before the Elder, he began to walk around her, as though he looked upon a painting or statue, judging its very reason to exist. He returned to stand before her.
     “Did you leave your living home under your own free will?” he asked.
     “Yes,” she truthfully answered.
     “Your father… tell me about him.”
     Evonne quickly replied, “I’m sure you already know plenty about him.”
     “Please,” Demetrius said, keeping his voice passive, “tell me in your own words.”
     She looked at him, her expression calm. “He oversees all that is SEVEN, and will probably do so until I am dead and gone. He fears that which isn’t human and fears anything that has more power than him.”
     Demetrius tilted his head. “Tell me, again, this time in your own words.”
     Dropping her eyes to the floor, Evonne knew what he meant, but it was hard for the words to form. When she spoke, however, the words wouldn’t stop. All of her boiling anger for her father welled up in a frightening torrent. “He is a constant liar,” she forced herself to say. “Never once has he told me the truth. He cares more for his missions than his family. When I am around him, I feel like I only exist to fuel his selfish need to hold onto the past. And even through out all of this, I still love him.”
     Demetrius placed a cool hand to her chin and guided her eyes to his. “It is a repetitive story told throughout time. Some may not argue your love for him, but I will be the first to tell you that he isn’t deserving.” He stepped away. “Others here may find your presence a threat. They may believe that you are working for your father. I do not believe this to be true, but the others are not as understanding. Stay within your room and speak with no one here. If a problem arises, then ask them to see me before any action is taken. These are my rules.” Demetrius looked at Gabriel and added, “Keep her close. My haven has recently become tainted with thoughtless fledglings, many who see the rules as fun little challenges to break.”
     Gabriel nodded and left the room with Evonne. The difficult part was over with. Demetrius could have taken the conversation further, and for Gabriel’s sake, he was thankful he didn’t.

The next couple of days were long and boring for Evonne, a combination she was use to back at the estate, or Eden as what everyone else called it.
     Eden. It was a strange title. The place wasn’t at all like a paradise. The exterior led people to believe one thing, while the deception hid everything rotten within. No, Eden was a good title. With it carried an underlying hint of sarcasm.
     Evonne’s mind was settled. She would never again set foot on Eden’s soil.