"I'm going to do it," Lillian said, entering the room of people who had probably heard every word of the argument but pretended not to.

The floor shook. A loud cracking sound reached them from downstairs.

"Uh... You sure?" Benjamin asked, his eyes flickering toward the stairway.

"Positive. So what do I need to know?"

And so they made a plan. Lillian ignored the gaping hole in her heart, swallowed down the hurt and the knot in her throat and focused on what they were saying. Thirty minutes later, she was sitting on the couch with Amanda and Benjamin when Noah joined them. His presence pushed against her senses. Her shoulders hunched, tension gripping her body.

Benjamin got up to where Mark, Harvey and Noah were speaking in low voices in one corner of the room.

"Come on," Amanda said, pulling Lillian to her feet. "The clothes are here. Let's get you ready."

Amanda had asked the vampire she knew in town to acquire clothes appropriate for the club, and that could easily conceal the communication devices and the camera they would be putting on Lillian. The two women went to a room down the hallway and closed the door behind them. A couple of bags were near the only chair in the room. They contained clothes, makeup, and ...

"I have to wear a wig?" Lillian asked, eying the auburn colored wig, brows shooting up her forehead.

"Yes. In case anyone recognizes you," Amanda said distractedly while inspecting the clothes. "You know, Harvey's my mate, and he doesn't keep anything from me, so I know about the report he had to do for Noah about you. We don't know if anyone in the club knows your identity since humans had put up missing person announcements for you and the twins in your old town- Hmm, I like this one, what do you think?"

Lillian looked at the short black dress Amanda was holding, but her mind was on Amanda's words.

"Oh...uh... so, you know about the report?" Lillian asked, although she herself had no knowledge Noah had requested any report about her. But she should've expected it, Noah might be grouchy at times, but he cared a lot for his pack. He wouldn't let a human he knew nothing about into his territory.

"Yes, but I don't know what's in it," Amanda said. "Only Harvey and Noah know the contents, I guess."

"Right," Lillian said, picking up the wig and fiddling with it. Her guts twisted in foreboding. Could the report have mentioned that night? "Harvey is good at his job, huh?"

"Yes, he can dig up anything about pretty much anyone. And no offense, but humans have pretty lousy security for their citizens' personal information."

Lillian hoped her smile wasn't as shaky as she felt.

He knew.

After a shower where Lillian scrubbed hard, under Amanda's orders, in order to get rid of Noah's scent, she let the vampire prep her, do her make up, hide her hair beneath the wig that felt odd on Lillian's head, spray a ridiculous amount of perfume on her and push her into the little black skater dress with a sequined bodice.

"Okay, smile for the camera." Amanda said, holding her phone up.

"Why? What is it for?"

"Your ID," she said while snapping the picture. "I'll send it to Harvey, he'll have one ready in no time at all. Okay, shoes... hmm, let's go with these, not too high in case you want to run, but enough heels to do damage. I love high heels, they're very versatile. When people search for weapons they always disregard the heels. That's a great advantage for women, if you know how to use them. But Elle disagrees with me on this one. Although she's an exception since she's deadly with or without weapons."

Even Amanda's rambling couldn't chase the dark thoughts away. Noah knew, that was all she could think of. He'd known all along.

What he'd said about her useless pride downstairs? she had thought he just got carried away. People could say hurtful things when they're angry, without meaning them.

But maybe Noah did. After all, they do say that slips of the tongue reveal one's hidden thoughts. At least Sigmund Freud did.

The whispers and insults from her past rang loud in her head, awakening the feelings of shame and embarrassment she had thought long ago beat. They were still there, just waiting for a moment of weakness.

Slut.

She was drunk.

She asked for it.

No one cares.

Worthless.

Lillian focused on her breathing, sat on the chair and slipped in the heels, unaware that Amanda had stopped talking until the woman crouched in front of her.

"You know," Amanda began, her tone uncharacteristically solemn. "Men are idiots."

Lillian snorted a laugh. "You think?"

Grinning back, Amanda put her hands on Lillian's. "I know, I've been mated to one for centuries, so believe me."

"Wow. Hundreds of years," Lillian breathed out. So much life together.

"Yes. And let me tell you, sometimes I want to claw his eyes out, matter of fact, I think I did it one time," Amanda mumbled the last part. Lillian thought she was joking, but the way the woman was frowning while looking at the distance made it very likely she actually did claw Harvey's eye out. They were vampires, he probably grew another eye in no time at all, or so Lillian told herself.

"Anyway, my point is, they can say very dumb things. Especially when their fear gets the best of them. I can't tell you how many times Harvey and I had a fight because he thought I was putting myself in unnecessary danger."

"It's not the same. Noah is not my mate. He just thinks he's my alpha, which means he thinks he has some sort of duty to keep me safe and protected because I'm the vulnerable little human he doesn't even trust to fight for herself! He doesn't even allow me near the training grounds, which is ridiculous!" Lillian rambled on, words she'd kept inside for so long tumbling out of her mouth. "I get that I'm weak and vulnerable compared to the rest of you guys, but that doesn't mean he can take away my right to fight my own battles and make my own decisions. He just makes me so- Ughhh!"

Lillian took a deep breath while Amanda patted her hand. "Alright, glad we got that out of the way. Now, I know you two aren't... uh, together, right now, but you should tell him these things, speak to him, scream at him if you need to, but don't keep things inside, they'll rot and fester to the point where they might poison your relationship."

Lillian slumped back in the chair.

"But that doesn't mean he doesn't need to grovel a little," Amanda winked, a devilish glint in her eyes. "It's okay to be mad, but you need to talk after this, okay?" Amanda's expression turned serious again. "Talk, Lillian. Talk to him."

Lillian gave her a nod. For all Amanda seemed like a guileless, wide-eyed beauty, she had a warm, wise air that reminded Lillian of Lydia. Which was to be expected, Amanda was probably older than Lydia.

"Alright." Amanda stood up. "Let's go get 'em."

A knock on the door. Amanda smiled, squeezing Lillian's shoulder. "I'll wait for you outside."

Amanda nodded at the black haired man waiting by the door. He came in, closed the door behind him and leaned on it. His nostrils flared. "Perfume."

Lillian shrugged. "Your scent wouldn't wash off entirely."

Noah kept silent. His eyes took in every inch of her face in a familiar way only he did. The scars on his face looked sharper in a way, more pronounced against his skin. Finally, he gulped, his Adam apple bobbing with the motion. "I'm sorry. I know you're probably still mad, and you have a right to. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I was just... scared. I don't want you to get hurt."

"The report Harvey has done on me," Lillian said, a final hope that he didn't know still in her heart. "Does it have everything? About me?"

Noah nodded. His eyes told her what she didn't want to believe. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, don't you?"

He nodded again.

"You didn't mean it?" Lillian asked. "About my... useless pride? "

"Of course not." Noah frowned, then understanding shone in his eyes. "Lillian, you know I wouldn't judge anyone for something like that, I especially wouldn't judge you for it. You should know me by now."

"I should, shouldn't I?" Lillian went to run a hand through her hair, remembered the damn wig and let it drop.

"I'm sorry, Lillian," Noah stepped toward her, his hands twitched, then curled into white-knuckled fists. "Just... Please stay safe."

Two hours later, Lillian was queued up with other humans in front of the club. Immortals got straight in, mostly vampires and some witches. The humans around her admired them, especially the vampires, whose physical appearance was too smooth, sometimes almost too good to be true.

Lillian got in without a glitch. The bouncer was a vampire, over six-feet tall and broad shouldered. He actually checked the IDs meticulously, entering her name in a small data pad he held before waving her inside.

"I'm in," she spoke into the hidden mike in the choker she wore. Loud music shook the walls of the entry hallway and the closed door at its end.

The beat roared to life when Lillian finally opened the door, but it wasn't as loud as she'd expected, probably due to the sensitive hearing of vampires. Lillian paused for a moment, realizing this was her first time ever in a club. Blue and red light beams moved to the rhythm of the music. The raised dance floor in the middle was crowded with dancers who did more than just dancing, and along the walls, booths with comfortable looking sofas provided rest and privacy for those who desired it.

The door opening behind her spurred Lillian into action. She looked around, making sure the camera hidden in the other necklace she wore got a full view of the place. It wasn't packed yet, but she blended in seamlessly with the crowd.

"Alright, move forward to the bar." Benjamin's voice filled her ear. She had had her doubts about the tiny earbud, thinking the music would be too loud. But the ear piece proved quite effective.

Lillian moved to the bar, keeping away from the dance floor. Her heart was oddly calm, her breathing even.

The bar counter stretched along one wall, lined with wooden stools and flirting couples. Lillian stood there for a moment, surveying the place.

Running a hand over the wig, she paused to speak into the other mike embedded in her bracelet.

"All the staff I've seen so far are humans," she said just as a waiter passed her by. They all wore white shirts tucked into black dress pants or skirts, with name tags on.

"The guests?" Benjamin asked.

"So far, vampires and witches only," Lillian said. The night was only beginning and clients were still trickling in.

The wall behind the bar was stocked with hundreds of alcoholic beverage bottles, the polished glass and shining surfaces gave the place a more upscale touch. She put her clutch, which also had a camera, so that it faced the dance floor.

Lillian ordered a coke from the bartender, then spoke into her mike, "The bartenders are both vampires."

"Alright," Harvey said. "Can you give us a guess of how many clients are humans? How many are not?"

Lillian looked around again, taking more time to come up with a good estimate. "I'd say more than half are humans. So around fifty immortals? Mostly vampires."

"Hey, Martin!" one of the bartenders called over the music, she could hear him because he was close. "What's up, man? I didn't know Master Galvin was showing up tonight?"

One of the clients, a vampire male in a three piece suit, leaned on the bar and spoke in a British accent. "Yes, the big boss is here. He arrived from France yesterday. Something about a new toy."

Lillian tensed, smiling to the other bartender when he gave her her drink. She leaned back on the bar as casually as she could, swirling her drink, while listening to the conversation.

"Ah, the new merchandise?" The bartender asked, and the two men cackled.

Lillian's stomach curdled. She hoped the kind of merchandise they were talking about wasn't what she was thinking.

Turning around when their conversation drifted to more worldly matters, she leaned her elbow on the bar, put her chin in her hand and spoke to her bracelet. "Benjamin, do you know anything about a vampire called Galvin?"

It was Harvey who replied. "Galvin Trudeau?"

"I don't know, but he's from France, I think."

Harvey cursed. "He's one of the oldest vampires in Europe. Is he there?"

"Yes, the bartender just spoke to someone who works for him, I guess. He said he's the boss, that he's here to inspect the new merchandise."

"Damn it," Benjamin said. "If Galvin is involved, this is more screwed up than we thought."

"You should probably get out of there, Lillian," Amanda said, real concern coloring her tone. "I don't like it."

"Just a little bit more," Benjamin said. A growl cut him off. He continued. "We need to get a good look at the place or it'll all be in vain."

Lillian bit her lip. She hadn't really gotten anything useful for them, and the kidnapped girls could be going through horrible things. Lillian just couldn't leave yet, not before she got them something substantial.

"Hey, you know where the bathroom is?" Lillian asked the other bartender.

"First door on the right, sweetheart," the lean blond male replied with a wink, nodding to a hallway around the corner.

"Thanks," Lillian replied. Her smile disappeared as soon as she turned around. She abandoned her drink and walked along the bar, checking people in the process. The place was quickly becoming unbearably crowded.

She headed for the bathroom. The hallway had three doors, a men's bathroom, women's, and a door with a sign that read 'Private'.

Lillian eyed the 'private' door. It was closed, but she didn't know if it was locked or not. Right then, a female vampire in a short, elegant black dress accompanied by a handsome human male headed into the hallway right to the 'private' door. Lillian busied herself by looking inside her clutch so as to not attract their attention.

They pushed the door open. It wasn't locked. But before the door closed, she saw them showing some sort of ticket to a guy, a vampire.

"Lillian, what's wrong? What are you doing?" Noah asked, she could practically hear the apprehension in his voice. He knew she was up to something. Good, Lillian thought, let him sweat it a bit more.

"Don't worry, just a bit more and I'll be out," she said. "Say, Harvey, can vampires link with each other?"

"Other than mates, very few can, and only if they have bonds."

"Bonds?"

"Yes. Friendship, for example."

A plan came to life in Lillian's head as she entered the bathroom, fixed her appearance, and summoned her inner French girl. Gathering every drop of confidence she had, she lifted her chin and sauntered out of the bathroom. Heading straight to the private door, she opened it and walked in as if she had every right to. She could barely keep her knees from knocking with each other, but she sucked in her fear deep inside and stared straight ahead.

"Whoa, lady. What are you doing here? No humans allowed."

Lillian looked around. It was another hallway, this one wider and with a more sophisticated vibe. Black colored walls, a red carpet covered the floor, mood lights. At the end, a flight of stairs led down.

"Lillian, what are you doing?"

Lillian ignored Noah's frustrated question and smiled at the man. The vampire looked a lot like the bouncer, had the same build but with a more captivating face. He spoke with a thick southern accent. Here's to hoping he didn't understand French.

"Bonsoir. Je suis avec Monsieur Galvin," Lillian said in rapid fire French. "Il m'a demandé de lui-"

The man held up his hands, looking confused. "Wait, wait. What are you saying about Master Galvin? Can you speak English?"

Lillian frowned, then smiled brightly, speaking in a heavily accented english. "English? Oh, of course. Monsieur Galvin? You know him? I'm with him, I had to bring him something. Il est là, n'est ce pas? je dois le voir tout de suite. Je suis déjà en retard-"

"Wait-" the man looked genuinely confused, looking around the empty hallway for someone to help him. Apparently, mentioning Gavin's name meant he couldn't just throw her out. But she had to get through, and if she stayed arguing with him here she risked someone coming in, someone who actually knew Galvin.

"Monsieur Galvin is waiting," Lillian said impatiently, opening her clutch. "I will just call him if you don't want to let me in. He's a very busy man and now I have to bother him! Oh, mon Dieu, vous les Américains! He's inspecting the new girl and he should not be bothered, but you leave me no choice, you deal with the consequences."

At the mention of 'new girl', the vampire frowned, then looked Lillian up and down. Lillian cocked a hip, throwing her hair back and holding the phone with one well manicured hand. "Well, should I call him? Oui ou non?"

"Uh-"

Lillian rolled her eyes, and went as if to make the call with a huff. If this didn't work, she had to hightail it out of here. Noah and the others had gone completely quiet.

"Okay, okay, Miss," the vampire said, eyes wide with fear. So this Galvin dude was someone to be feared. "Please go in."

"Merci beaucoup." Lillian winked and walked slowly down the hallway, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to do the exact opposite: Run. In the other direction.

"Damn it, woman, You're good," Benjamin said on the edge of a sigh. "I think Noah just pissed his pants a little."

Lillian's lips twitched as she walked down the stairs. She had to work hard to keep her fear from slipping. The music she left behind was nothing but faint thuds. Double doors greeted her at the bottom of the staircase, she pushed them open and entered a whole new place, one that made her wish she'd stayed behind as Noah wanted. 

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Hey guys!

Sorry I'm a bit late. I almost forgot today was an update day (oops)

I hope you're enjoying the story. Leave me your thoughts and don't forget to vote!

Much love <3

M.B.