"I'm sorry this has happened to your family Charles. Raquel and Evan were both exceptional people." Frances said after he settled his adopted daughter Kimberly into the library and returned to the kitchen where Charles, Jake, Lane, Hunter, Greg and Kayleb were sitting around the table.

"Yeah they were. A lot better than that good for nothing blood sucking leach that killed them." Lane growled as he took a long drink of the whiskey in his hand.

"Rebecca is sleeping up in the bed with Gwen. Gwen doesn't understand where her mommy and daddy are." Charles replied sadly as he looked down at the oak table top.

"Where is Kent?" Francis asked, noticing that the man was missing from the group.

"California. He and Jordan wanted to stay out there and be close to Alex."

"If there is anything I can do to help your family through this time just let me know." Francis said. His voice was smooth and cold but his violet eyes were full of sincerity.

"You can tell us what you know about Vincent." Jake growled. Francis sat the cup of blood that Hunter had given him down on the table and ran one long pale finger along the rim.

"He is my brother."

"What a damn family! Saraphine and Vincent. I tell you what, you must the black sheep at your family reunions." Lane muttered before taking another big swig of whiskey. Hunter nodded in agreement as he took a long drink of blood.

"I am actually." Francis replied with a faint smile. "I am a very big disappointment."

"Where can I find him?" Jake growled.

"Where can we find him?" Kayleb cut in and Francis sighed.

"I do not know. He does not have a home of his own. He wanders from place to place and stays in his victims homes."

"You can contact him though, can't you? You can contact him and have him meet you somewhere and we can be waiting for him." Kayleb said with a desperate rage. He wanted to avenge his parents and protect his mate and that meant turning Vincent into a pile of ash as soon as possible.

"My brother is no fool. He knows I am a friend of your family." Frances said matter of factly and this earned a snort from Lane but a sharp look from Jake had Lane swallowing whatever retort he'd been about to say.

"If I contact Vincent, and tell him I want to meet, he will suspect a trap."

"Then what the hell are you doing here if you can't help us!" Lane demanded and Jakes fists clenched so tightly Kayleb smelled the scent of his blood as his nails dug into his palms.

"I did not say that I could not help you, you impatient, foolish pup." Francis replied with cold anger flashing in his eyes.

"Everybody needs to calm down." Charles said and his voice was quiet, stern and sad and it made Frances remember that he needed to keep his patience, even with Lane. This family was hurting.

"Your best option to find and kill Vincent is to use the woman he wants as bait." These words had no sooner left Frances's mouth when Kayleb was launching himself over the table. Frances stood and hissed, prepared to defend himself against the snarling man but Jake stopped the fight before it could happen by grabbing Kayleb by the shirt and tossing him back down in his chair.

"Calm down, Kayleb." he said calmly.

"That bastard is not going to use Vanessa as bait."

"It would work." Charles said, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Fuck all of you. I just lost my parents and now you want to take Vanessa from me to?" Kayleb exclaimed.

"We won't let anything happen to her." Charles promised.

"No." Kayleb said and there was ice in his voice. "I will kill any of you that try. I will not lose her."

(He loves her.) Jake said to the other men at the table so Kayleb could not hear.

(He is not thinking clearly. Using her is the only way.) Frances replied.

(He is thinking the same way that any man who loves his mate would think. I would kill any man at this table that tried to put Angela in danger.) Jake said matter of factly.

(Angela would kill any man at this table that tried to put her in danger.) Lane said.

(I understand where Kayleb is coming from. He has lost enough. We have to get rid of Vincent without risking what he has left.) Greg said and everyone nodded.

"There is something else you need to know about Vincent." Francis said a loud.

"What?" Kayleb growled as he glared at him and leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"He has abilities that most immortals do not."

"What kind of abilities?" Hunter asked.

"He can enter your dreams. He cannot harm you of course but he can make you see things and torment you in his own twisted way."

"See, this is why I hate vamps." Lane muttered and then he finished off his bottle of whiskey.

***

"Monster, monster go away. Let this child dream and play. Only good is allowed in here. Nothing to cause my baby fear. Go back to the place where monsters dwell. Over the lake and down through the dell. Please let my angel girl get sleep, no more here are you allowed to creep." Vanessa heard Vincent's cold voice coming out of the shadows as she watched Faith sleep soundly in her tiny bed.

She felt her heart drop into her stomach when the closet door opened with a creak and she saw those violet eyes staring back at her.

"I have come for you, little Vanessa." Vincent said as he stalked across the room toward her.

"NO! Go away." Vanessa screamed. He smiled and walked over to the bed. Vanessa flung herself at him as he ran his long pale finger across Faith's soft cheek. Vincent swatted Vanessa away as if she were no more than a bug and looked back down at Faith.

"I had fun killing that wolf today. He knew he was going to die as soon as he saw me. He stood no chance."

"You're a monster" Vanessa exclaimed from where she stood against the wall.

"So I have heard. I will keep killing them my pet. One by one or two by two I will kill this family until you turn yourself over to me. You belong to me now." He gave her one last cold smile and then he hissed and his fangs sharpened as he lowered his mouth to Faith's neck.

"NO! NO! NO!" Vanessa screamed and then she fought against the hands that closed around her arms.

"Vanessa, love, wake up!" Kayleb's voice woke Vanessa from her dream and she opened her eyes to see his deep chocolate eyes full of concern and locked on hers.

"Kayleb." she exclaimed and she flung her arms around his neck. He held her tight in his strong arms as she trembled with fear.

"He was there, Kayleb.. How was he there? It didn't feel like a dream! It felt so real." Kayleb felt his blood boil at the thought of Vincent tormenting his mate and he held her tighter and rubbed gentle circles on her back.

"It was just a dream, baby. I promise it was just a dream. I will not let him hurt you or Faith."

"Is Faith safe? Is she okay?" Vanessa asked. Kayleb nodded against her soft hair.

"She is sound asleep down in the nursery with Charlie and Brent. I checked on her just a few minutes ago." He pulled away from her and smoothed her chestnut colored hair from her face and dried her tears with his thumbs.

"I love you, Vanessa."

"Kayleb...."

"I know it's fast and I know you probably don't believe me because of all the mate nonsense but I love you and I love Faith and I will do anything to keep you safe." Even sacrifice his own parents. Kayleb blamed himself for their deaths. He had known what keeping Vanessa away from Vincent would cost him.

"I need more time." Vanessa whispered and she cursed her misfortune. She loved this man... There was not a doubt in her mind that she loved him but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.. Not when she knew she was leaving soon. She couldn't hurt him that way.

Kayleb kissed her forehead and stood up.

"I'll see you in the morning, Vanessa." he said gently. Vanessa watched him walk toward the door and suddenly she was scared to death to be alone.

"Kayleb!" she called. He turned and looked at her questioningly. "Stay with me please." she whispered. "I want to feel you holding me while I sleep. Maybe the dreams will stay away." Kayleb nodded and pulled off his shoes. He walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers behind her.

She curled her back into his chest and he wrapped his arm tight around her. He kissed her hair and though his body was on fire and screaming to make love to her but he forced himself to simply hold her. He had never held a woman like this before and he was surprised by the peace he felt with her in his arms.

"Get some rest, Vanessa. I'm right here." he whispered. Vanessa snuggled deeper into his arms and squeezed her eyes tight to fight back her tears.

This was not fair. Finally after all these years of being alone she had found the one man that was made just for her. The one man that would love, protect and cherish her for eternity and she was going to have to walk away from him and her beautiful daughter, and hand herself to a psycho vampire in order to keep everything she loved in this world safe.

"Goodnight Kayleb." she whispered.

"Goodnight."