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***Christian's POV***

I can feel it. What? I am unsure. Something is off. It's like a stir in the pit of my stomach.

I pace the floor of my room. I just know that Leah is in trouble. Unfortunately, I have no way of even knowing where she is or who she is with.

I wish she would have taken my offer for help. Okay, actually Josie offered my help. However, I would have if he hadn't.

The creek of my door breaks my attention. I smile softly as Josie shuffles towards me. He wraps his thin arms around my waist, pushing his head into my neck.

"You okay?" His soft voice is so soothing. I love this kid.

"Just a little restless. I feel as though something is wrong with my beloved. I don't know what or how to go about finding out. I already went on a run. I found little of value. What are you doing up at this hour?" I look down on Josie, he looks up to me with his devastatingly gorgeous blue eyes.

"I felt like you were upset. I wanted to check in on you. Are you upset Christian?" Josie's kind tone is endearing. The boy truly has a gold heart.

"I suppose I just want to be near Leah. I might have some feelings developing, possibly. It's a little uncommon to meet your beloved without entering into a relationship. She seems to be too caught up in her current situations to want much to do with me, though." I sigh. She is guarded at best. Uninterested may be a better description.

I don't know why I couldn't just have a soulmate who wanted me right off of the bat. I guess that may be too easy.

"She will come around. She has to. You are a catch." Josie reaches up to kiss my cheek. I lean in to the affection. He is always a blessing.

"Where is Tony?" I question the precious angel.

"He went searching for Leah. I encouraged it. I want you happy Christian, always." Josie pulls away from my arms, connecting our hand. He drags me down stairs. I willingly comply.

"I am happy. I have a very best friend who makes any day a good one." I sit down in the recliner. Josie flips on the television before curling up in my lap.

He pushes play on the Netflix program. Up plays while Josie giggles in my lap. I love the way he has such an innocent heart. Although, he can be less than innocent. i.e the stunt we pulled to garner Leah's attention that day in the amusement park.

Pulling a blanket down over us, I settle in for the movie.

We watch intently as the movie plays through. The end credits roll just in time.

The door bursts open with Tony stepping through. He is a bit disheveled, but in one piece. That's good.

"Did you find anything?" Josie immediately climbs from my lap, into Tony's awaiting arms.

"I lost the trail in the forest outside of the mountain terrain. She disappeared. She seems to be good at that." Tony takes a seat in the other recliner. Josie shuffles into Tony's lap until he is in a position where he wraps around his Sire. Josie smiles while snuggling into his beloved's hold.

"It's par for the course. We will just see what must happens." I wave off my disappointment. There is no purpose in worrying over things I can neither change nor influence. Time will tell.

"Sire!" The sound comes out as a scream of panic. I turn my attention to Gabriel, a newborn who is in her fourth month. She waves Tony in her direction.

"Gabby? Are you okay?" Tony stands, setting Josie down on the chair. Tony makes his way towards Gabby, cussing under his breat, probably because he had to let Josie go.

"Mage is hunting a human. You told us no. He is trying to kill him." Gabby runs from the room in a panic. I stare at Josie. He is not gonna like this.

"Christian come." Tony starts off towards the door again. He sort of forgot we have to get Josie into safety.

"Hold on." I grab Josie in my arms, using my speed I take him upstairs. Josie is as cool as possible. No panic arises, he knows the drill. This won't be the first time we have had to deal with the newborns. It's a regular occurrence.

"Go." Josie smiles at me. He waves me away, dismissively. I chuckle; he is never a burden, always cooperative when necessary.

"Lock the door. I will get in when we return. Please be safe, Josie." I plead with my friend. I blow him a kiss as I make my way out of the room.

"Got it. Go, before Tony loses it." Josie walks me to the door. I hear it lock before I make my way downstairs once again.

Tony waits at the edge of our property. I hurry to his side.

"He is headed East. We have to hurry. Gabby stated he had a fifteen minute head start.

We pick up speed quickly. The trees blur past us. We dodge nature's road blocks along the way. Mage's scent is strong, the wind helps us since it is blowing in our designated direction.

We follow the path of his scent until we reach the river. Jumping over, we land on the other side. We break into another run. We have to hurry before Mage hurts the human. We do not kill humans. It's murder.

My mind races, throwing scenarios of what exactly we will have to encounter once we roll up to the scene.

It doesn't take long to have an answer.

Mage flies forward quickly, being only two months into his transformation, he is a bit faster than either me or Tony. He covers a substantial amount of distance as we try to catch up.

Tony attempts to call the vampire's name, with no reply. Mage has probably entered a period of bloodlust. When you are young, the control is absent. If you go a lengthy period without blood, in your first year especially, the need becomes overwhelming. The result is a trance like state. You seem what you're body craves without regard for rules.

Tony's rule in particular is simple. We are allowed to drink from humans. We are not permitted to drain them.

I like his orthodox. It has fared well for my century. I can't see him changing it ever. Mage will not be an exception. If Tony sees him attempt to hunt the human, Mage will be a warm pile of ash making his way across the land via the drifting wind.

We come to a clearing that is surrounded by huge rock cliffs. Mage is cornered which I assume means that his prey is as well. It's a catch 22.

"Mage. Don't." Gabby reaches us and tries her best to persuade her comrade.

Mage ignores us. He stalks towards the scared young man. The boys eyes are blown wide. Their us a tremble in his form. He is stunned into actual paralysis.

I take the opportunity to slide past Tony. Heading towards the pair, I step beside Mage with my hands up defensively. I can render him useless just as well as Tony.

Mage walks slowly towards the boy. Mage appears to be on a one tracked field. He does not register my presence. I give him the benefit of the doubt before deciding if I will make a move. If he begins the process,it can be rectified quickly.

Mage lunges toward the boy. A screech comes from the guy's lips that is piercing. Fear and terror are evident in his tone.

"Beloved." Mage sinks his teeth directly into the pulse behind the male's ear. A louder cry becomes the only sound before the humans eyes roll back. He trembles in Mage's arms.

"Mage. What the fuck?" Gabby runs past me, landing in her knees.

I hear Tony groan audibly as he makes his way to what is now a human transformation.

Another pairing, another newborn, oh the joy. I cringe. We just got this lot semi-descent. Oh well, we must do what we must.

"He's my beloved." Mage brushes his hand softly over the guy's damp hair. The sweat pools over the kid's skin. He is excreting the sweat as his human body's natural process of cooling him down. Mate's venom quite literally makes his beloved's blood boil.

"Let's get him home. We need to make him comfortable. Mage we will talk about this. Now is not the time or place." Tony lifts the kid easily. His limp body lays across our Sire's muscular arms.

"I just. I lost control." Mage's tone is worried. It's a little late for that, post attack.

"That's apparent. Deities be damned, they should have waited until you were more trained." Tony talks non-chalantly while walking carefully.

We follow the long path back to the house. We are over a hundred miles from the manor. With our speed, the time wasn't an issue. Because we are having to tread lightly, we are at a disadvantage. It will take at least an hour to get back now.

"Josie is safe, correct?" Tony directs the question at me.

"This isn't the first time he has been alone, Tony. He knows what to do. I had him lock the door. I locked up the house as well. He should be fine." I try to soothe my Sire. I am almost certain that Josie is either asleep or watching a movie.

It won't be long before we will find out on either account.

When the house finally comes into view, I feel safe that I can rush ahead to guarantee our human's safety.

I make my way up the stairs. The house is quiet. The other newborns are probably hunting, hopefully animals. The few who are surely here, are most likely sleeping.

I open my bedroom door quietly. Josie must be sleeping as the lights are turned off and the television is not going. That is a bit weird. Josie is afraid of the dark. His father instilled that particular trait in him. The darkness was his father's favorite time to pounce on his unsuspecting son.

Turning on the lights, I am immediately alerted. I quickly look through the room, along the walls, the bathroom and even the closet. I cannot see any signs of my best friend.

Frantically, in a haze of fear, I charge towards Josie room to meet the same scene. He is not in that room. So, before I cause more panic, I barge through the door to Tony's room.

It takes little effort to realize that we have a major problem.

I speed through the house, down the stairs and to the basement. We generally let the humans transform down below. It makes it easier to contain them when they awake on a body that is foreign to them. I push the door open, ready to alert my Sire that we have lost his beloved.

"Is he sleeping?" Tony turns from the changing body of Mate's beloved.

"I don't know." I search the room for nothing in general.

"What's that mean? Didn't you go ahead to check on Josie?" Tony looks at me incredulously.

I nod my head. I don't want to do this.

"Christian? What aren't you saying?" Tony pushes past me; he heads up the stairs. Following closely, I go to make sure before I worry Tony.

After Tony searches, we both are pretty clear. We have jeopardized our human.

"Christian? Where is he?" Tony turns to me with tear filled eyes. I can feel the fissures in my heart begin to break open, threatening to swallow me whole.

"I don't know. Something has happened Tony." My words are a hushed whisper. I'm scared. We were supposed to protect him. We failed.

"Gather the newborns, call our allies. I want my beloved found. NOW!" Tony yells loudly. The windows tremble with the billow of his voice.