I slipped up beside her. My mind spinning information around in a kaleidoscope of scents, images, feelings.

"How did you meet a vampire?" I asked pushing the kaleidoscope back.

She stopped and spun to face me. Rage covered her features. "Really? I don't have the ability to deal with condescending attitude at the moment. I have way more important issues. Besides I don't care if you think I'm crazy." Her eyes flashed at me.

I struggled for a moment to remember her name. She was not the only one who had things on her mind. "Ann, I know you're not crazy. But you're right, this conversation can wait."

She studied me a moment, tears filled her eyes, she gave me a jerky nod. Then we were back on our way into the hospital. It took us twenty minutes to find Beth. She had been taken to the emergency department.

The doctors refused to let us in the back with Beth. Eventually, I just had to sit in the emergency department waiting room.

Somehow the sight of Ann's tears made the waiting harder to bare. Every time the double doors opened her head would jerk up and a look of hope would quickly be dashed. The tears would renew with vengeance.

I sat as far from Ann as I could. I couldn't handle the scent of her despair. I had to move seats twice as other patients relatives and friends sat too close.

My own emotions were hard enough to deal with without adding additional ones to the mix.

I wondered what spell the coven had cast. I wondered why I was still sitting in a waiting room expectantly anticipating news of a virtual stranger. I needed to leave. I didn't want in this.

I didn't dislike humans but I didn't get attached to them either. They eventually died unless someone turned them. That was one thing I had never done.

The paranormal world had its own laws. Each law was enforced by the Keeper's. There was a Keeper's branch for almost every paranormal species.

The second vampire law was simple. If you turn a human you are responsible for that newborn for two hundred years.

Third vampire law, no vampire regardless of status could turn more than 2 humans. (There was an amendment that if your creation was killed you could petition the Keepers first council for the right to turn a replacement. This was not always granted.)

The first vampire law was the same for EVERY paranormal species.

The number one paranormal law was that no paranormal subject may reveal the existence of the paranormal world to a mundane.

A mundane was a human with no paranormal knowledge or connection.

Ann was a part of both worlds. Beth was an unknown, but had ties to the paranormal via her sister, a witch.

I couldn't sit and wait anymore. I stood. Ann's gaze followed me as I moved to stand by the bank of windows.

Admittedly, the view was just as bad, a dreary day lit with a cloud covered sky.

A red Volvo backed out of the space beside Ann's car. I had no difficulty seeing the man driving the car. It was clear he had been crying. He was probably around forty-five or fifty in human years. I had no idea what had caused his tears but they ate at my soul.

NO! My brain yelled. That was it. That was the last thing I could deal with.

I spun around, glared at Ann, silently condemned her and her coven, and headed toward the door.

I was already outside the sliding glass doors before I felt a hand descend on my arm.

I twisted my body to face Ann, an angry growl rumbled up my throat.

She snatched her hand back and took an involuntary step backwards.

"I'm sorry. You looked upset. I just wanted to check on you." She was unsure. I could smell it. There was a hint of fear.

I scoffed at her. Upset did not cover my emotional state. I had not felt this unstable in almost four hundred years.

I didn't like the thoughts in my own head.

Even at that moment I wanted to turn from her and walk away but I couldn't. I felt the need to stay.

Beth was inside and I was wondering, hoping, needing her to be alive.

It was unnatural to need someone, who you had just met, this much. I hated that neediness. I especially hated it in myself.

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't your problem." She gave me a weak smile. "You just met us. I know. I do." She pushed a lock of hair from her face but the wind blew it back. Absently she moved it again as she spoke. "I know that you and Beth, you know. I- Beth told me she gave you an out. A one night stand."

I didn't interrupt her. I didn't tell her Beth and I had long pasted the one night stand mark by at least a day or two.

"I just hoped that you would want to stay. I mean, I don't, I just, she's never done that before. She's never hooked up with a stranger before." She shook her head adamantly. "You don't know her like I do. She doesn't deserve to die. She certainly doesn't deserve to die alone."

It was those words, I think, that sealed my fate.

"Let's get back inside. Maybe they'll have news soon." I told her. My own hope for news flared.

We went in and sat down to wait. But I worried that they had come out the double doors looking for us while we were outside. I stood and made my way to the desk.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I need to know if there has been an update on Bethany Philips." I said to the nurse. She smiled up at me. Her scrubs were the kind that were decorated with tiny mice pretending to use medical equipment.

She typed on the keypad. She studied the screen. Hope seemed to bleed out of me when she shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry. If there had been it hasn't been entered in the computer." She looked up at me a bland look on her face.

I thanked her and went to sit by Ann. She looked up at me, her questioning. I shook my head.