She needed to keep one foot in reality, she realized. She was getting too caught up in Sebastian's world.

Even seeing monster movies without him seemed too much like Sebastian's world. She also didn't want to admit this, but she could make the Society meeting before she was supposed to meet Sebastian. Not that she was planning her life around him.

Sebastian fought the urge to tilt his head to look at the wristwatch of the woman sitting across from him. She was spreading out more plan ideas on the table. Different options for tables and chairs and how they could be arranged. Color schemes. Flooring options.

"So you could do something like this." Eve-or maybe it was Julie-he forgot now, even though he'd spoken to the woman several times in the past couple of months, pointed to a blueprint of the club.

Sebastian stared at the print, not even remotely following what... Julie? Yeah, it was Julie. Well, whoever she was, he wasn't following anything she was suggesting.

"You know," he said suddenly. "This is a lot of information. I think I could use a little break to digest everything. Would you like a drink?"

Julie smiled. She had a nice smile and very dark eyes. Dark brown, not dark blue.

"I'd love a club soda," she said.

Sebastian nodded, sliding out of the booth. He headed to the bar. It was Sunday night. Not a big evening for the club. Some diehard (no pun intended) patrons sat at the bar and milled around, but otherwise it was relatively quiet. Even David kept the music more sedate tonight. But the calm atmosphere was doing nothing to help the agitation inside himself. What was making him so restless tonight?

Nadine leaned on the bar. An uncommon occurrence. Rarely did Nadine and Ferdinand ever get a break.

"How's it going?" Nadine asked as he approached.

"Good," Sebastian said automatically, hoping she wasn't going to return to her topic of conversation the other night. He didn't want to discuss Mina with her.

Nadine gave him a searching look. "You don't seem very enthused. I thought this woman was one of the best designers in New York?"

"The United States actually." He knew that, but he couldn't remember her name. He was a mess.

He'd waited a few months to get this appointment with the renowned designer. Julie Winchester, that was her name, had a very busy schedule and a waiting list. Not to mention that, being a vampire, he did have to ask her to come here at unusual times. Of course, enough money could get you any time appointment you wanted.

Sebastian had been willing to wait, though, which was rare for him. But she was the best. And he wanted the best for Carfax Abbey. And now, he wasn't even listening to her ideas. What was wrong with him?

He couldn't stop thinking about Mina. Their kiss. Why she pulled away, so frightened. What was she doing right now? Why hadn't he flat-out denied that she was his steady girl? He would have if Nadine had ever suggested that with his other women. Without hesitation.

This was absolutely nuts. Totally. He was going to see her in awhile. And Carfax Abbey was his love. He wouldn't have had any trouble admitting that too.

"I need a club soda and a double scotch on the rocks."

Nadine raised an eyebrow. "When do you drink while discussing business?"

"How do you know the scotch is for me?"

Nadine gave him a look that stated she wasn't a fool, but she grabbed a glass and turned to the back wall of liquors.

Sebastian leaned on the bar, surveying the club. He did love this place. He'd started it over ten years ago now. He loved the dark rich colors, deep red walls, red velvet upholstery, and ornate woodwork. Chandeliers, glittery and opulent. The large club looked like a goth bordello-a contrast he loved with the image of a true abbey. He liked the feel.

Maybe he didn't want to change the place. Maybe that was why he wasn't listening to the designer. There was nothing wrong with the club. It was more popular than ever. It wasn't showing any signs of its age. The place offered patrons a haven to have a good time in. Why mess with a good thing?

Nadine returned with the drinks. He nodded his thanks and headed back to the table where Julie sat, looking around the club with an artistic eye. Sebastian could see the excitement on her face as she thought about the changes she would make.

"This place is really great," she said as she accepted the soda water. "It has this great feel to it. I don't think I'd do that much to change it."

Sebastian was surprised by her comments, so much like his own thoughts.

She glanced around again. "I just think I'd add some more privacy to the booths. Maybe nice thick draperies, sectioning off between them. And I think the tables should be changed to a heavier wood. A nice solid feel. And the lighting now is dramatic, but I think it could be more subtle and make just as much of an impression. I'd like to give the club more sophistication and less flash."

Sebastian followed her gaze around the room. He supposed it did look a little... over the top.

Maybe he did need to change. Or rather the club needed a change.

The Society meeting was crowded again tonight. Mina slipped in just as Jackson Hallowell called the meeting to order. She took a seat toward the back of the room as she usually did, and waited for the president to announce the topics of the meeting.

"Tonight, I would like to hear from the 'Society's Saviors,' the new name for our missionaries as voted on by our board during last night's board meeting."

The Society's Saviors?Mina glanced around to see if anyone else found the title a little absurd. Only Jude reacted. He frowned, but then his face returned to its usual stoic expression, so Mina wasn't sure whether that was a reaction to the name or not. Everyone else just listened intently.

Mina turned her attention back to Jackson. Maybe she was being too critical. Maybe she was letting Sebastian's beliefs of the Society affect her feelings. Even though he'd said very little about them. Although the SPAMM thing was sort of funny.

"The Society's Saviors go out to the frontlines and try to stop the preternaturals before more mortals are hurt. Without these brave volunteers, we will never hope to be integrated into society. First, I'd like to ask Daniel to come up here."

Mina watched as the tall, thin vampire walked to the podium. As always, the vampire made her uneasy. Something about him just set off warning bells-and a strange sense that she should know why. But she didn't.

"Daniel, here," Jackson clapped the vampire on the back. Daniel's lip twitched slightly at the touch, but otherwise he remained unemotional. "Daniel has been brave and dedicated enough to the Society to take on the mission of stopping Franny Millhouse, the vampire whom we have deemed the most dangerous in New York."

Mina felt a smile tug at her mouth. She'd forgotten the most dangerous vampire was named Franny Millhouse. Not a very menacing name. Sebastian would be so upset that a "Franny" beat him for that Number One spot.

She paused, realizing that she was finding humor in something that could be very dangerous. Just because the vampire was named Franny didn't mean she couldn't be hurting humans.

"So Daniel, please tell us about your mission so far."

Daniel stepped up to the podium, not offering a smile to the group as he started.

"As you may recall, Franny Millhouse was chosen as the most dangerous vampire because she runs an escort service in which humans hire preternaturals."

Mina frowned. That sounded more like humans using preternaturals, not the other way around. Of course, they didn't know exactly what they were getting when they hired an escort. That could be very dangerous.

"I infiltrated her business as one of her employees."

Mina studied the thin, pale man. Did women actually hire him? She paused. That was unkind of her. She focused on his words rather than his looks.

"Once there, I found out how she handles situations like sexual contact between escorts and clients. As we suspected, sexual contact is not discouraged." His eyes glittered, and Mina got the impression the idea excited him.

The group began to murmur, obviously distressed by Daniel's announcement. She frowned. Maybe she was missing something here, but they didn't seem to be talking about biting. Wasn't biting the issue they were concerned about? Biting, using humans as food sources, hurting them. Biting and drinking their blood, those were the things that made them appear as monsters. Not sex. Humans had sex. Sex wouldn't stop them from being integrated.

Mina rose from her chair. "Excuse me."

The whole room seemed to turn in unison to look at her, and for a second she considered just sitting back down. But she knew she couldn't. She needed answers about this "I... " She cleared her throat. "I thought that we were more concerned with whether she was using the escort service as essentially a take-out restaurant for her employees. Not about-other relations between humans and preternaturals."

Daniel's eyes narrowed then his eerie gaze slid down her body. She fought the urge to wrap her arms protectively around herself. A spine-chilling smile curled his thin lips. "Dearest Wilhelmina, you do know that those acts generally go hand in hand, don't you?"

Mina frowned. What was he implying? She shivered, her skin feeling like it was crawling to get away from his dark, disturbing stare.

"I agree," someone else said. "As preternatural creatures we all know those two acts are often hard to separate." Mina looked at the speaker, a female vampire dressed a bit like a fortune-teller. Was that what Daniel had meant? That they all should know the dangers? Somehow, Mina felt he was implying that she'd have no basis to know that. But he couldn't know that.

"But do we know that's what's going on there?" Mina asked, directing the question to Jackson and Jude. "Have there been any reports of violence?" "Indeed there have," Daniel answered instead, and again Mina felt there was a hint of glee in his announcement. "Although," Jude added, "we haven't been able to verify if that was actually linked with the escort service. It was one of Ms. Millhouse's customers, but it was the night after she'd hired an escort."

Mina noticed Daniel shot Jude a disgusted look.

"Does Ms. Millhouse have any rules that her employees have to follow? Such as-intimate acts are

okay, if initiated by humans. And is biting off-limits or is that encouraged too?" Mina asked.

Daniel raised his chin and didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know about that."

"You work for her, yet you don't know her rules?" Mina shook her head. "That doesn't sound right."

Daniel's gaze met hers. Sinister eyes. Unease pooled in her belly.

"Mina," Vedette, who sat several rows away from her, stood. "Why are you questioning this? We know

she's a dangerous vampire. Anyone running a business such as hers must be." Mina looked at Vedette, who frowned at her as if she was a wayward child who was speaking out of turn among the "adults." It was a look she remembered well from her own parents. And this time, she refused to cow to that scolding look. "I just want to know that we are pursuing real threats." "Maybe you'd like to tell us how your mission is going?" Daniel suggested. Mina met his gaze, unwilling to let this vampire intimidate her. "I've gotten Sebastian Young to agree to stop biting for a month," she announced. She noticed that Vedette and Jackson looked impressed. Jude's handsome face showed no emotion, and Daniel looked angry. "And what did you offer him in return?" Daniel asked. "Sex? Is that something you readily offer these days?" Mina gaped at him, shocked that he'd said such a thing. First he'd implied she knew nothing about preternatural sex, now he was insinuating that she was having sex with Sebastian. And what did he mean these days ?

Jude rose. "Daniel, I think you should watch yourself."

Daniel offered Jude a sycophantic smile. "I only mean to say that since Wilhelmina doesn't seem bothered by Franny Millhouse selling sex, maybe she'd be willing to bargain with it too."

Mina gritted her teeth. "No. That wasn't part of the deal."

"Well, I think your accomplishment is wonderful," Jackson said, offering her one of his ultra-bright smiles. "By whatever means you did it. Humans are safer. Good work, Wilhelmina."

Mina nodded at his acknowledgment and sat back down. A week ago that praise would have made her feel so proud, would have verified to her that she was doing the Society's work and it was good work. But now she only felt slight regret, and more confident that humans didn't need protection from Sebastian Young.

She glanced back up at Daniel. He still watched her with narrowed, resentful eyes. But they might need protection from some of the preternaturals here.

Mina pulled in a deep breath as she slipped out of the meeting. The overly warm night air was less stifling than the meeting room had been. She hurried down the alley, wanting to get away before any of the other members left. Especially Daniel. But she didn't want to talk to any of them. And not about Sebastian.

By the end of the meeting, Mina was more convinced that the Society wasn't what she'd believed. Other members had reported about their missions with their "dangerous" preternaturals. A werewolf who ran a home for runaway teens-and even though there was no evidence that he'd hurt any of them, he was deemed a threat and should be stopped. Another told about a vampire who drove a cab-again, he was a legitimate employee of Yellow Taxi, and there were no substantiated reports that he drove his fares to secluded places and savagely bit them. But they bumped him up to Number Seven on the most dangerous list.

Mina shook her head as she strode down the street. They were more interested in casting judgment than helping humans. She wasn't sure any of them were doing this to help humans, period. It seemed more like some form of vigilante justice against preternaturals whose lifestyles they didn't agree with.

Of course, she'd been guilty of that too, hadn't she? She'd never seen or even heard any accounts of Sebastian hurting mortals. In fact, from the way women flocked to him, he was doing anything but hurting them.

Again, she wondered if women were flocking around Sebastian right now. Tightness tugged at her chest and this time she didn't bother to ponder its meaning. She knew this emotion well-jealousy.

Instead of turning toward her apartment, she strode in the direction of Carfax Abbey. She wanted to see Sebastian now. She wasn't going to lie to herself or justify anymore. He'd shown her more in three days than she'd learned in a hundred years. He'd made her feel more alive than she ever had. Even when she was alive. She wanted to be with him.

Chapter 17.

Outside Carfax Abbey, Mina hesitated. If she went inside, she was going to have to face all the people she'd worked with-the people who had accepted her so readily. And who she'd cast unfair judgments on.

Maybe they didn't know. But that seemed unlikely. She'd experienced club life, at least for a little while. Everyone knew everyone else's business. And they must have asked someone. After all, she'd just stopped coming to work.

Maybe it would be wiser to head back to her apartment and wait for Sebastian there.

No, she straightened her shoulders. She needed to do this. She needed to tell them she was sorry. She needed to see Sebastian too. She needed to tell him that she'd been wrong about him, too.

Oh, he'd be smug about it, and he'd never let her forget that she'd misjudged him. But she could take that. Being teased by him was as enjoyable as everything else the man did.

"Hi, Constantine," she said quietly as she came up the club's large granite steps.

The tall Greek werewolf stood like an ancient sentry in the doorway. His arms were crossed over his broad, black t-shirt clad chest. His leather encased legs were spread slightly like he was ready to block her entrance. Instead he smiled, his smoldering dark eyes holding not even the slightest hint of dislike. In fact, his gaze roamed down her body.

"Hey, Wilhelmina. Lookin' good."

She was surprised by his reaction, then she remembered what she'd chosen to wear tonight. A dark red, satiny sundress that she barely wore. She'd dress up for the Society meeting? No, she realized. She'd put on this dress with the intention of coming here-to Sebastian.

"Thanks, Constantine."

"Where you been lately?" he asked, and for a moment Mina didn't know what to say. Apparently he hadn't heard she was the one who'd tried to shut down the club and end his job.

She knew she should tell him the truth. She'd been fired, but instead she said, "I've been off for a few days."

"Nice," he said, then turned to take the ID of a lovely brunette waiting to enter the club.

The brunette smiled interestedly at Constantine, and Mina knew the werewolf's attention was otherwise engaged.

She headed into the club. It was the slowest she'd ever seen the place, but it was Sunday night. And she suspected that Carfax Abbey was still busier than most bars on a Sunday. She scanned the large room, looking for Sebastian. She couldn't find him, but she noticed that Greta had spotted her.

"Wilhelmina! I'm so glad you stopped by. Nadine told us that you were taking some time off."

Mina was again shocked. Greta hadn't heard either. Mina glanced at where Nadine stood behind the bar. Nadine saw her too, but rather than gesturing for Constantine to come and throw her out, she just nodded.

Mina waved, not sure what else to do.

"So why are you taking time off?" Greta asked. "It can't be because you're sick." She laughed.

No, vampires didn't get colds, did they? "I just needed a few days to... " She didn't know what to say. "Is Sebastian here?"