I woke with a throbbing headache, wincing at the dull light as I opened my eyes. The blasted thing was only a lamp but it was painful.

"Good afternoon," Emmeline said softly.

"Please tell me that you're joking."

"Unfortunately, I'm not."

Sitting up was not easy but my sweet as pie cousin-in-law was ready to help. Not sure why Emmeline shacked up with my jerk of a cousin or why she was still here but she was. Maybe she was crazy.

"You should rest Claudia."

"I have to find Henley."

"Alaric is handling it."

I rolled my eyes, Emmeline giggled.

"So, how much has he screwed it up and how much do I need to fix?"

"Your assessment of my efforts is, as always, enlightening."

Pulling a chair into the room, Alaric sat down with a pile of papers and folders. Oliver wasn't far behind, with a tip of his head and a wicked smirk, he said his hello. He was a much better cousin but that's probably because he wasn't a blood relation. The mad creature actually wanted to be a part of this dysfunctional family.

"I'll fetch the doctor and a meal." Emmeline offered as she stood, fleeing the room quickly.

She was never one to hang around when Alaric talked war. Not sure why but I think she didn't like it.

"Security vision shows Lockhart moving Henley out of the estate by foot through the eastern forest corridor. It would seem that he was either unaware or didn't care about the cameras within the rear forest. A path had clearly been planned as he managed to get through the corridor and into the rear forest without issue. He was tracked through to the adjacent farm, from there they were taken by a waiting car."

"He knew not to take one of the government cars, they all have tracking devices in them. We can discuss this all night but it won't solve the issues that we have. The first is where they are now and the second is why is Lockhart so interested in Henley?"

"Lockhart was extremely determined to be given the case. He played it off by making it seem like I was incompetent. Every step of the way, he would have been there. I had a feeling that it might have been him but was sidetracked by thoughts of drug lords and gangs wanting to take down the anti-drug campaigning mayor of the halfways."

Oliver and Alaric looked at each other, I raised an eyebrow in response, patiently waiting.

"There has been some chatter over the land, our sources indicate that the father has surfaced and is looking for someone to join him in his war."

"And I take it that someone is his son?"

Alaric nodded grimly.

"Did we just get Henley safely out of the halfways for his father?"

"It would seem that way."

Did I feel betrayed? A little. I had questions and I wanted to know if Henley knew what his father was up to. Had I been played? I dreaded the thought that my feelings had gotten in the way.

"Do you know where they are now?"

"In the lower quadrant. Your mother has sent guards to watch the border. We don't think they'll pass into her land but we don't know what they want."

"Sure you do."

They both looked at me curiously.

"Henley's father wants to exterminate all the vampires and return their lives to the way that it used to be before we existed."

"We've always existed. They just didn't know about it."

"Do you know why Lockhart has betrayed his own kind?"

Alaric shook his head, looking down as his mood lowered. We'd both been betrayed by people who were supposed to be on our side. Lockhart was a vampire, he should want our race to dominate.

"He wants complete control."

The words were just a breath of a thought as the realization came to me. Alaric frowned as he looked up at me.

"What is your ultimate goal for our world?"

"Peace and unity."

"Has Lockhart ever spoken out against that goal?"

"Constantly," Oliver grumbled.

"Then there is his motive. You want a world with humans as equals to us, to have a peaceful life where everyone gets along and he wants complete domination over them. Trust me when I say that Henley and his foolish father will not be alive for much longer if Lockhart has anything to do with it."

Flicking the bedcover off my legs, I turned and lowered my feet to the cold floor. Then I leaned forward and grabbed Alaric by his jacket, dragging him forward.

"I'm sure that you've already drawn your own conclusions given the conversation in the car so I'll keep it simple. I want Henley back and I want him alive and unharmed. Are we on the same page here?"

"Claudia, did you shack up with a human?"

I narrowed my eyes to the smug one who was grinning madly. Letting go of the jacket, I smiled with as much supremacy as I could manage.

"Unlike some, I do not discriminate."

"Enough of the games, children."

With a big smile, I looked up at the doorway.

"Hey there dad."

He wandered in and sat on the bed beside me, hugging me hard.

"Your mother was beside herself with worry. We had to leave at that very moment but someone insisted that the border was watched. My instructions were very clear Claudia. Make sure you were okay then put you on a plane home. It would seem that your mother was delusional enough to think you'd walk away from an assignment, even if you have a sedative in your system. You are your mother's daughter, I'm afraid."

"Dahlia would never walk away," Oliver said with a wildness in his eyes.

He out of everyone had known my mother the longest. Way back when Oliver was a gun for hire, working for the mob, he knew my mother. She was a princess in hiding, living as a mercenary, tracking those who did not want to be found. If he said something about my mother that he believed was the truth, it probably was.

Alaric broke the thoughts by offering a folder. I took it, worried about what was inside it. The look on his face was enough to indicate that I wouldn't like the contents.