Milo distanced himself from Levi, and in return to Nya, for the next week focusing on finding Jason. He enjoyed traveling through the woods, but he would take walks around the town, hood up, eyes down, listening for what he was looking for. There was a tip, something he would have to test for himself, the small cafe is where he would scout out a victim. No dead bodies were a good sign, but with the attacks in the main city up north concerned him. A nest-like attack made Milo believe that Jason had something to do with it.

As he entered the cafe, the bell softly dinged, his eyes quickly scanning the crowd, and in that moment, he suddenly realized why it would be here. Predominantly female, the demographic aligned perfectly with the fact that the attacks targeted mostly females. He stepped up to the counter, hearing very clearly the whispers from a table nearby as one girl asked her friend if she had seen him.

"Britney, look at that guy, not now, okay now look."

"Okay? He looks creepy with his hood up."

"I saw his face; I'm going to ask for his number."

"Pats, he's like 30."

"So? Only 11 years difference."

Milo shook their voices from his head as he looked at the young woman behind the counter. "I'll just take an empty cup, but charge it with whatever you want."

Her eyes glazed over for a second, and his shoulders slump. How was it possible for Nya to do it easily, leaving no evidence behind?

"That'll be 4.25." She gave a kind smile to him, and he pulled out his wallet, dropping a 10 on the counter.

"I don't need the change."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He turned and walked towards an empty table.

"Thank you!" She called back, but he just sat, letting his head dip down. In just about three minutes, she was by his side, putting the empty cup down next to him. "I really mean it, thank you."

As she returned to her counter, he gave a nod, his fingers twisting the cup where she drew a heart on it. But there was no phasing him, not now. There he just listened, the talk about the easy-going times of the fading lights of summer, some spoke of school, some spoke about kids going back, and others just avoided the topic all together.

Milo hated it.

In his youth he was very sociable, but somewhere down the line, after turning, after centuries, became who sat in the coffee bar. He possessed the capacity to accurately identify the exact second when he parted ways with the person he once was, despite his unwillingness to consider it.

He was in a bad mood, that's all.

But he couldn't even convince himself of that.

The bell dings and he sensed it, a kite, entering through the door. From his spot, he sat in the corner and all he had to do was turn his head to the left, catching a glimpse of Jason. He took Milo's old seat near the table with the two girls, but now a young man sat next to the one name Britney. Was it that easy for Jason to pick his victim?

Milo stood, ready to face Jason head-on, knowing that if he had any sense, he would submit like the weakling he truly was. But before he took a single step, the door rang once more, and Milo was hit with something that knocked him down to his seat.

That night, the sensation under his oak tree drew him to the girl solely by her scent.

Not the way her skin had a soft sandalwood linger, or her hair was that of lilacs, or her clothes were fresh and crisp, as if they were pulled from the drier.

No, her blood was the source of it all.

His stomach roared for him to feed, his mind raced with the thoughts of how she would taste, his heart thumped against his chest in a hammering sensation that made him grip the edge of the table. He was going to do it, there was no stopping him, he had to taste her.

"Caleb, shut up." His ear focused on her, Jason no longer a thought in his brain. She was with two young boys, twins by the looks of them. "I'm getting it." Her voice soothed like the ocean when the storm ceased. "I'm sorry, can I add those breakfast burritos?"

They moved to the pickup counter near where he sat. Two other tables blocked the way, one with an old man absorbed in reading a paper, and the other currently occupied by the young boys. But he directed his gaze upwards, perhaps too high, to observe her. To him, she was just pretty, not as beautiful of her scent, he doubted if she stuck out from a crowd. But, damn it, that scent.

His mouth was full of water silva, that hunger burrowing deeper into him. The longing to take in the air was so fierce that he scarcely let out a breath before greedily gasping for more.

He could compel her, tell the boys to go home, and take her away, feed off her until she was just dust in the wind. No, no, he mustn't kill her, no, he would need her to live, feed off her every chance he got. His heart banged in his ears. Once he fed, he knew he would be addicted to her, hell he already was, he could not live without her, he could not move without knowing that was there to feed off of. He loved her, hated her, wanted her dead, wanted her alive, he longed for her to be haunted by fear.

Yes, fear, it made it all taste even better.

Her head turned and he dropped his face down. Did she cast a glance at him, would she recognize his eyes? Please, please don't come over here, but please do.

"Thea?" Thea, oh yes, Thea. What a pretty name for her. However, one of the boys was involved. "Do you miss home? Is that why you're always locked up in your room?"

She was silent now, anticipating hearing her talk made his heart speed up.

"Yeah, a little." The calm ocean once more. "I don't know why we're here, I mean, I know why, but..."

She let out a breath of a sigh and his muscles twitch under his skin.

"Thea, I have your order." The barista said, and his head was once more up, watching the girl hand two cups to the boys, then a bag of their food, before taking up her own cup. If she had looked over right then and there, she would have seen his full face, those eyes from that night, but she didn't. Guiding the boys towards the door, she walked out into the night.

Now.

Now was the time to strike, compel the boys, then her. Find a secret place to hide, and feed. They stood right outside the cafe, her scent fading and his body relaxing.

What was that? His hands rubbed at his face, sweat made it slick, surprising him. When was the last time he sweated? Thinking straight and looking down at his hands, the lines, creases, the scars, and decided he had to stay away from her. He did not like that man, he hated him, the man when he lost control, and his shoulder slumped. That's why he had to stay with Levi, because outside on his own, or even with Jude, he had no control of himself.

"Bye!" He didn't consider turning his gaze towards the departing individual, but the voice appeared familiar. The one that found him attractive was at the door, pushing it open as she blew kisses to her friend and the man, then she was out. Jason was on his feet the second she was out there.

Milo stood, but he saw her, standing right outside the door, leaning against the window. Hesitation froze him there, fearing for his next action.

Jason.

Damn it, Jason, he could have that girl by now. Inhaling deeply, he approached the door without pausing, even as a car arrived and one of the boys stepped in front of him. He couldn't care, not when it meant looking at her, not when it meant crossing the line between being in control, and losing it.

His body knocked into the boy, but as the kid tumbled back, his food landing on the ground, and Milo stepped down right on it.

"Hey, you asshole! Watch where you're going." Her voice raged like those crashing waves. It required his full effort to turn his gaze backward, the strong desire tempting him to halt, but his own determination, despite being feeble, compelled him to continue moving. Someone else called back to him, a parent perhaps, but he turned down an alleyway, following the scent of blood.

Milo was running, passing by buildings, following it until...

She lay on the ground, her neck open, blood leaking from her. Jason left in a hurry, he typically fed them blood. Sloppy.

"Hey." He whispered to the girl, shivering from the blood loss, her eyes unable to focus. "You're okay, I promise."

Within the depths of his jacket, he pulled out a small vial and held it to her lips. "Drink."

Briefly, she entertained the idea of not doing it, he was able to discern it in her expression, but the fear within her, the fear of potentially dying there, overshadowed the fear of him she cautiously experienced. Milo witnessed the gap sealing on her neck, and he was enraged that she did not have the aroma of the other one, nothing resembling it. He pulled himself up, looking away from her and pulling his phone out.

"Milo? Where are you?" Nya didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Can you meet me downtown?"

"We'll be there in 5 minutes." And the line went dead. That meant Levi. Great.

He stood just beyond the mouth of the alley, providing her with the best support he was capable of without physically lifting her when the footsteps approached.

"Milo!" Nya shifted her gaze towards him, halting in her tracks upon seeing the girl. "Oh my..."

"What did you do to her?" Levi stepped into the alley without even looking at Milo. "You could have killed her."

"Levi." Nya snipped.

"It wasn't me, I found Jason." He let Levi take a hold of the girl.

"Where is he?" Nya looked to Milo. "Did you get him? Did you...did you kill him?"

"No, he got away."

"That is not like you." Levi looked to Milo as if he could see what had happened. "I've seen you take down armies, and Jason... you let him go?"

"No, I... I got distracted."

Levi's eyes narrowed on Milo. "Go home, we will take care of the girl. I'll call her a cab to take her to the hospital and Nya will do the compulsion."

"I can help."

"No, you've done enough tonight."

He opened his mouth, but caught Nya's eyes, a plead in them. Not here, not now. "Alright." He said more to her, before turning and leaving them there.

He sauntered back home with a deliberate slowness for him. The stars shimmered brightly tonight, each time he raised his eyes to them, he desired to transport himself among them. Once on Sunset, he slowed his steps even more. If he hadn't known the address she lived on, he could tell. She emitted an indescribable something, perhaps a warmth? Like the sun. Serenity of the moon. The calm sea exuded tranquility, yet it also harbored an untamable storm, a fire that had the potential to burn indefinitely.

He did not stop, though he wanted to, but he pushed through that tug bearable now. He walked up to the house and to one couch, letting his head droop into his hands. How did he explain that to Levi? The truth, but no, how was he able to disclose that without being accused of losing himself again? Raising his face, he observed his hands once more, he lacked the ability to deceive, he couldn't even make an effort. The one responsible was Levi, not Nya; he always had an uncanny sense of being followed.

He pushed himself up, his eyes scanning the room, because he felt those eyes, those invisible eyes, on him. Could Levi talk to the dead? If yes, could he have them follow him?

The door clicked open, the paranoia slipping away like smoke as Nya came running in. Her arms wrapped around him into an embrace.

"Where have you been, I was worried?"

But he watched as Levi slipped in, his eyes indicating his understanding. "Nya, can you give me and Milo a second to talk?"

"Levi, please, don't go hard on him."

"Nya, please."

She turned her big, almost fiery orange eyes up to him, and he could not help but think she was so lovely. "Don't leave without talking to me."

Levi advanced a few steps as soon as she left the room. "Milo, how could this happen?"

"I was close to getting him, but I had to help the girl."

"How could you let this happen?"

"How could you put the blame on me? I was doing what you asked of me, I went out and found Jason, I just need more time to get him."

"You let him go after the girl." He turned his head to the wall, the wall that, if he could see through, would reach out over the street below them, to house she would be in. "I believe it would be most beneficial for you to visit Mr. Keaton and remain with the daughters for a while."

"What? No, who will get Jason?"

"I have my ways." He looked back at Milo and witnessed Levi's genuine pain, the idea of sending his own son away and then back to the wall.

Milo realized it had little to do with what happened that night and everything to do with his intense desire for the girl. He nodded, moving his eyes to the wall too. "Yeah, okay. Give me a few days to finish some business, and I'll be out."

"The sooner, the better," Milo looked back to the man. "I will get you as soon as I feel it is safe for you to come home."

"I can start tonight."

"No, tomorrow, tonight, just rest up." Levi stepped down to the lowered livingroom, and towards the hall.

"Levi." Milo spoke up, and he stopped as he turned back to the young man. "How do you know?"

"Rest, my son, we will have time to talk when you're ready to come home."

Once more Milo opened his lips, stopped only by the vibrations on his phone, a name he now dreaded to read flashed in his face.

"I promise everything will be okay." Levi said low, turning back towards the hallway.

Milo walked towards the back yard, slipping out before pressing to answer the phone. "Hello, Jude."