“Well, this is certainly not where I thought I’d find you.”

Mark looked up from the rippling water in front of him to find Amber coming slowly up on him, her shoes clacking against the wood of the pier Mark was seated at the end of.

“No?” Mark brought his attention back to the water and the spot where his toes connected with the chilly lake, sloshing the liquid around as he kicked aimlessly. He guessed he really didn’t know why of all the places he could have gone, he’d chosen to run to the spot where he’d almost drowned. But he’d come here all the same, and sat on the edge of the dock, and waited in silence for Zhou Mi to finally drift away and give him his space.

Naturally, Mark had to assume that Zhou Mi was still out there, watching his every move. Zhou Mi was more of a bodyguard now than anything else, and he was especially tense with all the things that had happened recently.

He was a good man so Mark was determined not to fight him on his protectiveness, and it showed that Zhou Mi knew him well that he was willing to back off and give him space to think and grieve and breathe and deal.

“No,” Amber confirmed, sitting next to him gracefully. It took her a second to get her own shoes off, but then she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, her feet in the water too. “Henry’s camped out at the hospital in town. He’s convinced you’re going to show up eventually. Honestly, I would have put my money with you being there.” She added more quietly, “We were worried when the sun came up and no one could find you.”

Mark’s fingers scratched idly across the wood. “I wasn’t alone. I was with Zhou Mi.”

Mark felt like such a hypocrite. He’d spent so much time working up the courage to tell Zhou Mi that there was nothing between them. And then he’d gone and hurt the man further by declaring Jackson as the object of his affection. Zhou Mi had taken it in stride, that was the kind of person he was, but Mark had known from the start that he was twisting a knife into the heart of someone who was loyal and kind.

He was a hypocrite because the second Mark had gotten Jackson to the hospital, Jackson’s blood cold on Mark’s skin as it dried and cracked, there’d been only one place Mark thought he could go to feel safe. He’d run straight to Zhou Mi and been sheltered without a necessary explanation.

“That’s good,” Amber said cautiously. “But the rest of us were still very worried. Next time have Zhou Mi let someone know he’s got you. Henry’s almost got a bald spot, you know. You’re making his hair fall out.”

“Okay,” Mark mumbled. He couldn’t tell her that he hadn’t let anyone know where he was because he was ashamed. He was ashamed of how he’d acted, what he’d felt, and then how he’d crumpled so easily afterwards.

He’d spent almost the whole of the day after Jackson’s admittance to the hospital huddled under a blanket, shaking and freezing cold, only tempered by Zhou Mi who rubbed his back and mumbled to him in Chinese.

Mark didn’t speak a single word of Chinese, but the inflection in the words, the tone to Zhou Mi’s voice, and the universally understood meaning behind the action, made a difference.

When he’d gotten up the next night, still feeling as if he didn’t know who he was anymore, he’d meant to ask Zhou Mi not to tell anyone about his breakdown.

But before he could, it was Zhou Mi who’d said, “I will always be by your side when you need me. I will always keep your secrets. You never have to worry that others will know or see things you don’t want them to. I’m your shield, Mark.”

Mark had always known that Zhou Mi was his ally before that moment. He’d always known he was trustworthy and a friend. But in that moment, Mark could see quite certainly what Zhou Mi had been talking about when Mark had crushed his hopes over their match. They could have been a good match. They could been partners and companions and exactly what Mark’s parents had intended them to be.

It was scary to think that maybe they had picked Zhou Mi for him with the utmost care. They’d picked someone they knew wouldn’t be over zealous or overbearing. They’d seen in Zhou Mi that he was quiet and careful and kind. They’d known Mark would need someone who could support him, but never try to control him. It was possible Mark hadn’t given his parents enough credit. Zhou Mi was exceptional. Zhou Mi was the kind of compatible match that put an emphasis on friendship and companionship, and less on the things that Mark was more frightened of.

At least one part of Mark, a part that he was pushing down frantically, knew that Zhou Mi was right. They could be good together. And there was a very real possibility that Zhou Mi was someone Mark could fall in love with.

“Where’d you think I’d be?” Mark asked Amber, feet stilling, feeling the chill of the water all the way up through his body.

Promptly, Amber said, “The hospital, of course.”

Mark felt a sudden sting to his eyes. “Why would you think that? How could you think that?”

“Because,” Amber drawled out, “if my boyfriend were in the hospital, I’d be there sitting with him, showing him he was important to me. If Henry were in that kid Jackson’s place, I’d be by his side.”

Mark kept quiet. She couldn’t understand.

“So why are you here instead of there? You defied a lot to get that boyfriend. Why not be there for him?”

Mark cut his eyes towards her. “You don’t want me dating Jackson. Don’t pretend like you want me anywhere near him.”

“I never said that,” she replied quickly.

Mark shrugged. “You never had to. That speech about not hurting Zhou Mi said enough. You implied I was wrong for not wanting the match. You seemed disappointed.”

Amber was still for a moment, liking thinking his words over. Maybe she was putting together another lecture. Amber rarely, absolutely rarely lectured. But when she did ,she knew how to cut right into someone’s heart with her words.

But then Amber’s head was tipping to rest on Mark’s shoulder. “I want you to be happy, Mark. That’s my first priority, no matter what you may think. You’ve always been more like a kid brother to me, than the cousin of the person I love. But sometimes being in a position of power like you are, means sacrificing personal happiness for something much more important.”

“So you’d be satisfied if I just rolled over and accepted Zhou Mi?”

“Henry would,” she chuckled. “But honestly Mark, I think you and Zhou Mi would be great together. He’s everything I’d ever want for you. I have a feeling that deep down inside you, in that place you don’t want to let see the light of day, you know that you and Zhou Mi are a very good match. You’re very complimentary.”

She was right. He knew she was right, and he hated it.

“Zhou Mi would make the fourth family strong in ways you can’t begin to understand just yet. He’s by far the best prospect for you now that Grace is gone, and Tammy and your mother for that matter. That’s what this is ultimately about.” Amber’s head lifted from his shoulder and she grimaced at him. “This isn’t about Henry trying to deny you your right to choose, or Zhou Mi asking you to sacrifice the little freedom you have. This is about your family--our family. This is about keeping the fourth family afloat, and Zhou Mi more than does that. You know how stretched thin the fourth is right now. You having any kind of relationship with Jackson, puts incredible strain on the stability of the fourth family.”

Mark frowned. “I’m trying not to be selfish, Amber. I’m trying so hard. I’m trying to make good choices and have selfless actions. But it’s not easy. It , let me tell you, to go from only having to worry about yourself, to having to consider a lot of other people. And this, this matter with Zhou Mi, it’s the one thing I can’t make myself be selfless about. I just can’t.” glanced at her. “But you would be selfless, wouldn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

Mark mumbled, “If you were me, you wouldn’t even have considered Jackson, would you have? You’d have taken finding out about Zhou Mi in stride, and you’d be fully prepared to get married to him and spend the rest of your life with him.”

Amber gave a deep laugh. “I’m not that selfless, Mark.”

“But you would,” he pointed out.

And eventually, she nodded. “I would marry Zhou Mi if I were you, Mark. At least that’s what I think. I’d take one of the team, so to say, especially with how weak the fourth family is right now. But you can’t really take what I’m saying to mean anything that should reflect on your own choices.”

“Why not?”

Amber bumped him with her shoulder. “Because I don’t know what you feel when you look at Jackson. I don’t know what you’re feeing in your gut or your head or your heart. I only know what you look like when you talk about him. And I’ve seen the two of you together a few times.”

Mark forced a smile. “I look like a dork, right?” He always felt like one around Jackson. He felt like he was falling over himself to say the right things and be someone that Jackson would be interested in. Jackson made him feel wonderful most of the time, but there were also moments of unease. Mark didn’t always feel confident or sure around Jackson.

“You look,” Amber corrected, “happy.”

“Happy,” Mark parroted.

“Happy,” Amber said with a nod. “And didn’t I tell you that’s the most important thing to me with you? I don’t want to see you unhappy Mark, because you have to sacrifice something of yourself to keep this family strong. I don’t want you to have to make that choice. So maybe I have to say that I think you should choose Zhou Mi and let go of Jackson. I have to because I’m going to marry into your family very shortly and this family is supposed to be my one and only priority. But if we’re being completely honest with each other right here and now, I kind of like it when you thumb your nose at the system. I like that you’re so different, Mark, and headstrong and determined.”

Mark deadpanned, “You like that I give Henry supposed ulcers?”

“No,” Amber said quietly. “I like that you know what makes you happy and go after it. I was worried, after the fire, that you wouldn’t be able to be happy again, or not for a long time. But you found something--someone. You found Jackson, and when I see the two of you together, you are happy. You’re happy with him, Mark. I couldn’t ask for anymore.”

“He does,” Mark said slowly, nodding. “He makes me happy, Amber. He makes me forget that my parents are dead. He makes it easier when I remember. He makes it not hurt as much.”

In the darkness of the night, the moon nothing but a sliver in the sky, the water looked black in front of him. Like a black pit he could just slink into and use to fade away from the world completely.

“Mark?”

“Hm?”

Amber told him, “Go see your boyfriend at the hospital. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or who will see, or even if it’s scary. Just got see him and be there with him.”

“I can’t,” he said finally, having to practically choke out the words. “Amber.”

“Can’t go see your boyfriend?” She gave him a look of disbelief.

Mark leaned forward. “By now his parents are there. They were on opposite ends of the world when we were attacked, but they’ve got to be by his side now. They hardly see him once in a year. They deserve to be with him without me hovering around, reminding them that it’s my fault. I know he’s going to be okay. He’s going to live and recover and be fine, but how can I go there knowing I’m responsible for putting him in the hospital in the first place?”

“Hey.” Amber griped his shoulder tightly and said snappishly, “You did not get that kid put into the hospital. You know exactly who’s responsible for his injury and it isn’t you. Don’t guilt yourself into feeling that way. The humans are responsible, not you.”

Mark sighed. “Then the humans finally started claiming responsibility? They’re finally fessing up?”

“No,” Amber said surprisingly, kicking water up at him. “Oddly enough, they’re still denying all involvement. Even the more radical sects of our favorite anti-vampire groups are swearing up and down it wasn’t them. I’d have thought at least one of them would want the credit of attacking a prince.” Amber scoffed. “It’s more than obvious they’re just trying to save face. Maybe trying to throw us off. And admitting anything anyway would be beyond detrimental to the peace accords. They want a war with us, but they want it on their own terms, and at the most opportune moment for them.”

“They’re saying it’s not them?” Mark’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Nodding, Amber replied, “Almost insistently the humans are saying it wasn’t them. But we know it was. At least the main suspect is the Humans First group. In terms of radicalism, they’re at the top of the list, and they’ve been involved before with vampire hate crimes. They’ve never been linked directly to anything involving the council or its members, but it’s only a matter of time. If it wasn’t the HF group, I’ll eat my shoe.”

The Humans First group scared Mark to death. They were, at least to the best of his knowledge, an underground terrorist group with one goal in mind. They existed in order to perpetrate the extinction of all vampires. They showed no mercy when they did attack vampires, and they’d just as soon murder a child as a grown adult. Mark had heard whisperings from his parents about them. Most human anti-vampire groups couldn’t be taken seriously. The HF were.

Amber continued on, “Your boyfriend, Mark, nearly had his heart pierced with an iron arrow from a bolt-action crossbow. That’s a signature trademark if I’ve ever seen one, and the HF are known for emulating the vampire hunters from hundreds of years ago. Anyone else would have attacked with guns or something of that sort--something modern at least. These humans that hurt Jackson and tried to kill you, they might as well have announced they were HF with their weapons.”

Mark asked, “Then why bothered to deny it? Why be so blatant about it and then not admit to it? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Don’t know.” Amber leaned back on her hands, head tipped up towards the sky. “But you can’t beat yourself up over this. Your boyfriend might not be a pureblood, but he knows what it means to be associated with us. We’re dangerous, both in what we’re capable of, and the targets we can become. He didn’t start dating you thinking that it would be completely safe. And there’s no way he didn’t know that as a prince, you’d have a constant target on your back. I guarantee you that he knew. So stop thinking that this came out of nowhere for him, or that it was unexpected.”

Mark clenched his eyes closed and recalled the entire event. “He pushed me out of the way. I can’t say for sure, but I think the humans were after me and Jackson just got in the way. I don’t think he was the target, it must have been me. Jackson just reacted.”

Whistling, Amber said, “That’s impressive. For a vampire with mixed blood. The human blood dilutes the senses. If he was able to get you out of the way of an arrow going that fast, he’s sharper than average.”

“He took the hit meant for me,” Mark shuddered. “He put himself in harms way to protect me.”

“A hit that would have killed you, but only injured him,” Amber reminded. “I call that a win, considering I hear he’s going to be up on his feet in a week and recovered completely in twice that time. He’s going to be fine, and deep down, you know it’s not your fault he got hurt in the first place. So what I really want to know is why you’re sitting out here, rocking the teenage angst like a pro, when you could be making out with him and pissing your uncle off.”

“He’s here?” Mark inquired with a wince.

“Of course he is,” Amber laughed out. “He’s a hard guy to get to know, but he really loves you, Mark. Anyway, he came with a council representative. Some guy who’s related to Zhou Mi? I’m not sure. But he has to get your statement before the council can do anything.”

“My statement,” Mark said.

“Before,” Amber said, “when the humans moved against you, it was never when you were there. This time it’s different. The council can’t ignore it now, I just don’t know what they plan to do.”

“What can they do?” Mark questioned. “Not much I’m betting. Not much without upsetting the vampire and human peace treaty.”

Amber told him reassuringly, “Your uncle will make sure something is done. You know he won’t stop until something is.”

It seemed like Mark’s uncle had to come out to the school all the time. It left Mark feeling like he was nothing but trouble.

“Amber,” Mark hedged carefully, turning to look at her. She was acting like she was perfectly fine, but he could tell there was an odd tint to her skin. And back when Mark had gone to seen the council, she’d been uneasy on her feet, nauseous and somewhat unwell. Was she coming down with something? If she was getting sick with something, it had to be more than the common cold. She needed to be resting right now, not traipsing out after him to talk him down from his self deprecating thoughts.

“Yeah?”

Mark drew his legs up out of the water and crossed them. He took a deep breath, then said, “I killed three men.” Their lives were like blights against his soul, and now he felt unclean. The kind of unclean that a shower couldn’t get rid of. He’d run out the hot water in the entire boy’s dorm, and turned his skin red and irritated trying.

Immediately Amber corrected, “You kill three humans who were threatening to kill you with their actions. That’s called self defense and you’re fully entitled to that. You killed to defend yourself and to defend someone you care about. That’s nothing to be proud of, but that’s also nothing to be ashamed of. Do you understand that?”

Would the council feel the same way? Would the human government that the council was supposed to work with, feel that way too? Or was what had happened, essentially an act of war?

Mark shuddered to think he was going to be responsible for a second vampire and human conflict.

His mouth felt so dry, and Mark would have killed for something to drink as he said nervously, “I lost control.”

“Of the beast?”

The beast was what most vampires affectionately, or less so in many cases, referred to as their natural instinct to act out in violent, often dangerous ways. Over the centuries vampire kind had gone genteel for the most part, at least the purebloods who led and set the example, but the beast was always there. The beast was incurable and Mark had felt his own for the first time.

“Yes.” He clenched down on shaking hands. “They hurt Jackson and I knew they were going to kill the both of us. I lost control and I killed them before I even realized what was happening. Amber, when the beast came out, when I lost myself, I killed those men and I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. That’s the worst part. Maybe I could deal better with this if it had just made me sick, but I enjoyed it so much. It felt right. It felt good.”

Amber laid back on the dock, her hands resting across her stomach as her feet kicked in the water. “Did I ever tell you about my first time?”

“No?” Mark hedged. He didn’t think so.

Amber said, “I was fourteen when I lost control for the first time. I hurt one of my best friends. She was the only human friend I had, fully human at least, and I took pride in that. I liked her for her humanity, and she liked me for my lack of it. We were opposites in a way, but we truly had a great friendship. We were glued to each other’s sides for years, even.”

“But then something happened?” Mark interjected.

“It was just a second,” Amber elaborated. “There we were, on the street, the weather was really bad--storming, and a driver lost control of his car. He almost plowed into us, and it wasn’t on purpose. But Sarah screamed, and I panicked and the beast in me just exploded. I scared Sarah, but I did worse to the driver, and I liked it. It felt good too, Mark. I acted like an animal, the kind of thing that human parents tell their children to be very afraid of, and to this day I’ve never been more ashamed of anything. Ever.”

Mark wasn’t sure how to respond. It sort of felt like the same thing, but not quite. He appreciated Amber trying to help, but the guilt was still so overwhelming in his chest.

Amber said, “I scared her and her family so badly that they wanted to take the matters to the council. My mom barely talked them down, and to this day I think money exchanged hands. My point is, you’re crazy if you think you’re the only one to lose control. It happens, especially when we’re young and just big bags of hormones. It , trust me, I really know it , but it happens. It’s not our fault the first couple times. It’s all instinctual, Mark. It’s what we do afterward to get and maintain control, that matters.”

“Do you think it happened to Henry?”

“Of course,” Amber replied easily. “Everyone, Mark. It happens to everyone. You’ll spend your life fighting against your more primitive instincts to become a beast, but you’re not incapable of keeping control of yourself. We’re better than our instincts, Mark. And we get better at being better the older we get.”

Mark laid down next to her. “I don’t want Jackson to hate me.” Maybe that was what he was really scared about.

“Why would he hate you?”

Mark traced the constellations above him. He could pick out a few.

Amber asked, “You think he’ll be scared of you after seeing what you can do? A pureblood vampire losing control is much different than a mixed blood.”

“No. Yes. Maybe.” Mark shrugged. “I’m scared to find out.”

“Oh.” Amber rolled to her side. “Being scared is okay, you know. People expect you to act like an adult, but you’re still just a kid in a lot of ways. You don’t always have to act like you’re forty, even if people want you to.”

“But I’m tired of being scared,” Mark sighed out.

“Then get up and be courageous instead.” Amber stood a little shakily as if to show him how easy it was, and when she wavered for a second Mark was there to steady her, demanding to know if she was okay. “I’m fine,” she laughed off. “Just vertigo for a second.”

Unable to contain his concern any longer, Mark demanded, “Are you sick? Tell me the truth. You look pale and you’re uneasy on your feet and Henry’s been hovering around you extra lately.”

Amber looped her arm through Mark’s and started them down the dock towards firm ground. She told him, “I’m absolutely fine. I promise you. I picked up a bug from one of the hundreds of girls I share a building with, but I’ll get over it. Don’t worry about me.”

How could he not? If Henry was like his brother, she was like his sister. All those adventures he and Henry had gone on as children, and things they had gotten into had always been punctuated by Amber who was the best lookout ever, and knew all the best fibs to tell their parents. She’d always been there with him and Mark had never once known her to pick up something so trivial as a bug. Even if she hadn’t been a vampire, it would have been uncharacteristic.

“Amber …”

“Go see your boyfriend,” she prompted. “I don’t know what kind of guy he is, but if he has any sense at all, he won’t blame you for this. And he won’t be scared of you. At the very least, you deserve to hear his reaction in person, and not passed along by someone else.”

“I don’t …”

“He took an arrow for you,” Amber reminded. “Go see him. Tell him thank you.”

“Okay,” Mark said eventually.

Amber caught his arm, truly looking serious for the first time. “But speak to the guy from the council first. Get that out of the way. Get the testimony done and then all you’ll have to concentrate on is Jackson.”

Mark took a deep breath. “You know where this guy is?”

Amber nodded.

He ended up finding the vampire sent from the council in one of the quieter lounge areas located in the main building. Classes were currently in session so Mark was able to slip into the area easily and without having to deal with anyone wanting to stop and talk to him.

“Ah,” the vampire said when Mark was in view. He got up to shake Mark’s hand promptly, but also bowed deeply and greeted, “I’m very pleased to get to meet you, Prince Mark. Of course I certainly wish it was under better circumstances.”

Mark’s eyebrows went high. Younger vampires were adorable, much like human babies who used their overly large heads and eyes as natural, biological defense mechanisms to make themselves seem harmless. And older vampires, anywhere from Henry’s age to much, much older, could look handsome and distinguished, but always alluring.

But this vampire? The vampire who was bowing again as if Mark deserved a second round of adoration. This vampire was utterly gorgeous, and most certainly the most beautiful male vampire Mark had ever seen.

“You’re related to Zhou Mi?” Mark asked as they took their seats, Mark folding a leg underneath himself as he sunk into the comfortable lounge chair.

“I am,” the other vampire said brightly, and he was a little to perky for Mark’s tastes. “I’m Lu Han.” He didn’t look a bit like Zhou Mi who was tall and dark and very masculine in his handsomeness. “Zhou Mi is my nephew.”

“Nephew?” Mark startled.

Lu Han held up two fingers. “Twice removed.” He laughed out, “I don’t look old enough to be an uncle, right?”

“No,” Mark said quietly. “At least not one who’s twice removed.”

Lu Han didn’t look offended in the least bit and he said, “Prince Mark, you should know as well as anyone else that vampires rarely look their age, especially purebloods. I’m almost eighty, but you’d never be able to tell unless I told you.”

Eighty. No, Mark certainly didn’t think Lu Han looked almost eighty.

“How about we get the messy stuff out of the way first,” Lu Han said, reaching to the side for a briefcase that he put on his knees and opened. From it he withdrew a small recording device and a pad of paper. “My official title, not that I’d expect you to know this in the least bit, is senior apprentice to the council clerk. I’m currently training for the position and have been for almost forty years.”

“What does the council clerk do?” Mark inquired. These were the moments when he thought his ignorance showed most strongly. Grace would have known. So would Tammy. But Mark was lost.

“A little bit of everything,” Lu Han said, setting the brief case aside when he’d produced a pen from it. “The clerk records council proceedings, safeguards its information, and makes it available to the right parties at the appropriate time. In this case, I’m here to record your testimony as to what happened when you were recently accosted by three humans. I’ll take your words directly to the council and relay them in their entirety, without error.”

Mark nodded to the handheld recorder. “So you’re the vampire version of that.”

“Sort of,” Lu Han allowed. “But anyone can listen to what’s recorded on a tape. The council clerk protects sensitive information more selectively.”

There was a stab of anger in Mark’s mind. Where had Lu Han and the council clerk been when information had leaked about where the council meeting was taking place? Who hadn’t safeguarded the information tightly enough? Was Lu Han the one responsible for the leak, or his master?

Mark questioned, “How much do you want me to say?”

Lu Han, with his slightly rounded, soft brown eyes, smiled encouragingly at Mark. “As far back as you find relevant, Prince Mark.” Lu Han leaned forward a little, caught the light, and everything about him looked twice as beautiful as it had before. Ethereal. That was how Mark wanted to describe Lu Han.

There was more deception in beauty than any other thing, Mark believed. And no doubt Lu Han was far more savvy that he was allowing Mark to believe.

Mark recounted his story slowly and deliberately. He took time and care to make sure the story came out as accurately as possible. He talked about going into town, seeing the street performers, and even the chocolate that he and Jackson had eaten. He let the words flow out of him how Jackson had taken the shot surely meant for him, and how he’d smelled the humans before he’d lost control. He talked for half an hour, including every small detail he could think that might be important, and then finally said, “I screamed for help. Someone called for an ambulance, it came and took Jackson away.”

Lu Han scribbled on the pad of paper endlessly while Mark spoke, hand never stilling or tiring. And when Mark was finished, slumping back into his seat, Lu Han tilted the pad ever so slightly and Mark could see impressively gorgeous cursive.

“Is that it?” Mark asked when the recording device was switched off.

Lu Han reached for the briefcase once more. “Almost. I promise. But there is a bit more.”

Mark frowned. “Like what? That’s everything that happened.”

“Not about that, Prince Mark,” Lu Han said easily, waving a hand .”Your introduction is in seven weeks now, correct?” Mark gave a silent nod and Lu Han continued. “As such, and being that you stand to inherit quite a bit, I have for you paperwork about such things.”

Mark sunk a little deeper into his chair. “Paperwork.”

Lu Han held up a thumb sized flash drive. “Upon your introduction, you will be considered an adult. That means, with the passing of your parents an elder siblings, all financial accounts, property holdings, and business acquisitions belong to you. This flash drive will hold all of those records. I imagine you’ll want to look them over when you have the time and become acquainted with them.”

Oh, god, Mark realized, Lu Han was there just as much to talk business, as the human issue.

Lu Han gave a serious look. “The council is required to keep very accurate and close watch over all of the families’ properties and monetary worth.” He passed the flash drive to Mark. “Encompassed here is the entirety of your family’s worth, as understood by the council. I should remind you that attempting to withhold any financial information, or not disclosing anything of the related nature, will be met with swift action.”

“I’m not …” Mark’s head was spinning. “I don’t know anything about this. I don’t know anything about business in general.”

Lu Han’s head cocked. “Of course you’re not expected to be able to handle all of this on your own just yet. But it’s never too early to acquaint yourself with your family’s wealth.”

Something glinted in Lu Han’s eyes and Mark looked down at the flash drive. When he plugged it into his laptop he wondered how much he’d really see on it. He knew his family was wealthy. Very wealthy. His mother had been a very conscientious business woman. She’d invested heavily in multiple properties, and had undertaken business adventures that had netted the family huge profits. Not to mention all the old money that had come from both Mark’s fraternal and maternal grandparents parents. Mark had always known that it wasn’t normal, or at least average, to have half a dozen vacation houses scattered around the globe. And most people couldn’t have the kind of lavish birthday parties that Mark and his siblings were accustomed to.

But how much was the family really worth? And who was currently keeping an eye on the money?

“Is any of this in my name?” Mark asked Lu Han, thinking of the huge automobile collection that had survived the fire, and the art collection that his mother had spent decades compiling pieces for. Not to mention the dozens of companies his parents owned and managed.

Not all vampires were as active as Mark’s parents had been. And few of them were ambitious enough to navigate the twenty-first century world of business. But Mark had loved that his parents weren’t content to sit on the money their parents had accumulated over the centuries. Mark had loved that his parents had known the proper way to serve and receive afternoon tea, as well as how to crush the stock market.

“Your uncle’s, I might assume,” Lu Han said, but he didn’t look certain. “But only as a temporary holder. In a few weeks there’ll be a transfer from his name to yours, and you’ll have more money and wealth than you know what to do with.”

“That’s not something particularly valuable to me,” Mark said honestly, but it wasn’t lost on him the flicker of envy across Lu Han’s face. Money was, Mark inferred, something important to Lu Han. And that mean most likely Lu Han was the kind of vampire who could be bought or paid off. Immediately Lu Han felt even less trustworthy.

“Be that as it may,” Lu Han told him, “in a few weeks time, you’ll become one of the most wealthy vampires in existence. I encourage you to review the information on the flash drive carefully, and then appoint someone to oversee your assets--perhaps someone with experience.”

Mark nodded and placed the flash drive in his pocket.

“Then,” Lu Han announced with a flourish, “there’s just one last thing I need to discuss with you.”

One more thing, Mark told himself. And then he could go see Jackson at the hospital.

“What is it?”

Lu Han shifted even closer, and when Mark leaned forward as well, the other vampire said, “Each of the thirteen families that comprise the council are required to have both a representative at hand, as well as a supplementary. You must be aware of this.”

Mark was starting to understand insults from Lu Han when they came. And the cheerfulness was most certainly just a front.

“Heads of families and heirs,” Mark said almost tersely. “What about it?”

Lu Han gave Mark the first disapproving look of the session. “The fourth family has been put in a very precarious situation. As of right now, it has no head, and its heir is caught between the two positions.”

Mark said dryly, “I’ll be the head of my family in seven weeks. You’re saying I need an heir.”

“Yes,” Lu Han said simply. “Not right now, of course. Council tradition stipulates that a newly appointed head of family may have up to six months to make a definitive and very important decision such as this, when there is no direct heir for consideration. In seven weeks, you’ll have an additional six months. But I’ve been asked, on behalf of the other twelve families, to instill upon you the importance of such a task. Were you, for instance, to have an heir in mind when you ascend to the head of your family, it might strengthen the position of the fourth family, and therefore, the other twelve as well.”

Mark imagined himself leaning forward and asking Lu Han if he was anyone’s errand boy specifically. Or maybe he just wanted to wipe the impossibly fake grin from Lu Han’s face as soon as possible.

But instead he grit his teeth and said diplomatically, “I’ll take that under advisement. I’m sure the council is aware that not only do I not have a direct heir, but I also have a lot of extended family to consider.”

And wouldn’t it be better if the council wasn’t so sure who he was going to pick? Mark’s choice, if possible, was most certainly going to be Henry. But Mark was quickly understanding the power of knowledge, or of withholding it.

Lu Han stood, then bowed deeply to Mark. “Then,” he said, “I believe our official business is concluded. I have it on good authority that the human police are investigating this matter of their own accord. You may be expected to give them a statement as well. The council will act independently of that human task force. We expect to resolve this matter long before they do.”

Mark breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Good.” He got to his own feet, and was ready to dash for the exit when he heard Lu Han speak again.

The other vampire said, “On a more personal note, Prince Mark, I have an inquiry I would ask you to fill.”

“A question?”

Lu Han nodded. “A personal one, not at all affiliated with the council.”

Mark gestured for him to continue.

Something changed almost immediately on Lu Han’s face. He went from being a gorgeous, almost manipulatively beautiful man, to a cunning predator. The shift was so swift and unexpected that Mark felt off center.

“What,” Lu Han asked, eyes narrowing, “is it about my nephew that you find so displeasing?”

Mark choked out, “What?”

“It must be something,” Lu Han cut back. “You must find something about him displeasing. Is it his appearance? Most find Zhou Mi to be at least mildly attractive. Is it his demeanor? His personality? His height?”

“Height!” Mark demanded, baffled.

Not at all pleasant, Lu Han insisted, “I assumed there was a possibility of it being something so trivial, as nothing else can surely be the case. Zhou Mi is the absolute best the thirteenth family has to offer, born and bred to stand at the side of someone such as yourself, Prince Mark. So I ask that you tell me what you find so displeasing about him, so it can be corrected and we can all move on from your recent dalliance.”

“Listen here,” Mark said, fingers twisting into fists as he fought to keep control on his anger. “Don’t think just because you’re speaking nicely that I can’t understand your tone and meaning. There is nothing wrong with Zhou Mi. I don’t find him displeasing. So I don’t know what your problem is.”

Lu Han lifted his briefcase and held his chin high. “My problem, Prince Mark, is that despite being betrothed to my very exceptional nephew, you find it necessary to engage in lewd and lascivious behavior with a half-blood.”

Mark sputtered, “Lewd and lascivious! Jackson is my boyfriend. I can hold his hand and kiss him if I want to.”

“Despite,” Lu Han pointed out, “having been pledged to my nephew?”

Mark shot back, “My parents did that, not me.”

“Are you not honor bound to fulfill the wishes of your parents?”

It was official. Mark hated Lu Han. He hated everything about him.

“I think you’re out of line,” Mark shot at him. “What goes on between myself and Zhou Mi, is none of your business, whether you’re family or not.”

The air was tense and heavy between them, and people were beginning to fill up the area surrounding them, passing from one class to another as one period ended and the next began.

Lu Han held his brief case a bit tighter, shoulders tightening up. “Imagine, if you will, that my family was thrilled to be brought into the fold of the fourth so many years ago when this match was first arranged. It was exciting, I must admit. And such a disappointment now. Worse than that, this is a slight, and in particular, my family has an extensive memory.” Lu Han bowed one more. “The council looks forward to your next available attendance. So I take my leave.”

Mark watched him saunter off with light,t easy steps, leaving a wake of wide eyed and smitten teenage vampire students.

A gentle hand touched Mark’s sleeve and he startled, at least until he saw that it was Min standing near him. It was hard getting used to seeing her in the usual Hawthorne uniform, but as usual, her presence was a claming one.

“Are you okay?” she asked, mouth set down in concern. “You look upset.”

Mark leaned into her touch just the slightest, and said, “I’m fine.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Who was that vampire? The one that you looked like you wanted to make look a lot less pretty that he currently is.”

Mark told her in a punitive voice, “That’s the senior apprentice to the council clerk, Lu Han. Of the thirteenth family. A pompous, rude jerk who doesn’t like me and I’m sure wants to make me look less nice, too.”

Min elbowed him. “Well, don’t sweat him.” Her easy going nature was quickly eating away any of the anger Mark had felt. “So, you going to class now? Want to get something to eat later on?”

“Rain check?” Mark asked, giving her a much more real and decidedly bigger smile.

She shrugged. “Sure.”

With a wave to her, Mark set off toward the building’s main doors, determined to get a ride directly into town. He’d put off seeing Jackson long enough. It was time to face down his fears and do his part as a supportive boyfriend. But mostly he just missed Jackson and couldn’t wait to see him. He was craving the sound of Jackson’s voice, and the warmth of his body.

It was the kind of craving that reaffirmed for Mark that everything he felt for Jackson was real and worth the struggle to have. It was conformation, more than anything else, and Mark was so very, very thankful for it.