Jesse knew when Eliza and her friend left.  Even though he was so deeply into the music, he always knew when Eliza was there or not.  Between  the noise level, his concentration on the music and other diversions, he’d heard her mental message.  He’d also seen the girl who’d arrived looking anxious until she’d seen Eliza.  Apparently they knew each other.

Faintly, Jesse heard, “we have to talk, Jesse.  I have so many questions.  These are things I think I need to know.”

Smiling wryly, he thought back, “anytime love, anytime.”  He’d known this time was coming, although he’d hoped he’d have a little more time to go slowly.  She was learning very quickly and it surprised him how eager she was to know all.  “That really shouldn’t surprise me, she’s a quick study and has really gotten into this with a passion.  If you must be a vampire, I guess that’s the way to be,” he laughed.  Now he’d have to decide whether to answer all her questions or to dole out as he thought fit, how much she needed to know at this point in her vampiric development.

There was the call back to the stage.  His rest period was over and as he’d hoped to spend it with Eliza, he was disappointed.  “I think she may have the wrong idea about the way I feel towards her,” he pondered.  “I wonder if Codrin let something slip about pointing me toward her.  Although I did she her before he said a word.  She definitely was someone I wanted to know better.

Looking around the room , now that the lights were up and the show over, Jesse saw that Eliza and her friend had not returned to the club.  Packing up his gear, he said goodnight to his band-mates and made his way out of the club.  He was still hoping to see her waiting outside the entrance, looking quickly though, he knew she wasn’t there.  He hadn’t felt her presence there either.  He cast his thoughts toward her and felt her there.  She was there.  He could feel her essence, for want of a better word.  He didn’t like doing this, it almost felt like trespassing.  He felt her emotions, knew when she was hurting .  Right now all seemed well.  She was calm, a little down, but alright.

He wasn’t sure what he read from the other girl.  She was a strange one.  Definitely not a vampire, but  definitely fey.  He’d have to ask Codrin about this one.  She was beyond his ken.  This would all wait anyway, he needed to hunt.

Waking as she always did, Eliza felt a sense of contentment she’d never felt before.  Moving slightly, she felt Toby at her back, remembering, her eyes shot open and, yes there was Christa on the other side of Toby.  Laughing to herself, she thought, “leave it to him to sandwich himself in where it’s nice and cozy.”

Getting up, she started her usual routine for the evening.  Then thought that depending on what Christa wanted to do, she’d go to see Jesse.  She knew he had the night off tonight, as the backup band was playing.  There was a lot she wanted to ask him, hoping he’d be a little more forthcoming than he’d been so far. “ He seems to want to keep me in the dark and I need to know NOW!!!!!,” she thought to herself.

Hearing Toby arrive, knowing he’d be looking for his food, she opened the can and placed it in his dish.  The everyday routine helped her to stay calm.  Right now she had a tendency to want to explode.  It seemed to get worse around the full moon, but she didn’t know why.  “I didn’t think that had any effect on Vampires, but I guess it must,” she muttered under her breath.

Hearing a slight noise, she looked up to see Christa standing in the doorway.  Smiling, she waved at the coffee and said, “help yourself.  I also have tea, if that’s more to your liking.”

Christa helped herself to a cup of coffee and sat down.  She looked at Eliza with a grin on her face. “ That was fun last night.  Laughing out loud, she commented that she could still see those guys faces as they ran.”  They knew that the men wouldn’t say anything because they’d never be believed.  They’d end up in the mental ward of the nearest hospital.  Who’d believe there were vampires and were-cats running around.  They were things of myths and legends.

Still laughing, Christa stood up and explained that she’d have to get on her way.  She had so many things to catch up on and she knew Eliza was busy too.  “Busy doing what,” Eliza asked.  “I’m a lady of leisure for now.  No job, just go with Vicki every once in a while. Oh, yes, so,  so busy.  I do want to go see Jesse though,”  she thought.

Making plans to see each other again soon, Christa quietly left Eliza’s apartment.  When Eliza went to the door, she was gone from sight.

Cleaning up from their meal, Eliza knew she wanted to see Jesse more than before.  So many questions.  Jesse had taught her so many things in the time they’d been together.  She probably would have learned them on her own, although it would have taken much longer.  Look at the floating thing.  It definitely saves a lot of wear and tear on the legs, feet and muscles.  Floating lighter than air is 100 times better than landing with a thump.  He’d helped her sharpen her innate ability to read minds and sort out who and what they belonged to, instead of the constant babble in her mind.  Although the strongest read, was still Jesse himself.  She wondered if he could hear her from here.  She’d never tried this distance before.  Closing her eyes, she concentrated on Jesse.  She projected a thought towards him. Oh, what a thought, she shivered.

Faintly, in her mind, there was a chuckle, a whisper of a thought, answering. “It worked, faint, but it worked.  I wonder how far away we could be and still have it there,” she thought.   “With more practice, love, a great distance,” came back at her.  Laughing, she knew Jesse had, had the last word.

She knew Jesse liked her leather outfits, so as a concession to the ever increasing heat and humidity, she put on a pair of soft, short shorts.  In a halter top, also of black leather, she was ready.  This butter soft leather sure did feel good on the skin.  Adding a pair of black laced up, leather sandals, she was ready to face the world and Jesse.

As she left her apartment and headed up the stairs, she almost bumped right into her neighbor Dan, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.  They seemed to be on different schedules now.

With a laughing apology, she said, “so sorry Dan, I didn’t hear you coming down the stairs, I guess I was lost in thought.”

“Hey stranger, long time no see, how are you.............wow! What have you done to yourself.  You are looking real good.  Night life must surely agree with you.  Changed your hair and everything.  You sure are looking pretty right now,” he enthused.

Blushing as red as a tomato, which showed up on her pale skin, she replied that he must need glasses.  Grinning, she said, “the changes aren’t that obvious.”

“Well, they are to me, don’t forget I haven’t seen you in months.  For the most part, you were just sort of there.  Pale, quiet, just there.” As if aware of how rude that sounded, Dan flushed slightly and apologized.  “That really did come out wrong, Eliza,” he said.  “Please do forgive me, I didn’t mean it to sound so rude,” be begged.

“The truth is never a problem, Dan,” Eliza replied.  “I am well aware of what I looked like before, I made changes to myself to improve things.  Not only changing my diet, I’ve taken some martial arts classes and exercise classes.  They helped tone me up and the diet has removed the fat.”

With a broad smile, Dan asked, “fat, what fat, you were never what could be called fat.  Maybe out of shape, never fat.”  With an admiring look, he asked what she was doing tonight.

With a start, Eliza remembered that she was heading off to see Jesse.  “I’m sorry Dan, but I have some things I have to get done tonight.  I surely would like to talk some more.  It has been quite a while, must be the different schedules.  This night work has sure played havoc with my sleep patterns.”  With a chuckle and a wave, Eliza made her way out the front door, knowing that Dan was staring after her.

Walking quickly, not wanting to take a cab or use the flicker, she was unaware of the wolf whistles aimed her way.  She was deep in thought about the things she wanted Jesse to tell her.  She needed some explanation of these were-cats, were-dogs, and were-wolves.  She couldn’t believe that they were real, thinking still that they were just myths.  She’d met Christa though, she was definitely not a human.  If there were vampires, why not were-things.  Her thoughts were going round and round in her head.  “I sure hope he can explain about them,” she thought to herself.  Giggling slightly, she knew that if anyone could read her mind, they’d lock her up for sure.  Were-wolves, were-cats and dogs, yeah sure.  What mental ward did you escape from girly?

Feeling her link to Jesse getting stronger, she knew she was halfway there.  Becoming impatient, she looked around and flickered the rest of the way to save time.  Sending a thought to Jesse to let him know she was outside, she laughed as he opened the door just as the echo’s of her thoughts died away.

“I cold never sneak up on you, could I Jess?  You always have that door open, immediately at the end of my thoughts.  I think you run to make sure you can,” she teased.

“No, Eliza, you can’t, as long as you project your thoughts to me.  If you want to sneak up, you have to make sure you don’t project, or let your thoughts ‘leak’ out.  It’s just like hiding.  You don’t make a move or sound, so you wouldn’t make a mental move or sound.  With your speed, its not that difficult.  With practice, you’ll be able to do it and once learned, you’ll never forget it.  You already use it in a way, when you hunt.  You use it to your advantage, because they don’t know what you are.  You must practice it against ones that do know you,” Jesse told her.  “Close your eyes. Count to ten and then open them.  I’ll be gone.  I want you to hide, cloak your thoughts and not let them leak to me.  I will try to find you.”

Doing so, she closed her eyes, counted to ten and then moved through the rooms.  She found a good spot and hid.  Then, as if a lid came down on he thoughts, she blanked them out.  She didn’t think about where she was or about Jesse.  She tried to not think at all, making her mind blank.  Time passed, suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Found you, very good though Eliza, that took a half hour.  Much better, although you leaked a little toward the end, which is how I found you.”  Laughing, he said, “leaked a little, that’s terrible.  I’m going to have to find another way or phrase to explain that.”

“Alright, Eliza, I know there are things on your mind that you want to talk about, that’s pretty apparent.  So how about telling me, then maybe we can get in some more practice time for you.”

Sitting down, looking at Jesse, she thought about how to tell him the things that had happened, how to phrase it.  Thinking about it just made it harder to accept.

“Eliza, just spit it out, or think it out.  Just start at the beginning and tell it to the end,” Jesse advised.  “We’ll unravel as we go along.”

She started telling him about walking in the park, how she had been aware of something else there that had been tracking her.  The sense that it was there but not malevolent.  The first time she got the impression of curiosity more than anything else.  She went on to tell him of the first meeting with Christa and about the were-dogs.  As she started talking, everything spilled out.  How they’d had fun with the guys in the park.  That still made her laugh.  How, the telepathy seemed to work with Christa too.  How according to Christa, there were not only were-dogs, but cats ( of which she was one) and wolves.

“Stop, stop, Eliza.  First things first, there is no such thing as a were-cat.  I’ve heard of were-wolves, but never come in contact with any personally.  I’ve never heard of were-dogs and cats,” Jesse jumped in.  He went on to say that in most things he had an open mind, but he thought that were-cats and dogs were too much of a stretch of the imagination.  “I think you just mis-understood.”

In exasperation, Eliza stood listening to Jesse with her hands on her hips.  Feeling the frustration that she knew was now showing on her face.  “Look Jess, I have seen her both as human and as a cat.  I have witnessed the transformation under the full moon and again her return to human characteristics.  Her facial features in human form are feline in appearance, without the fur, whiskers, claws and fangs.  Yes, there are claws and fangs.  Her skin is covered in a light golden fur, when she’s undergone the transformation.  The full moon, of course, brings it on.

That first night we hunted, was under the full moon.  Looking at Jesse, “is that why you looked so upset and then relieved the other night, Jess?  You thought I had gotten careless, didn’t you.  You should know, I’d never be that careless.  Christa and I think there is a rogue were-dog or were-wolf running around.  It’s either followed or come after Christa.  We don’t think it happened by accident, as there doesn’t seem to be any other killings like that.”
 
“Can’t you see, Jess, that if there are vampires, why not were-wolves and the like,” Eliza whispered.

Shaking his head at her, Jesse answered, “I can believe in were-wolves, even though I have never seen them, but cats and dogs.  Seems too far-fetched for me.  Although, maybe, if what makes us vampires may make them were-creatures.”  Again shaking his head, he stood and made his way to the built in bar, as if to end a discussion that was getting neither of them anywhere but upset.

Turning, he asked her if she’d like a drink.  “Some Plum Brandy, Eliza?”

Eliza replied that she’d like some, the called quietly, “Jesse!”

Jesse looked around and started laughing.  “I see you’ve been practicing you levitation,” he said to Eliza.  She was now sitting, cross legged, about four feet off the couch.  Slowly, she traveled towards him, still sitting cross legged.  Laughing also, she told him she’d found out she could do this while experimenting while practicing the other day.  She’d enjoyed it so much, she even taken to reading this way.  It didn’t take much effort, once she realized how it was done.

Jess laughed again and started toward her.  All of a sudden he blinked out and reappeared standing beside her.  Eliza was startled enough to lose some concentration and start to drop.  Quickly gathering herself, she resumed a slow float to the couch.

“OHHHHHH, Jesse, I want to do that too,” she enthused.

“Eliza, you already do it on a smaller scale.  Its just teleportation,” he joked.  When you flicker from home to here, you are teleporting yourself from  one place to another.  You move faster than light, so you can’t be seen.  This is just like that but quicker.  You blink and I move. I can’t explain it any better than that,” he said when he saw the look on her face.

Leaning over, he started to  place a small kiss on the corner of her mouth.  She turned to look at him in the same moment and the kiss was full on the lips.  As always, the feelings hit her like a ton of bricks.  She couldn’t get past the thought that Codrin had asked Jesse to teach her and look after her.  As if she needed a nanny.

“Whoa, Lizzy girl,” Jesse said.  “I knew you were under some mistaken ideas but I didn’t realize it was this bad.  First things first, Codrin did not ask me to watch over you or to teach you.  I saw you the first time you ever came into the House of Magura.  You were with some tall guy.  I saw you several times after that with him and you always seemed so involved, I didn’t want to intrude.  As you know now, the House is a meeting place for our kind.  I asked Codrin who you were, after I knew he had brought you there.  As to being family, yes you are leaking badly right now, we are “family” only as far as being in the same clan.  You belong, as do I, so yes in that respect we are family.  No other way.  I knew I wanted to meet you, get to know you and hopefully spend some time with you.  At no time, did Codrin ask me to take you under my wing.  That was my idea, to the extent that I knew your maker had been killed by hunters.  Neither Codrin nor I want to see that happen to you.  We knew it would take too long for you to realize your powers without some help.  If you look at it my way, love, I am furthering my own cause, by helping you learn."

Laughing in relief, Eliza place a hand on Jesse’s arm.  “Alright, alright, I understand now, and I’m sorry that I jumped to the wrong conclusion.  Its nice to know someone cared enough to make sure I survived the transformation from human to vampire.  Its been weird trying to cope on my own.  I wish you’d been there early on, I thought I was dying.”

Jesse, thoughtfully told her, “well actually you did die in a sense.  You are no longer human, although you still have human characteristics.  There is or will be more of a drift toward selfishness, a why not me attitude.  Altruism is a human failing, not a vampire failing.”

“If that’s the case, Jess, why are you so concerned about helping me, why not just let me learn on my own and take my chances?” she asked curiously.

He answered that in his own way he was being selfish.  He’d wanted to know her and this was his way of doing just that.  He got pleasure out of it and he knew she did too.

He picked her up and gently placed her on his lap.  Looking her in the eyes, he said, “I’ll never lie to you Eliza, you will always get only the absolute truth from me.”  Having said that, he leaned forward and kissed her with the most soul stealing kiss.  She clung to him and kissed him back.

Breaking the kiss, he grinned at her and said, “I still don’t believe in were-creatures.”

“OHHHHHHHH, beast, just wait, you will,” she replied with a poke.

Smiling, he lead her to his room, where the last thing on their mind was whether or not were-creatures existed.