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The sole coe following her departure froe she sent to Katrina&039;s cell phone indicating she had arrived home safely And while Katrina found that to be perfectly normal and expected, Caleb was less pleased with the development However, he reluctantly honored his promise to his e until an appropriate time had passed The problem was that the term "appropriate time" was far too arbitrary for his satisfaction

Still, life proceeded, and he was once again preoccupied with the progression of the spring se at a co with Katrina, refining hishis recently acquired knowledge of knife fighting He ad that, while firearms were effective, the proliferation of sharp, bladed objects

On the social front, Katrina and Caleb spent ti Caleb was pleased that his s and their excursions to dinners and evening events attending plays and fil at a local club one Friday evening in early March Caleb had enjoyed seeing Tanisha really let her hair down that night and had been amused to see a much less controlled version of his friend as she danced heatedly with her husband Tanisha later kidded hi to their peers, she would blacklist him from future social events Of course, Katrina was quite a sultry dancer when she wanted to be, as on one occasion when she had lost herself in the ainst his body

The weeks passed quickly as Caleb prepared for their upcoland Katrina helped hieht to, and hotel stay in, London She was an excellent, detail-oriented planner, one of herwoman who had selected him as her mate and thanked the Fates for the day he had met her However, the day that hiswas not necessarily accurate, and he looked forward to the opportunity to have his h potentially emotional, he wanted to understand the true nature of their initialHe hoped that the doctor whoood as the reputation that preceded him

It was a Friday afternoon in ations at the college prior to the weeklong spring break He chatted excitedly with Tanisha in his office as he crammed iteuest chair, listening with amusement as he described the anticipation of his first overseas journey After a quick goodbye and Tanisha&039;s good wishes for a safe journey, he hurried out to his car and barely noticed the drive ho tee, and the door had barely closed behind his car before Katrina appeared at his driver&039;s side door She kissed hi his backpack in the passenger seat, and hurried into the house to finish packing for their trip With a pleased smile, she calmly reached into the car, pulled out the backpack, and carried it inside behind hi while he was at the college so she would be available to help hi over hi important, such as his passport, new exclusive joint-account credit card, or his collection of notes and brochures on London that he had asse the past ements for Devon Archibald to check in on the estate a few ti the week She also left ith the security syste coht, but to respond immediately to any dayti arrived in full Caleb finished packing, and Katrina made a call to Sunset Air to send a car to pick them up One of the coe for secure transportation to and fro their car at the airport, she had quickly decided the added cost orth it Additionally, their luggage would be automatically processed and loaded on the plane

"Are you ready?" she asked with a s at his watch for the third time in less than twenty minutes

"Me?" he asked innocently, folding his aro"

"You&039;re adorable," she observed with a sious sense of wonder and anticipation about hi life both fun and interesting for ave the Sunset Air driver a teate Then she ate to allow access to the front of the estate Minutes later, a black limousine pulled up in front of the house, and Caleb hastily carried their luggage to the back of the car His heart was beating fast as he anticipated what he hoped was the journey of a lifetiine airliner specially outfitted with oversized fuel capacity for non-stop transatlantic flights The interior of the plane was laid out in a series of special oversized co Caleb of miniature hotel rooms Each compartment had locked and closed portal s and was tastefully furnished using lighter colors In the center of the rooe flat-panel display inset into the wall panel

The already rooether in pairs so that a set of two could be turned into one large area,space and appearing to be adjustable forward, up, or doas a small oak-finished table Suspended directly above each of the four seats was a console with an individual drop-down LCD display, reading light, adjustable air vents, and buttons to sule row of seats was a se co into a private bathroo a small shower All in all, it appeared to be a cohts Katrina had reserved an entire coh Caleb had no idea exactly how ht in the other compartments, if any

She sat next to him in the set of two seats closest to the outer wall of the fuselage She noted the curious expression on his face as he viewed the interior of their co than any plane interior I&039;ve ever seen," he observed with awe "It&039;s like our own little apartrinned at hi next to hiht This is your first tiht It&039;s unlikehumans are used to, for obvious reasons"

He scooted closer to her and placed his hand on her thigh "Are there any other passengers on the flight?" he asked as the aircraft&039;s engines roared to life

"Passengers are asked to please buckle their seatbelts, reo until we&039;re airborne," announced a pleasant female attendant&039;s voice over a small speaker set into the console above the, Katrina observed Maybe later

The two of them buckled their seatbelts as she replied to her mate&039;s question, "I sensed three vampires and one other human"

"The huh I discovered one of the pilots is huht attendants"

He nodded at the inforhtened on Katrina&039;s thigh, and he inhaled deeply He had never flown overseas before, and while not scared, he was a little nervous as to what to expect

She noted his increased grip and turned her head sharply to look into his eyes "It&039;s your first ti, isn&039;t it?" she asked

He offered a shy sed "Well, over water," he conceded "I&039;ve usually traveled via trains, buses, or cars My mother and I didn&039;t travel a lot, except for short car trips Money was tight for us when I was growing up, and flying around the country was pretty much out of the question When I relocated to Atlanta for college, I drove down froe baseball teahts So, this is e and lame for someone who&039;s twenty-six years old, isn&039;t it?"

She s his expression appeared to her Sensing a sort of vulnerability in his eyes, she stretched her left arm across his shoulders supportively "Not at all," she reassured hih there was a tightness in his voice "Although it&039;s a big ocean we&039;re going to be flying over, and I&039; in it"

She looked at him with amusement "So, you don&039;t care for the ocean then?"

He frowned "Well, I&039;m not fond of deep water at all, really I can&039;t swim"

Her smile faded as she took in that important fact to file away for future reference Her protective nature kicked in, and she reassured hiht, so you&039;re in luck And besides, Sunset Air has one of the safest flying records in the industry It&039;s one of the few airlines where the safety of its passengers really is their first priority"

A man&039;s deep voice resonated over the interco for take-off Please fasten your seatbelts at this time and remain seated until we&039;re airborne We&039;ll announce when it&039;s safe for you toSunset Air"

Caleb rechecked his seatbelt and glanced over to ensure Katrina was buckled in He looked up at her with a tight-lipped s a distraction of soht hand in hers and noticed that his palhtly moist Ah, he&039;s a little nervous after all, she considered with a s andtowards him

"So, Sunset Air only caters to vampires, don&039;t they?" he asked absently

Katrina nodded and explained, "Well, they&039;re vampire-owned for a reason, but they cater to hu a separate fleet of aircraft They&039;re a legiti venture, after all It&039;s just that their vampire-supportive fleet specializes in safe, relatively anonyht-free transportation It&039;s one reason why their fares are so exorbitant Of course, the amenities are numerous as well"

He nodded silently as the aircraft see across the runway to prepare for take-off Though, without a , it felt to hi in a closed box on wheels

Minutes later, he felt a sensation of acceleration, and his body was pressed back into the seat cushion He felt a tell-tale uplifting, tickling sensation in his stole He continued to feel that for a ti off In the end, it was a shed appreciatively

"There We&039;re in the air now," Katrina commented softly with a sentle," announced a deep, male voice over the loudspeaker "We&039;re airborne now and will continue non-stop to London We welcoers and request on behalf of your safety that you please stay in your assigned cabins Our staff will be happy to provide for any and all your needs, and we hope you enjoy the flight Thank you for traveling with Sunset Air"

Katrina unbuckled her seatbelt, but Caleb uess," he ventured as he folded his arms before him "That must have been the vampire pilot"

She suests just like the vaers It&039;s just that our kind are hesitant aboutopenly with humans in these circumstance Please don&039;t take it personally"

"But you can leave the cabin, right?" he pressed with a hint of annoyance in his voice

Her eyes quickly darted to him, and she looked over at the nearby plasma display nonchalantly "Well, yes, I suppose I could They do have a bar area set up for vahtly countered, "However, I plan on spending the flight here with you, enjoyingexperience together, after all"

He frowned slightly, but then shrugged and unfolded his arh "Yeah, I suppose it&039;s nice to have soed with a half-srinned slyly, reached over to unbuckle his safety belt, and tilted her head towards his to kiss his soft lips Following a couple of additional kisses, a light knock sounded at their cabin door

"Co a Sunset Air stewardess uniform peeked into the cabin with a pleasant expression and asked, "May I offer you warm towels?"

"Yes, thanks," Katrina replied as she sat up in her seat beside Caleb

The wo read Trish She presented Katrina with a wars and repeated the process for Caleb He appreciated its warmth and happily rubbed his hands and face with it

Trish asked about food and drink preferences, to which he asked for a lass of wine The stewardess departed, and Caleb set his towel aside on the small adjustable table before hi to do while we&039;re in London?" he asked "I get the impression this is part business trip"

Very perceptive, she congratulated him "Alton mentioned there are some vampire-related matters he wanted to discuss with me," she explained "I&039;m not entirely clear onin the va deter that Alton is one of the leaders representing one side of the issue"

He considered that for a moment "He wants to recruit you, doesn&039;t he? Isn&039;t that part of why he offered to set up theforto consider her for so base or ht be a hint of accuracy to her mate&039;s assesset s, but it&039;s more likely that he wants my assistance in so fond of you, and I think he sincerely wants to try and help if he can"

"Well, that&039;s nice of him, at any rate," he conceded with a shake of his head "I&039; with- What&039;s his na to Alton, he&039;s supposed to be one of the best in his field I did some preliminary research, and he does appear to be an actively practicing psychiatrist"

Caleb nodded, hoping again the doctor was as good as his reputation He really wanted to get his blocked memories back Somehow he felt as if so his father, if not also for his initial ood to know," he replied absently

A few minutes later, Trish returned ine, cola, and aa deli sandwich Much to his surprise, it tasted freshly prepared He and Katrina watched a recent blockbuster action filht in their carry-on luggage He was aht and becaht conditions that he felt co in his reclined seat Although Katrina was amused that he didn&039;t feel so relaxed that he would concede to napping on the co bed

"Fear of unexpected turbulence rolling me out of bed," he had countered with a yawn

Soon afterwards, she took her turn in the shower, after which she noted he had fallen deeply asleep during her brief absence She settled down to do so to some music on a set of headphones connected to the console above her

When he woke, he realized that he had slept nearly six hours and was hungry After a quick perusal of the s, pork sausage, and Belgian waffles while Katrina enjoyed a ware, each viewed the other&039;s meal with ed with a smirk

"You srin, to which he smiled and returned to his platter of food

"You want a little nip?" he asked playfully as he poured hot syrup over his waffles

"I would, but I&039;ve decided to spare you for later," she replied suggestively

He merely smiled and shook his head It was nice to be desired, despite the fact that he was the intended meal He suddenly realized how co a vampire&039;s mate in just a matter of months and how much he relished his role in Katrina&039;s life It was a source of both great pride and personal satisfaction

As their plane approached the British Isles, the sun had already risen, and the human pilot who took control of the aircraft invited Caleb to the cockpit to view their approach to the mainland As he approached the cockpit he noted all the other cabins had been closed and the bar area was devoid of patrons He found the cockpit view fascinating and couldn&039;t help but wonder what adventures awaited hi land mass of Great Britain Upon his return to their cabin, Katrina glanced up at him from her mystery novel

"Enjoy the view?" she asked with a sh she easily detected how pleased he was

He bent down to kiss her "It was great! And I suspect I&039;ve got you to thank for that, as well"

"While you were napping earlier, I slipped out and let it be known it was your first transatlantic flight, and the other vae my small request"

He sain touched by his ly endless kindness "Thanks, Kat You&039;re the best"

She adopted a reed, "Yes I aet it,by the time the plane landed at a small airport just outside of London They reth while the aircraft taxied into a coar, its doors closed to preclude any sunlight froside the plane, and the few passengers disee and proceeded through the quiet central hallway leading towards the front of the plane, though the only people they encountered were the huned stewardesses Caleb shook their hands and thanked theht, and each person seehtly taken aback by his friendly and appreciative , and thanking the crew for their hospitality and service

"Such a friendly, polite youngnext to hi Katrina to smirk as she descended the ramp next to Caleb

Two black li near the plane with their brake lights on, indicating their passengers were loaded and ready to depart the hangar One lone black limousine reer side door was open, beside which a tall ht hand was crossed neatly against his left hand as he stared ahead of hiar A man dressed in a traditional chauffeur&039;s uniform stood next to the rear buage from the aircraft into the car&039;s trunk

Caleb noticed Katrina&039;s change in posture to a ressive stance as she deliberately walked a little ahead of hi next to the car&039;s open door The dark-haired man see, and he blinked once as he stared back at her

"Ma&039;am," the man offered deferentially with a nod "Welcome to London My narets that he couldn&039;t meet you in person He sent me to ensure that you and Mr Taylor are properly escorted to your hotel"

The chauffeur approached Caleb and gestured towards his and Katrina&039;s carry-on luggage, which he took and stored in the trunk for them He nodded politely to Caleb, returned to the rear of the vehicle, and watched the other airport staff ere loading two ree items

Katrina raised an eyebrow "I see And you&039;re part of the security detail for Mr Rutherford?"

The lish accent, "Yes, ma&039;am"

Caleb knew better than to interrupt the interaction taking place and stood quietly behind and to the left of Katrina He found his e in demeanor to one of i She was an alpha vampire, after all, and she had no idea who thetrouble, Simmons?" she asked pointedly as she looked in the direction of the chauffeur, who closed the trunk and moved to the driver&039;s side of the vehicle He stood quietly, apparently awaiting word to proceed with the departure

"Not expecting any, ma&039;am," Simmons replied crisply "Mr Rutherford merely wanted to ensure that your journey to the hotel ithout incident given that it&039;s daytinition that thea vampire

"Then I appreciate your service today, Simmons," Katrina replied politely "Let&039;s proceed"

Simmons nodded to the chauffeur and held the car door open for thelanced back to the airplane, but all the people had suddenly disappeared froly alone in that part of the hangar Katrina touched Caleb lightly on the shoulder to urge him forward to enter the back of the car before her He ducked into the back of the limousine and scooted over to the far side of the seat to allow her to enter She slid onto the seat, and Sier side of the front co Katrina and Caleb alone in the roomy rear coer side of the car and noticed the hangar doors were opening, allowing the two limousines ahead of them to depart A few ar and into the daylight, although the darkly tinted s kept any ultraviolet radiation fro He looked out the carat the airport buildings and hangars and found that things looked very similar to the airports in the United States

Katrina extended her left arm across the open expanse of space towards him and pulled him back to the center of the car next to her with one swift motion He chuckled as he slid across the leather seat towards her and tilted his head up to kiss her

"Welcome to London, my love," she offered "Don&039;t worry about the view for now It will begin to look more scenic and noteworthy once we leave the area around the airport"

"That man, Simmons," Caleb noted curiously "He reent"

"Alton likes to hire forence service members in his security ranks," she told him "Their experience and discipline lend themselves well to Alton&039;s preferred style of performance and leadership"

He nodded "You looked rather authoritative there for a ed hi order with such types They respect that, and it reuity"

He smirked "I think I like you better this way"

She smiled back slyly and kissed him on the cheek "Of course you do But then, I&039;ve already established our pecking order, haven&039;t I?"

He shook his head, rolled his eyes, and patted her thigh with his hand He took a moment to take in the interior of the vehicle and realized that a small LCD display was built into a central console before him There appeared to be a small bar and built-in cooler, and a leather seat was situated on each side of the console facing towards them The interior would comfortably seat five, he noted

"Nice ride," he said He was impressed with the luxuriousness of the vehicle and anticipated that it must have cost a small fortune

"One of Alton&039;s," she noted "I&039;ll bet they even stocked the fridge for us"

He reached across to open the serator and found two bottles of chilled Coca-cola along with two plastic vials of chilled blood He took out one of the Coke bottles, opened it, and took a swig His dry throat appreciated it, and he looked up at Katrina

"Want sorin

She frowned for a moment and reached over to the console to open a slasses, which were heated by elee area A brief wave of heat flowed out of the interior towards thelasses Never seen that before"

She nodded, but closed the door again without re lass holders in his cars Novel idea, but I&039;h she took the Coke bottle fro it back to hi the airport, the scenery looked soh thedown the opposite side of the road from as normal in A to run into an oncoe, Katrina ran her fingers down the back of his neck lightly, which caused hi scenery instead of forwards for a ti used to, I&039;ll admit"

As they approached the outskirts of London, Caleb noticed that the buildings were a mix of the most modern constructions con It was allish architecture all combined into one stretch of the city However, a nus really didn&039;t look that different frons found in the United States or Canada

Once don, he wished that he could open ato see a lighter version of the scenery around hiery, but he naturally didn&039;t want to do anything to harm Katrina He anticipated that he could stand outside of the hotel for a tiain, Katrina seehts "I&039;ll see if Alton knows so of the city It would be a sharinned back at her as he briefly turned from the"You&039;re sure vampires don&039;t read minds? Thanks, I&039;d love that"

She sedscenery Their trip had been very successful thus far, which pleased her She was deter, fun, and enjoyable as she could ht limitations

As they proceeded further into London proper, the city becas sporting both professional and creative architecture interspersed with sites of historical antiquity, and all were cra with both people and traffic Certainly, mostperiods, but London was the historic heart of Great Britain, and it was laid out in its glory for the world to see and traverse

When they arrived at the hotel, Summit Towers, in the heart of the business district, Caleb was i The frontage offered a stately elegance that also appeared very lass around the first and second floors, as well as the three top-most floors, appeared tinted, while the other floors appeared to have traditional glass He wondered if that were to accoh Katrina hadn&039;t mentioned that the hotel catered specifically to vampires

The li around the periphery of the building and proceeded to a gated entrance into an underground parking garage that was uard Their liuard and chauffeur, and they proceeded into the well lit garage Following a couple of brief turns around concrete pillars, the vehicle ca much like the street-side entrance of the hotel

Two uniformed hotel staff approached the car immediately, and the chauffeur provided access to the trunk Sie er side door to allow Katrina and Caleb to exit

Katrina slid out of the car, visually swept the surrounding area herself, and stood aside for Caleb to exit As he left the car, he was amused by the hotel&039;s replica entrance and noted that their luggage was quickly being reeda tailored white business suit approached Siestured towards Katrina deliberately, and the man shifted his focus to her with a professionally practiced smile

"Welcolish accent "My naer, it would beyou into the hotel May I inquire as to the name on the reservation?"

Katrina smiled pleasantly "Reservations for Mr Caleb Taylor and Ms Katrina Rawlings"

Theto their previously practiced state He clasped his hands in front of him and inclined his head towards Katrina deferentially

"My apologies for this unnecessary delay, Ms Rawlings," he apologized "I wasn&039;t infor I am aware that your reservations have already been processed, and I&039;ll see that your luggage is taken to your suite immediately We&039;re very pleased to have you stay with us, and rest assured that your every need will be attended to immediately You have only to ask, and it shall be addressed If it pleases you, I&039;ll program your key access cards"

Katrina raised her own eyebroith slight surprise at the elevated form of address from the man "Of course Thank you, Mr Jenkins"

Caleb looked up at Katrina, who maintained an impassive expression as she turned to follow Jenkins into the hotel lobby through the sed and followed behind her as Simmons closed the car door and nodded brusquely to the chauffeur

Caleb nearly stopped in his tracks as he entered the posh hotel The flooring was mostly polished white tile, while other areas were polished oak The walls hite plaster withthe lower part of the wall, the effect both stately and regal at the sa syhout the interior of the vast lobby, and crystal chandeliers with is, which were thens outlined in painted gold trim Polished oak furniture co chairs placed throughout Sleek lamps decorated polished wood end tables near the chairs and couches, and a variety of stylized classical artworks hung in various open wall spaces

Jenkins moved behind a polished wood counter witha business suit with hotel crest on her jacket stood at the lance at both Katrina and Caleb before turning her eyes doard to the countertop Caleb frowned, wondering why she seeain, and he smiled at her She returned his smile shyly, then returned to solanced at hied innocently beforemoved to your suite as we speak," Jenkins offered as he produced two gold key cards and handed them over to Katrina "These ork for any of the special services rooms, elevators, and of course, your own suite"

Katrina took the keys and handed one to Caleb

"We&039;re so very pleased that you&039;re staying with us, Ms Rawlings and Mr Taylor," Jenkins offered "Now, if you&039;ll permit me, I&039;ll show you to your suite"

Katrina nodded politely and smirked at Caleb, ore a telltale tourist expression as he tried to take in everything at once They both turned to follow Jenkins across the beautiful lobby towards the nearby elevators They entered the elevator together, and he regarded them with a respectful smile as he inserted a pass card and pressed the button for the fifteenth floor, the topmost in the hotel

"Your rooo to the top two floors," he inforal hallway decoratedat the lower portion of the plaster walls There were stained oak tables withfabric-backed chairs at intervals along with curtained s Caleb cast a quick glance up to Katrina as she comfortably passed the first , and he noted thepanes were all tinted hat he guessed

Their suite was at the end of the long hallway furthest from the elevators, and Jenkins commented, "There are only four suites on this floor, so I&039; atestured to Caleb for his rooe door leading into Suite 1504 He handed the card back to Caleb, encouraging theesture of his ar room was as roomy as the one at Katrina&039;s estate The furniture was a mix of oak and leather-covered chairs and a co couch The rich carpet was thick-piled, coal colass s coated with the salass, each flanked by heavy drapes for privacy at night

"Wow," Caleb ree of awe, to which Jenkins offered a sincere grin A pang of eh hi like a little kid who&039;d never seen a hotel room before Come on, act like you&039;ve been off the farm more than once in your life

"I&039;enially, but with a tentative glance at Katrina

"Very nice, indeed," she agreed with a si rooht-seated varnished table held court at the back of the suite before another series of large s A s area hosted a stocked wet bar

"I&039;ll leave you now, but please letat all I can do to accommodate your needs or make your stay more enjoyable," Jenkins offered with a polite nod to both Katrina and Caleb He quickly exited, pulling the door closed behind hi in silent wonderment at the city beyond Katrina walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him warmly on the cheek

"Very cool I&039; his attention back to his mate "This is simply unbelievable, Kat"

She beainning, my love"

"Hey! I can see the London Eye froe

She raised both eyebrows as she looked She absently curled her arrateful the coated glass allowed her to appreciate the dayti made the view appear somewhat duskier than the early daytiht The large circular wheel was part of a Millennium landmark colass-encased viewing pods, which allowed for spectacular views of the city Caleb grinned as he observed it in the distance and turned to glance up at Katrina with an inquisitive expression

"Yes," she replied with a so up in it, both at day and night"

He chuckled and tilted his face upwards slightly towards her while elevating hihtly

"You&039;re the best, Kat," he cohtened her grip around his waist

She relished their closeness at that moment and fully appreciated how easy it was to love him He made her so happy, so content with her life "Co him "Let&039;s call Alton He&039;ll want to knoe&039;ve arrived"

She walked to the nearest phone in the living area while Caleb continued to absorb the view of the city Soon afterwards, the two of the in casual tourist mode, both chose jeans However, where Caleb wore a plain cotton shirt, Katrina selected a fleecy turtleneck sweater While the temperatures were cold outside, neither needed their jackets as they didn&039;t intend to go outdoors, never mind that Katrina would find the experience lethal froh the clouds

They proceeded into the hotel elevator and took it to the first sub-level floor, which was one story below ground Alton had infor were connected via an underground passageway, ht hours They had no sooner exited the elevator car and proceeded down a short length of carpeted hallhen a lone, sure appeared at the end of the empty corridor

Alton Rutherford stood a few inches over six feet and appeared quite the English playboy in a pair of dark gray dress slacks and white, long-sleeved silk dress shirt He had forgone a tie, but still looked sharply attired by the addition of a designer leather belt and dress shoes His late thirty-so appearance was comple hazel eyes And while Caleb didn&039;t know exactly how old Alton was, he knew the vampire was older than Katrina, and she had lived over five hundred years

Like Katrina, his unusually pale skin tone was nearly radiant, though not stark enough to set him aside from the human environment around him In London, it wasn&039;t as if people walked around sporting a natural tan But Alton&039;s pale complexion hardly detracted from the attractive specimen who likely turned many a woman&039;s head in his direction

Katrina i at the reunion It had been months since they had last seen each other, just prior to Katrina&039;s and Caleb&039;s nearly lethal confrontation with Chimalma As they parted, Alton pressed a kiss to her cheek, eliciting a playful smirk While her close friend and for affection for hilad you&039;re here"

"It&039;s good to see you as well," she replied

Alton turned his full attention to Caleb and extended his hand Caleb returned the firrip in kind, but felt the elder vampire pull him towards him in a brief, fraternal e Alton&039;s unusually affectionate greeting towards her reeted "It feels like a long tie, isn&039;t it?"

Caleb shtly as he pulled away from the tall vampire and looked up appreciatively into his eyes He welcoe felt for hi the past few e of Katrina&039;s background had proven quite helpful in strengthening his relationship with her Not toof alpha vaed sht as they walked down the span of corridor leading into a small lobby at the other end Aside fro chairs, and contemporary tables, the only other central element o elevator doors Devoid of other people, the area see corridor between the hotel and your office building," Caleb noted as he glanced at Alton

"Sensible and convenient for our kind, wouldn&039;t you say?" he replied

"Indeed," Katrina agreed "Did you enter into a partnership with the hotel to arrange this?"

"Oh, yes," Alton replied with a so"

"Cool," Caleb noted "Which lass"

Alton pressed a return button for the elevator "Precisely London&039;s well on its way to beco a central hub for our kind, all the better to ensure that accommodations are easily available The Tube is another ele virtually unli oneself to sunlight"

Katrina&039;s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the off-handed comment, but Caleb appeared aloof to Alton&039;s reference as he looked up to view the elevator car&039;s floor on the LCD panel before him What exactly is Alton up to now? she wondered

A few moments later they boarded the elevator, and Alton pressed a series of codes into a keypad mounted next to the control panel The elevator continued on an uninterrupted rise to the fifteenth floor, one level below the top

"And did you find your roolance at Katrina

She frowned slightly "Yes In fact, it&039;s rander than the suite on the Website"

"Well, some of the suites are reserved for V-VIPs," Alton noted simply He took a moment to appreciate the perplexed expression on Caleb&039;s face before adding, "Va comped, as well"

"Now, Alton --" Katrina protested

The elder vampire raised his hand and interrupted, "No I won&039;t hear of it You&039;re uests on this trip Besides, it is my hotel, after all"

Katrina merely inclined her head "Very kind, Alton Thank you"

"Yeah, thanks Alton," Caleb added "The suite is alanced up at Katrina with a guilty expression and amended, "Except for Kat&039;s estate, naturally"