She awoke again. She felt more rested than she had in months. She went through her exercises and began her work. She had almost forgotten that day, and the comfort that she had felt from her Lord Ganesh. She had worked long and hard to be worthy of her gift. The blood trait that she carried was unique so far as she knew, and she had not made any real headway into finding out why or even how she could have been bestowed with it.

She pressed both hands against the cage bars, exerting herself. After all these years she may have found someone worth mating with. Or she could just finally be ready to have a family.

After all the years she had been on this earth, she had tried a little bit of everything, chemistry, studying various and all subjects, being an apprentice volcanologist, and teacher.

She had thought often about returning to India. It was her home after all. But when she revisited that place, long after her mother had died, she saw that it was just as bad as ever. Her people had truly lost their way. It was improving by inches and yards when miles were required. America was, up until the last decade or so, the place to be for science and medicine and even school. But all cycles turn, and now India was on the uptick while America drooped and faltered. It was here that she could actually make a difference. She was fighting to prevent the fall of a civilization. When this place was safe, and if she still had time left on this world, maybe she would go back to that place she used to call home, and begin the long road to recovery. But that was a long way away.

She looked out of her cage into the gloom of the basement. She learned that India was what it was because of what her people had become. There were slow small steps being made, but she had just gotten lost in the shuffle of everything. She knew she couldn’t go back to the stage or cinema, that would just make her a very big target for her enemies. So, she had decided to stay with the Mountain. She could at least teach and help other Shape shifters learn from her experiences. She had a lot of work that was still unfinished. This cage would not hold her forever. Handfuls and inches...

* * * * *

Kenneth was sitting in his office in his home. There was feeling of unrest about him. The night was no longer comforting as it once was. He had received word that Alessandro was on the move. His loyal supporters inside House Dukart couldn’t pin down what exactly was going on or what the House Head had planned, but there was something happening. Kenneth looked out of his French doors into his back yard and the night sky beyond it. If Alessandro was moving then it was time for him to move as well. He had never been able to predict what his old Master was planning or thinking, but over the last few decades he had become very good at matching Alessandro’s movements.

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He pulled his phone out from his pocket and punched a phone number that he had sworn to himself that he would never call again. But he had been rash when he made that promise to himself. That’s why he kept the number. It was said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, this particular number belonged to the latter.

A male voice answered the phone, “Wow, you kept my number? I’m surprised, and very little surprises me. What do you want?”

Kenneth grit his teeth at the sound of the man’s voice then unhinged his jaw and spoke clearly, “Alexander, so nice to hear from you again.”

“Cut the crap Kenneth, what do you want?” the man said harshly.

“I have a business proposition for you. This is a onetime offer and it’s for you alone, something that might get you that place of prestige you always wanted.”

“I’m listening. What do you mean ‘for me alone’?’

“I mean that if I get even a hint, a whiff, that you have brought anybody else into this you’ll never get a scrap of anything for the rest of your miserable undead life from me. And I will make it my personal hobby to ruin everything you have ever tried to do or will ever try to do.” Kenneth’s voice dropped an octave and all warmth left it. “And you know I can do it. I already did it to you once, you miserable piece of shit!”

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. Finally, Alexander replied, “Where do you want to meet?”

Kenneth smiled and leaned back in his seat. “Meet me at one of my clubs; Foxxes I think will do nicely for the business we have to attend to.”

“I’ll be there.” Then the line went dead.

There was something to be said about knowing your enemy’s weakness. Alexander’s weakness was something akin to his own ambition, but it made Alexander blind. All he had to do was wave even a hint of advantage for the man and he would bite hook, line, and sinker, every time, regardless of their history together.

He would have to play this very carefully, though. He didn’t want to get caught with Ansuya, but he didn’t want to just hand her over to someone else either. He didn’t have to worry about her being broken by Alexander. He had chosen Alexander simply because his House talents were not mental at all. He was a purely physical brute that relied on strength in all things. If Ansuya could withstand him, she would have no problem with Alexander.

That gave him pause. Is it possible that that is exactly what she wanted? Could it be that she was somehow manipulating him to give her over to another Vampire House? It was possible.