Things were not progressing well with the vampires. Eric had pulled back his attempts to communicate with them, respecting their fear and need for privacy. It was imperative that they did not consider the werewolves to be threats so that further attacks didn't happen. The isolation these vampires had forced themselves in didn't help in that regard, however.

Perhaps it would be better to just back off and find a new place for his community garden. There were several other nice locations that he could put it in. That might just be the best idea.

He didn't like the idea of leaving the vampires in the grain elevators, though. For one thing, the elevators looked like they were about to fall down. Eventually, some curious human would wander in and that would be bad for both humans and vampires. Both groups were on his packlands, so both groups were his responsibility.

How could they resolve the situation peacefully…?

Eric sighed as he carried Mikayla up the stairs to her bedroom. She and Kayla were both living with him and the rest of the pack, where it was safest until the whole vampire thing calmed down.

He'd taken his old study and completely redone it for his daughter, giving her absolutely everything she wanted. Kayla had told him he needed to scale it back a bit, but he couldn't help himself when Mikayla gave him her big puppy-dog eyes. She was a good girl, after all, and a little indulgence wouldn't hurt.

"Can we chase rabbits tomorrow?" Mikayla asked as he tucked her into her princess-style bed with her superhero blankets.

"I have to work, Little Pup. But if you're a very good girl at nursery school, maybe Uncle Quin will teach you how to catch your tail."

Mikayla giggled. "I love it here. I don't ever want to go home. Can't Mommy and I stay forever?"

Eric smiled tenderly. If it were up to him, of course they'd stay. He and Kayla would officially become mates – perhaps even marry, since he knew that marriage was important to her. But Kayla had been avoiding him. He wasn't sure why she was so frightened of their situation. If he could only understand…

"You and Mommy need to live in your home, but you'll be able to come visit lots," he said, smoothing Mikayla's hair from her face. "Now be a good girl and go to sleep, okay?"

"Ok. Love you, Daddy."

Eric's heart swelled with warmth. He grinned, unable to keep it in. There was something very special about hearing his daughter say she loved him. He didn't know how to describe it other than to think that it made him ready to take on the world for her.

"I love you, too."

He left the door partly open for her as he went back downstairs. In the kitchen, he found Kayla working furiously at her computer. She was focused on her task, and Eric just watched her for a moment. He usually liked to work around her and see how long it took for her to notice him, but this time he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Kayla," he said. When that didn't work, he moved to sit beside her. "Can I talk with you for a minute?"

"Just a sec." Kayla continued typing for a little while longer before she saved the document and sat back. "Is Mikayla in bed?"

"Yes. And you need to take a break. You work too hard."

Kayla shook her head. "I have to work. You can't keep a business running by twiddling your thumbs."

"Then I'll give you a loan. You can start with the capital to get more employees and get your brand out there. Then you'll have more time to take care of yourself."

"I don't know. I wanted to be able to build this company by myself."

Eric put his hand over hers. "You'd still be responsible for the loan – paying it back and all that. It'd just be a head start on things. I'm not trying to butt into your business. I just want to help you out. I still… care about you."

Love was the word he wanted to use, but if she was frightened of the situation like he thought she was, blurting out that he loved her again probably wasn't going to help. Even without his parents around to mess things up, they had to get to know each other again. And there was Mikayla to think about. More than their hearts would break if this went badly.

Kayla ducked her head. "I suppose a loan would be useful…"

"I'll have my lawyers draw up a contract," Eric said. He leaned forward unconsciously, his gaze going to her lips. Her intoxicating scent was driving him crazy, and at the moment all he wanted to do was—

"Eric!"

The Alpha drew back, biting down a curse. Did his brother have a sixth sense about when he and Kayla were having a moment so he could interrupt it? Kayla looked disappointed as well, though she turned back to her computer and busied herself as though nothing had happened.

"In the kitchen," Eric called.

Moments later, his brother appeared. A mix of anger and worry was on his face, and he stomped over to Eric. "There is a vampire here to see you."

Eric leaped to his feet. His teeth clenched and a growl erupted from deep inside his chest before he could stop himself. Even if he wanted to improve the relationship between Shifters and vampires, it didn't mean he wanted them to just waltz up to his home and invite themselves in for tea! Kayla clutched his hand, her face pale, and he tried to smile reassuringly at her. He didn't want her to worry.

"Let's go see him. Kayla, I'd like you to stay in the house."

"I'll go stay with Mikayla," she muttered. She closed the laptop and scurried off.

Quin fell in step behind Eric as they headed outside. There, a vampire stood in the artificial light of the streetlamps. It wasn't the same one that had attacked him before. This one was taller, with broader shoulders and a look of determination, not frenzy, about him.

"I am the Alpha of these packlands," Eric said. "What are you here for?"

"You are attempting to evict us from our home."

"No, I—"

"I don't want to hear your lies!" The vampire spat at him. "I am the leader of the coven you've attacked. For the sake of my people, I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you will leave the vampires alone."

"And if I win, you'll actually listen to me instead of being an idiot, and let me explain what I want," Eric snapped. He tore off his shirt – it would only get in the way, after all.

The vampire growled in his throat. He removed his own shirt slowly, unbuttoning every button and folding it before setting it aside. Eric was tempted to roll his eyes, but he couldn’t help but notice how shabby the vampire's clothing actually was. It was neat enough, but his pants had been clearly mended a few times, and his shirt was a faded color that spoke to years of being used. Were the vampires worse off than he realized?

Eric fell into a crouch. He would have an advantage if he Shifted, it was true, but the point of this wasn't to kill the vampire – he wanted the blasted thing to listen to him!

Yet, he knew the years of slaughter could not be forgotten, especially for the long-lived vampires. How many times had he been in this same position before only to have his home taken from him and his coven scattered and killed by the people who said they just wanted to help?

The vampire sprang forward silently. He swung at Eric's face, but the Alpha was easily able to avoid the blow. He rolled, putting his weight on his shoulder so he could scissor the vampire with his legs and flip him over. Both fighters pushed themselves back to their feet. The vampire growled and wove back and forth, looking unsteady on his feet.

Eric took a step back, his brow furrowed. He did not pull out of a fighting stance. Instead, he merely watched the vampire. He was panting already, his pallid face taking on a strange yellowish color.

"When was the last time you ate?"

The vampire growled. "What difference does it make to you?"

"Look at yourself. You can hardly stand upright." Eric slowly straightened and held his arms loosely at his sides. "I can't duel a man who is in your condition."

The vampire froze. He stared at the Alpha with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Eric nearly laughed at the expression, only it wasn't all that funny. This vampire was so certain that the Wolves were going to run them out of their home that he was fighting an Alpha while underfed. He gestured Quin over to him.

"Call the blood bank and get something for our guest sent over. We can finish our duel after you've fed," he told the vampire.

The vampire backed up a step. He swallowed hard. "Are you serious? You're not…" He swallowed hard, shoulders slumping. "You really don't mean to run us out, do you?"

"No. I only want to help. Why don't we talk—?"

"I'm not the coven's leader," the vampire interrupted. "He sent me here. He—"

There was a sharp schwing through the air. A streak gleamed in the street lamps' light. The streak buried itself right into the vampire's heart. He staggered back, glancing down at his chest with a surprised expression. Eric started forward, reaching for the vampire.

Another schwing.

Burning pain blossomed from the center of his back. A fire sparked in his blood and quickly streamed up and down his body. The pain was too much. He collapsed onto his knees.

The last thing he thought of before the darkness closed in was Kayla's face.