returned to the estate, where Katrina was watching some television in the back living room.
Caleb squatted down to kiss Katrina on the lips as she lay on the couch holding the remote control. One brief smell of him told her exactly where they had been.
“Pizza and a lingering scent of…Devon’s home.” She noted the latter with narrowed eyes.
“That’s right,” Paige interrupted before he could be grilled further. “We had a brief meeting, which went very well, I might add.”
Katrina looked up at Caleb, her right arm snaking out to encircle his waist and asked, “Indeed?”
He sighed, leaned against her while squatting on his knees and replied, “Yeah, it went pretty well, actually.”
“How about some random vintage of blood for the pizza-beleaguered vampire?” Paige suggested dryly.
“Sure,” he replied with a grin. “You too, Kat?”
“No, thank you,” she replied and released her arm from around him so he could rise. Once he disappeared into the kitchen, Katrina focused her attention on Paige fully. “Why did you take him there without me?” she demanded in a whisper.
Paige positioned herself next to the couch, planting both hands atop her slim hips. “Think about it, Red. You’re already in the doghouse for the agreement with Archibald in the first place. This way, I got to meet him, and Caleb didn’t have to blame you for dragging him there. I get to be the bad guy instead of you for a change. Or are you so ready to be back on the skids with him so soon after your romantic redemption last night?”
Katrina was taken aback by her frank assessment, but she conceded that her friend made some good points. It was true that she was very happy with how things had gone between her and Caleb the previous night, and she didn’t want things to change. “Okay, points well made, actually,” she admitted. “I suppose thanks are in order.”
“None needed, Red,” Paige countered with a shrug. “It was nice to spend time alone with him, actually.”
Katrina nodded. She knew how much Paige adored Caleb, and a little time alone with him was probably reasonable. “By the way, tomorrow’s the day I’m announcing my territorial claim, and I’m pronouncing you and Devon as Caleb’s protectors.”
Paige nodded. She was fully aware that Katrina and Alton were working on that, but was still a little surprised that Katrina was willing to make such a public declaration given how private and reclusive she had been over the years in the vampire community.
“By the way, where’s Gil?” Paige asked.
“In the theater room,” Katrina replied. “He was bored and wanted to watch some new vampire movie that Caleb recently added to my film collection.”
Paige rolled her eyes, not typically a fan of Hollywood vampire films. Although, she admitted the romantic one with the young male vampire who fell in love with the clumsy brunette teenager was rather endearing. Although that one also had werewolves, and everyone knew that werewolves weren’t real. She plopped down on a nearby upholstered chair with a sigh, draping one leg lazily over the arm rest.
After a few minutes, Caleb returned with a glass of heated blood for Paige, who gratefully accepted it. “Thanks, kiddo.”
He slipped his shoes off and went to lie down beside Katrina on the oversized couch. The red-haired vampire smiled gratefully, wrapped her arm around him, and even handed him the remote control.
“Surf away,” she remarked and kissed him on the cheek.
“Yeah, but no vampire movies tonight, okay, sport?” Paige remarked before sipping from her glass and reflecting on the evening’s events. “Pizza buffet, of all places,” she mumbled sourly, only to hear Caleb chuckle in response.
* * * *
On Tuesday, Caleb was once more at work teaching history classes, meeting with students, and mingling with the daytime world over which humanity presided. During occasional free moments, he considered the meeting the previous evening between him, Paige, and Devon. The towering vampire had surprised him somewhat by providing access to an entirely different side of his personality, as well as by sharing his intriguing life story. He had been quite critical of Katrina’s decision to spare Devon’s life, but he felt a glimmer of sympathy for the vampire. At the very least, he was willing to wait and see how things progressed.
During the early afternoon, he checked his personal email account for messages. Among the usual spam was a message with the header, “Declaration of Territorial Claim,” which Katrina had BCC’d him on. As he read the message, he found himself holding his