"Come, Ebony, we must leave the woods. It is not safe out here for a lost human," Henry said, trying to pull me forward.

"No, I have to wait here for Carter or Callan. Oh god, Jake. He must be so worried right now. I should stay here and wait for them."

"We cannot, I'm afraid," Henry said gently.

"Please, they will come for me," I said, putting my hands together and begging him. "Carter always comes to find me."

Henry looked at me for a moment, and I guess I did look and sound like a complete freak right now. "Fine, I will stay with you for a while, but then if they do not turn up, you will have to stay by yourself or come with me."

"Thank you. I'm not crazy, I promise. Carter went to find, Oh no, Genevieve. She was right here, and I needed her to prove Carter's innocence. He will be put to death if she gets away." I looked around frantically for any sign of her.

"You are convinced that strange blonde woman is Genevieve Morgan?"

"It was her. She locked me in here to kill me and make Carter turn into the wolf. Carter is trying to find Leon as he is planning to start a war with my world and yours, and he is using me as bait to anger Carter. That woman you just met was Genevieve."

He once again stared at me for a moment. "I'll admit she was acting strangely, but I was at Carter's trial with the elders. There was concrete evidence for her death. I mean, they had her body."

"I don't know who that poor creature was, but it was not Genevieve. Jake saw her, and now I saw her. I know this sounds crazy."

"So, you're telling me that Carter Morgan, the man accused of killing Genevieve Morgan, is innocent and that his ex-wife and his brother are working together to frame him and ultimately be put to death so that war will break out between our worlds?"

"He wants power, and he wants some sort of amulet that Carter has from his father. I don't know what it is, but it must be very powerful."

"The amulet? I have heard stories about this amulet from my father. They say it possesses the blood of a hybrid, the most powerful being to ever be created and walk the earth, but that's all they are stories made up by Morgan's father. The amulet does not exist." he shook his head.

"What? That can't be true. Leon killed his father to get his hands on this amulet. Why would he do that if it didn't exist?"

"You know his father was an outcast in our society, right? He was a great leader once, but he married a wolf, the species we loathe the most, and I hear that she might have even been human as well, no offense. You see, in our society, we don't marry outside our kind. It's unheard of. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like humans. You are quite funny and loyal, and you make wonderful pets for company, but to marry one? It's just unheard of. The Morgans have always been looked down on in our world because of their parents, especially Carter. He was more like his mother and seemed to want to change things around here, but he soon discovered that he couldn't, and he, just like his father, became an outcast. He then married Genevieve, and they had a son, but it was not enough to stop his curiosity about humans. He left our world a very long time ago, and I hear he is doing quite well, but there is no magical amulet, Ebony. It's just a story their father told them to keep them in line."

"That doesn't make sense. Carter told me about the amulet."

"Did he show you this amulet?"

"Well, no, but ..."

"It doesn't exist. Don't you think if it did, someone somewhere would have seen it? It doesn't make any sense. I do agree that his brother Leon is a complete loon and needs to be stopped, and I do wish Carter the very best with that one. Leon always favored his wolf side."

"Carter is a good man, and he is fighting to protect my world and yours. I believe him when he says he has an amulet, and nothing you can say will change that. He will return for me, and we will prove his innocence." I said, looking around. "I'm so scared that something has happened to him." I felt the tears in my eyes, and I turned away.

"I'm not hating on Carter. I like him, I do. I'm just telling you the facts. If you are certain he will return to you, then I believe you, but we can't stay here. If I leave you, you will die in these forests at the hands of rogue vampires. It's just not safe." he said, touching my back.

"Rogue vampires?"

"Those who have no moral compass, like Leon. They worship him like a god and follow his practice of vengeance and hate. I'm sure you would have seen some around him. They don't believe in a civilized society as we do. They live and feed on the land. They hunt for weak prey like yourself and devour them without mercy."

"How do I know you are any different?" I said, turning to him.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe you just want to drag me back to your cave and make me your slave or something?"

He chuckled. "I can assure you, Ebony, I do not live in a cave."

"I don't know what to do?"

"I will make sure you are returned to your master, but you need to come with me," Henry held out his hand. "This is a dangerous place."

I hesitated for a moment as I looked around the forest, hoping to see a familiar face, but there was nothing. I suddenly realized they weren't coming, no matter how hard I wished. I looked over at Henry, who was still holding his hand out to me. Can I trust this vampire? Do I even have a choice?

"I won't hurt you, Ebony. I want to get out of here," he said, smiling.

I nodded, and with a heavy heart, I took his hand.

As we walked through the woods, my heart felt heavy, and every few steps, I looked back to see if any of them were there. I missed my family, I needed my family, and I feared I would never see them again. Who would have thought that the love of my life would be my undead boss vampire? Yet now, I feel lost without him.

The further we walked from the forest, the more I could feel him calling me. He was hurt, he was tired, and he was scared. I can feel him calling for me like a nagging conscience deep inside, just like an instinct. He is calling me.

"Henry, I have to get through that portal. Carter is in trouble, I can feel it, and he needs me. Please, I need to get to him before it is too late. I can't leave him." I cried out, walking backward.

"You will die if you stay here," he said, shaking his head. "It is too dangerous for a human to stay in this forest."

"Then tell me how to open a portal, and I will do it. Please, he needs me." I put my hand over my heart and closed my eyes. "I can hear him."

"Excuse me?"

"It's hard to explain. I don't even understand it."

"Then why..."

"How do I open the portals?" I yelled, cutting him off.

"You can't, Ebony."

"Then who can?"

He shook his head, and his blonde hair fell onto his face.

"It is too dangerous."

"Please, Henry, who can help me?" I cried out desperately.

He put his hands on his hips and spun around slowly. "There are stories of an elder who lives in the woods. They say he turned rouge long ago, but I have heard he controls the woods. It listens to him, and he controls it like they are one." he said quietly. "But it's dangerous."

"I'm in the vampire world, and everything is dangerous here!" I yelled, throwing up my hands in frustration. "Where can I find this elder?"

"By the river, that way." he pointed to the right. "You will die before you reach him."

"Well then, that's just a chance I'll have to take, isn't it," I shrugged.

"You must care for him very much," he said.

"I do, and he needs me. I'm sorry to be so weird."

"Does he feel the same way about you?"

I just nodded my head.

"Curious, I didn't think vampires were even capable of feeling the love. Remarkable."

"Henry, I'll be happy to give you some tips on how to love later, but right now, I need to get out of here."

"Oh, yes. Of course, it's this way. I think?" He started walking right.

"Wait, you're coming?" I said, running behind him.

"I am now," he rolled his eyes. "To be honest, I don't have much going on anyway." he smiled. "And if you die, I certainly don't need an angry Carter Morgan hunting me down."

"Thank you, Henry. You are a good friend."

"A friend, huh? I've never had one of those before," he said, tilting his head. "That's good, right?"

"It's awesome." I smiled as we walked through the forest.