Nathan Roulan strode briskly through the lobby of the Roulan Empire Hotel in Times Square. He'd been away on business for several days, which annoyed him as one of the reason he had relocated to New York was because he was often there on business. He took the elevator up to his private suites on the thirteenth floor, wondering vaguely if Dr. Robert would be in. He felt weary, and in need of one of Robert's "special treatments." That always cheered him up and set him back into fighting form.

He needed something else, too, he acknowledged to himself. Something more base than even Robert. He need a new boy, now that the other four were gone. Benjamin, Thane, Evan…and his beloved Julian. They had been in too much danger from him and from the Demon known as Frost, so he had had the staff pack them up and take them somewhere safe, at least for a little while. Sending Julian away had been the hardest thing that Nathan had ever done, but if he had kept the boy with him, he would have been killed.

At least now, Frost had been permanently destroyed.

They would be reunited soon enough, but meanwhile, Nathan needed a distraction. He strode into his study and put his briefcase on the wide black oak desk and began sorting through his phone messages and his e-mail. His new secretary, Miss Grey, was efficient. She was a young vampire who Mrs. White, his head of household, had recruited. Nathan had had her background thoroughly checked, found everything in order, and set her to work straightaway. She didn't have access into his most private business, nor did she know about the Larder, where he kept his freshest supply of living stock, but she was perfect for handling his everyday business tasks. She had a mortal assistant in an office on a lower floor who took care of anything that couldn't be done at night whom Nathan had never met, but again knew everything about. That mortal knew nothing of the existence of Kindred at all.

Kindred, an ancient word which Nathan rarely ever used any more, but there was still something regal and familial about it, so he played with it in his mind for a few moments as he caught up on his work. No rest for the wicked, he mused two hours later as he finally finished everything that couldn't wait until tomorrow. He sincerely needed to relax, to find Robert.

He checked his watch. Robert should be onstage in the lounge right now. He would go down there in a few moments, after picking someone tasty from the Larder to be enjoyed later. Before he could ring for her, Mrs. White sailed into the room pushing a humongous tea cart. Annie had been with him (thanks to Dr. Robert) for almost two hundred years now, and somehow always seemed to anticipate Nathan's every need. He relied on her more than he would have liked to, but he was used to his comforts and not ready to part with them for the sake of self-sufficiency. Still, her loyalty was without question.

She looked the same as she always had, plump and matronly, with gray sausage curls of hair peeking out from under a mob cap, dark shining eyes and round cheeks that always seemed rosy despite the white vampire skin. She looked like a soft, non-threatening version of Mother Goose, until one noticed the sharp little fangs hiding inside the cupid's bow mouth. Why Robert had made her his Childe remained something of a mystery to Nathan, but that scarcely mattered anymore.

"Duckie! You're home!" she cried, tones of Manchester chiming in her accent. She kissed him on both cheeks after parking the cart. There was a suspiciously large silver platter covered with a dome on the cart, and Nathan eyed it with interest as he accepted her greeting. "The good Doctor's down at the pub, singing his lovely tunes, and I know you'll be wanting to join him soon, but I've brought you some supper, first."

"Thank you, Mrs. White," Nathan replied simply. He stood up and lifted the dome from the platter and was only mildly surprised by what he found there.

A naked boy was bound wrist to ankle with scarlet ribbons. He had been positioned on his back like a turkey, and gagged with a match silk scarf. He appeared to be a little younger than Julian, but not much, and barely conscious. His blue eyes were open wide with terror, but they were unfocused. He wasn't struggling with his bonds and his longish blond hair was neat and tidy, as if Mrs. White had combed it before covering him with the lid. He was beautiful, of course, but Nathan only fed from the beautiful. He would also be a virgin.

A surge of hunger swept through Nathan, but he was wary as well. He slipped his fingers against the pulse in the boy's throat. It was sluggish, and the scent of him was strange.

"What did you give him?"

"Just a wee tranquilizer. Have a sip, it will help you relax, luv. You know you need to," Mrs. White said, rubbing his shoulders.

"Thank you." There was no use trying to convince her that he would rather have had the lad wide awake and unspoiled. Besides…she was almost right. "Do you have his paperwork?"

She handed him a folder. It contained specific information as to the boy's age, height, weight, where he had been acquired, and how long he had been in the Larder. His name was Henry Bierk, Nathan noted, and was, like most of the young people he fed from, an orphan.

"I'll let you get back to your duties." He told Mrs. White. Nathan pressed a fatherly kiss against her forehead and waved her off, then turned to the lad as she left the room.

Nathan ungagged the boy and he drew in a ragged gulp of breath. He blinked and squinted, staring up at Nathan, but he didn't scream or yell, and this pleased Nathan even if it was only due to the drug Mrs. White had given him. Nathan stroked his hair, then ran his fingers over the boy's arms, legs, ribs, the curve of his rear end. Henry shivered under the touch of cold fingers, but responded in no other way. Nathan bent and kissed him on the mouth, and this brought a little gasp. It also seemed to sober the lad up somewhat.

"Are you going to kill me?" he whispered.

"I haven't decided yet," Nathan said with amusement.

"Please don't."

Nathan ignored the soft plea and continued running his hands over the young body for a few moments. Henry didn't say anything else aloud, but Nathan could hear his thoughts which were beginning to trickle past faster and faster, thought not at the speed of a completely aware human. One phrase seemed to repeat in the boy's brain.

"Fairy Tale Monsters," Nathan murmured aloud, and grinned when shock registered in the blue eyes.

"Aren't you?" Henry whispered finally.

Nathan grinned, displaying his fangs. Vampires, Henry thought, and it was beginning to dawn on him exactly how much trouble he was in. Yet still he hadn't resigned himself to death. The young rarely did. They all thought they were immortal, that they could escape any situation, and it was part of this hubris which salved any last shreds of conscience which might ever prick Nathan's mind, however rarely that happened.

He ought to drain this boy, stick him in the oven, and go to sleep. By the time the tranquilizer wore off, he'd be ready to eat. Nathan would be relaxed, hungry… but for some reason, he realized that he didn't want to kill Henry Bierk, not just now. Maybe it was merely the petulant thought that by providing his victim, Mrs. White had taken away his choice of whom to dine upon. Maybe it was the faint resemblance to… to Julian.

Nathan untied the scarlet ribbon and loosed the boys arms and legs. He gently lifted Henry off of the platter and carried him out of the study into the elegant bedroom next door. The boy lifted his arms and put them around Nathan's neck automatically. The gesture skittered down Nathan's spine, but he let nothing show on his face. After all, it was meaningless. He laid the boy down on the bed and looked at him for a moment.

"Sleep."

The powerful command was obeyed at once. Henry had no choice in the matter. His burgeoning thoughts silence, like a plug being pulled on a radio. Nathan pushed the lad's head to the side and sank his fangs in. Hot blood flooded his mouth, soured slightly with the taste of the tranquilizers, but still delicious. Nathan took only a swallow, enough to take the edge off his nerves, the healed the wound with his tongue. The boy would never even know he'd been sampled.

He sat on the edge of the bed for several minutes, letting the drugs work through his system. It did feel good, but he didn't usually indulge this way. It was too dangerous. He had too many enemies. Finally he stood up and laid a thick faux fur blanket over Henry and left the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

Mrs. White was standing in the hallway outside the suite, and she beamed at him, making Nathan wonder if she had been standing there the whole time.

"Are you pleased, ducks?"

"An excellent selection. I think I may keep him on tap for a while. He won't wake up until tomorrow, so don't worry about him until then."

"Good, good. Now off you go to see the Doctor, he'll be so disappointed if you don't hear him sing."

Never mind that Nathan had heard Robert sing thousands of times. It was still a pleasure, and she was right.

"Good-night, Mrs. White."

"Oh, one last thing, luv. I just thought you should know of Dr. Robert's new…guest."

Plaything, she meant. This was nothing new. Robert was always bringing victims home. The staff would take care of the body. However, something in her voice made Nathan turn back an look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"It's an elf."

You're so ill at ease...
A whisper in the trees...