“You have everything here. What more could you want?”

What more could I want?

That question he muttered just shortly before I walked back out the door. How could he not know? I did not want the securities of a mansion or to be bathed in his money, unknowing where it came from. No! I didn't need him to protect me against my enemies, Serena, nor did I need him to walk along my side every waking moment.

What more could I want?

It was by some strange coincidence that I didn't quite know what I wanted from this man I was so persistent to find. Was it I just wanted to help him for some unknown reasons? Was it I wanted his company instead?

Whatever that was, I left Chris's house without another word and returned to Northern City.

I began my search of local businesses. Shopping malls, markets, and even cinemas around the city. I ventured into each one of them, spending quite some time looking through aisles and even restrooms. It must have seemed strange to them, the patrons of such places, a pure white individual walking through with hair as silver as the snow. Many frustrated looks came from them, and I just turned my back to continue on.

I, myself, grew more frustrated. Why couldn't I sense him? I ran into several vampires along my journey through the city. I spoke to a few of them, while others seemed to eye me with discontent as I walked by.

Finally, after several nights, I began to add bars and taverns to the search. Why hadn't I thought of it in the first place? For a hungry vampire, drunken women would be best to prey on.

One by one, tavern after tavern, I walked inside and sat down at the counter. Carefully I scoped out the room, remaining there for hours as patrons left and new came in. It was always the bartender to notice me sitting at the very end of the bar. He or she would approach and ask if I wanted a drink. I could only flash a smile before politely declining.

It seemed like months, years even, that this search continued. However, it hadn't been long that I had worn out my options and was left with the belief that he was no longer here.

At the end of the city lay a small marketplace with a tavern on the opposite side. The last area I hadn't looked around. As I entered the old bar, it seemed as if I wasn't to have any luck on this night. I could count on my hand the number of people there. Two of them sat at the bar, talking to each other as the bartender on the opposite side prepared their drinks. There were two others, challenging each other to a game of pool at the table to the left of me. Their faces I could not see as they stood with their backs to me.

I sat at the end of the bar, as I always had. This time I didn't bother to check out the room as there wasn't a crowd.

What was the use? I had taken his life, if not by draining his blood, by giving him this incurable condition. It would weigh heavily on my shoulders... I had been responsible for his death and I couldn't understand why I cared so much.

The bartender eyed me from the opposite side of the bar. He didn't attempt to approach me, he only returned his attention back to making a drink for the couple next to me.

I brushed my hair over the side of my ear and lifted my head a bit to focus on the voices around me.

“Do you want to get out of here and check out a different place?” the woman asked her date.

“Nah, I'm fine here. I like this little place,” the gentleman answered.

I heard the blender start then finally the liquid pour out into a glass that the bartender set down in front of the woman.

On the opposite side, I heard the clashing sound of two pool balls come together. The two men spoke, yet the music from the old jukebox drowned out their slight chatter. I had to focus a bit more to hear their words.

“You play a good game. What's your name?” one of them said.

“Uhh,” the other paused a moment. “Mikael”

My head popped up and I twisted to see the two at the pool table.

He leaned over the table, focusing closely on the cue ball. He made his shot while the other player watched closely before walking to the other end of the table. I noticed he continued to keep his eyes down and never looked straight at the other man.

But it was him. I knew it! The straight, long brown hair was grown to his arse. He was thinner than I remembered and possibly that was just from hunger. If only I could see the look in his eyes... those baby blue eyes staring back at me, and I suddenly felt a wave of terror strike me.

I couldn't do it... I couldn't approach him. What was I to say to the man I had tried to kill?

After their game, the two spoke to each other for a short moment. Mikael seemed persistent in not letting the other man see his eyes.

Finally, they separated and he began to make his way towards the stairs leading to the second floor. I watched him step up each single step, his head down before disappearing from my sight.

I was tempted to stand straight up and follow, however I was frozen. Stuck there in my wave of horror and excitement, the emotions hitting me all at once. I finally turned my head back around and looked at the bartender who continued to speak with the couple at the bar.

“Are there apartments upstairs?” I found myself asking.

He swung his head around and looked at me confused. “There's only one, that's taken. Why?”

“No reason,” I answered before getting up and leaving out the front door.