"I think I'll keep my distance," he said.

Kate's smile grew wider, but she didn't speak. She simply continued to massage and kneed his back and shoulders. This was the wakeup call he needed. He knew what all the other clans were saying about him. While his own clan loved the new Michael with Kara, most of the other clans started to see him as a weakling, a dangerous image amongst vampires. His uncle taught him that lesson well. He had to eliminate his feelings for Kara and redeem his strong image again.

"Well, I think I'll go," Kate said. She threw on her shirt, gathered the rest of her clothes and headed for the door. "I'll see you later." She blew him a kiss on the way out, but Michael ignored it. He walked into the bathroom as if she had never even been there and turned on the shower.

************************

Kara stood on the balcony, drinking a hot cup of coffee when she noticed Kate entering the room. The curvy girl's state of undress reaffirmed Kara's suspicions that she spent the night with Michael. She felt crushed, but she refused to acknowledge it. She came inside and latched the double doors behind her.

Kate startled. "I didn't know you were out there," she said as she tried to cover herself. Kara gave her a cold look, but it didn't detour her cheerful attitude. "Well, good morning. It was for me anyway." Her laugh sounded more malicious than gleeful, Kara glared at her as she headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Kara waited until she heard the shower running and then collapsed onto her bed, allowing her coffee to spill onto the floor. She stuffed her face into her pillow to muffle the sounds of her sobs. She hated crying over Michael, but she wanted to get it all out and forget about him once and for all. Her attraction to him only distracted her from her real reason for joining his cult, Alyssa. Spending the night with Kate was only further proof that he was playing a game with her. She shouldn't be surprised. After all, what else could be expected from someone who was born a vampire?

She would have laughed at her stupidity if she wasn't so heartbroken. "I won't let him manipulate me anymore. This is for Alyssa, not him," she said. "He is nothing." She sat up and wiped her eyes.

***************************

Over the next few weeks, she kept herself busy and spent as much time with Alyssa as she could. Logan and homework competed with her for Alyssa's attention though. Kara found herself losing to one or the other most days. She started to question if she even needed to be there any longer. Logan seemed to truly love Alyssa, and it seemed hopeless to tear them apart, which she wasn't even sure she wanted to anymore. However, she feared Michael wouldn't let her leave now even if she wanted to.

He called her cell phone constantly, yet she found it strange that he never sent Henry to fetch her like he used to, and he never showed up himself. She assumed Kate must be taking care of whatever he needed, and she was happy about that, but the thought did still hurt a little.

"I can't dwell on that," she said. "Besides, he hasn't called me at all today, so maybe he realized I'm never going to answer."

As if Michael had been reading her mind, her phone began to ring with his number plastered across the screen. Her heart began to flutter, but she chose not to answer it. Instead, she decided to go to his room and finally face him.

Outside his door, she paused, contemplating if she should knock or not. She knew Kate was in there, and while she didn't want to see her naked on Michael's bed, she knew knocking wouldn't force her to get dressed, so she simply entered. Michael and Kate looked shocked to see Kara, but Michael quickly composed himself. Without speaking, he motioned Kate to leave, which she did, begrudgingly.