Ok whoever is reading this little tidbit! This is my first fanfic, so I'm extremely nervous and any insight would be of much help! Comments, suggestions, likes/dislikes, anything! Thank you so much. I know since this is the first chapter it'll be a bit slow but I promise it'll pick up soon :)

Chapter 1: Cold Blood

Jasper POV

Chaos was all around me. As I rode astride my beautiful stallion in search of any woman and children in need of evacuation I couldn't help but wonder why I had gone into the Confederate Army to begin with. True, I was a Major – an excellent soldier. Though, why give up a life with my parents for a life of destruction and death. As all these thoughts swirled in my cluttered mind I happened upon 3 young woman walking on the side of a road. Even from afar it was easy to see their inhuman beauty. Me being the Texan gentleman I was, I stopped and dismounted my horse to bow and ask if they needed any assistance. I noticed one of the girls lean over to whisper something to another, the leader of the group it seemed. This I payed no mind to, due to my focused state of mind.

"What's your name soldier?" upon closer examination the leader, who had asked me this question, had vivid red eyes – in fact, all three of the woman did. Even in the darkness it was easy to spot. This set me on edge a bit, and I became cautious.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am."

"I hope you survive." Survive what? I couldn't question anything further as she stepped up to stand in front of me, her shockingly cold hands creeping up my shoulders to take hold of my throat. A shiver ran down my spine as warning bells signaled in my mind. "You may be of great use to me." and with this I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my neck, followed by what felt like fire slinking it's way through my body. The last thing I remember was falling to my knees as I heard the far-away panicked sound of my stallions neigh and the harsh sound of hooves on dirt. Then all went dark, and I was lost in the inferno.

The pain was excruciating, to say the least. As strong as I was, this was something I never could have prepared myself for. Occasionally I could hear the whisper of voices through the flames until they sucked me back in. It felt like an eternity before the burning started to fade from the tips of my fingers and toes in towards my heart. This feeling was almost worse than my entire body burning at once! Was that a scream? I couldn't tell. Everything was lost to me. My heart hammered in my chest for what felt like hours before my heart stuttered once, twice, a third time before falling silent. I lay still, the Major in me examining everything – the sound of the wind in the trees, the chirp of a bird, the smell of dust and dirt.

"Jasper?"

At this my eyes flew open and I straightened up into a defensive crouch, a snarl escaping my lips. I looked at the breathtaking woman in front of me, her hand outstretched innocently.

"It's alright Jasper – it's me, Maria. I won't hurt you."

My instincts eased a little. Suddenly I was bombarded with a senseof calm, with an undertone of determination and triumph. Were these my emotions? I looked at this woman – Maria – in confusion as she slowly stepped towards me. She placed her hand on my arm with a gentle touch, and my body automatically tensed.

"Shh, it's alright." she whispered to me. "I'm your only friend here. Let's go get your thirst sated and then we'll talk further"

I felt only good emotions towards me now, so I decided to take the chance. We hunted without more then a few words being said between us. On the run back I saw her examining me closely, but I couldn't quite pick up on her emotions. We settled under a tree, our shoulders touching.

"What is it that you need to tell me? Why am I here?" I noticed my voice had changed – slightly deeper, but I still had my Texan twang. Funny, I didn't even pick up on the change before. Must've been the hunting – my thirst was greater than I thought.

"Well, soldier, to put it simply, I'm creating an army of newborn vampires. Mine and my sisters territory was taken from us, and we want it back, but we cannot do it alone. I saw that you had potential. I was hoping that, due to your Major status, you could help me in training the newborns to fight." with this she looked around at me. My face was a blank mask.

"What do I get from it?" At this she chuckled, a twinkling sound.

"If you prove yourself worthy and fulfill your duty, you get to stay alive." This shocked me, but I didn't want to know anything further. It's safer not to ask too many questions.

The weeks passed. The bloodlust became gradually bearable, but it was still an annoyance. I got used to my new life well before my first year was over. I discovered I had the ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of others – which came into good use when trying to control all the newborns at once. More arrogant newborns came in, more were killed after their newborn phase diminished. It soon became an organized cycle. I trained with them day after day, receiving bites on some occasions. 'The Major' never left for long - it was like a second skin. I was rarely just Jasper Whitlock anymore, and at first I saw no problem. Maria and I became close, and I thought nothing out of the ordinary. One night Maria and I were alone with each other as we often were when the day ended. She noticed all the bite marks I had received over the past few days alone, and I watched as she traced them with her fingertips.

"Pity that such a handsome man should be scarred so harshly." Maria flicked her eyes up to me before dropping her gaze again. She proceeded to kiss each one slowly, starting from my jawline and down to my side. I closed my eyes, even though the kisses didn't excite me as they used to. I could feel a routine in the making.

Now the year was around 1938. I had killed Nettie and Lucy after they tried to rebel against Maria. A bit after that incident I befriended Peter, a newborn who stood out among the others. After much persuasion I convinced Maria that he was an asset. We spent our days training the newborns, and he helped me dispose of them until he came across Charlotte – his mate. Feeling their love and desperation, I helped them escape. Maria found out, and she soon lost trust in me. When I was alone and at peace for the time-being, I started to come up with a plan to kill her. I was so lost in my planning I failed to notice my name being called some distance away. It was Peter, with Charlotte in tow.

"Major I swear if you don't answer me you're getting your ass whooped, and I won't hold back this time!" Ah, Peter hasn't changed a bit.

"Sorry Peter. Why are you returning to the devil's lair?" he told me all about how there were vampires up North, and how we could all coexist with each other easily. This opportunity sounded intriguing. After some deliberation, I ran off with the duo. I felt... free. That is, until it came time to hunt. I loathed feeling the fear of my victims. I was a monster. A savage, almost. I told Peter about my problem, and no sooner had I joined their little coven did I leave to venture on my own. It was impossible to cease killing humans. My life was a spiraling Hell on Earth. I started to wonder if my life would always be like this, with no way out.

Then I met Mary Alice.