On a whim i decided that i was curious as to how this particular pairing got together and as a result a story suddenly formed. It practically wrote itself :)


Charlotte's POV

Burning...such intense burning.

Surely I had fallen into hell. I was surrounded by a scorching heat that could melt the skin from your bones and incinerate your body into ash. Such hellish heat…and yet there were long bouts of reprieve. The heavenly feel of coolness washing over me in waves and ripples. It eased the fire that burned. It reminded me of a baptism. The rushing sound of nature in my ear made whatever I was experiencing bearable.

It felt like an eternity before the fire eventually died in my body and all that remained was glowing embers in my throat. Suddenly life was calling me. I felt like I was falling back into my body from the sky. The life force railed with a vengeance and through the darkness my eyes flew open.

There was crystal clear water flowing over me. Immediately panic rose in my chest. The childhood trauma of nearly drowning returned and the memory gripped its fearful fingers around my heart. I need to breathe!

Instantly, i sat up. The water was violently disturbed as i broke through the surface with a gasp. Oh god!

I continued to gasp, desperately. I was paralyzed to move despite the fact that i was submerged in a body of water that reached up to my neck. What on earth? Am i dead? I'm in a god damn river! How did this happen?

I tried to calm down but it was hard.

No matter how much i gasped for air, though nothing changed. My lungs didn't react. They didn't move and I didn't feel my chest rise or fall. I don't need...to breathe.

My hands went to push desperately at my drenched hair as it was plastered to my face. Pushing my hair away, it clung to my neck and back. Without warning my senses were assaulted, overwhelmed to say the least. My eyes saw too much detail to comprehend: Every grain in the bark of trees that surrounded me. Every small insect that surrounded the body of water. Every beat of the dragon fly's wings. My head traveled in all directions, unable to keep my focus on one thing.

There were also too many sounds all attacking my ears at once. I could hear birds, fish, rustling leaves, voices and unintelligible noises all at the same time. A whirlwind of noise

I squeezed my eyes shut and clasped my hands to my ears. I shook my head violently. Too much!

Suddenly the painful heat blazed at the back of my throat. I lurched forward then from the sudden intensity of it. One hand flew to my neck while the other braced my body up in the water. On my hand and knees I stared into the water's surface.

A reflection was there….A girl staring back at me. She was utterly beautiful with silky smooth skin that was polished and tight as marble. Her face was perfectly symmetrical and sparkled. She had high cheekbones and delicately defined features from pouting lips to a thin nose to wide almond shaped eyes. The most startling thing was that her irises were as black as night. They were gaping black holes of nothingness. The girl was possessed…. demonic.

I didn't wait another second. My hand cut through the water disturbing the image of the girl. Whoever she was. I jumped to my feet with surprising speed and grace, despite the fact that my skirts were soaked through. By now the embers in my throat were raging angrily into life as if ready to start another fire inside of me. I began clawing frantically at my throat. What IS this?!

All I remembered was chasing Evelyn through the forest and nothing more. How had I ended up here?

Suddenly i a strong sent caught my attention. I could not believe that I had ignored it for so long. It was an odd mixture of citrus, earthy wood and a trace tobacco. My head snapped in the direction of the scent and my eyes zeroed in on a lone figure. A man was standing underneath the shelter of the trees. He was looking at me from across the clearing. How long had he been there?

Without ceremony he began to approach and there was tension in my muscles as the stranger glided towards me with surprising agility. The man looked like he had been carved out of marble: A statue from the Greek or Roman Empire. He looked like he was of royal blood or at least an emperor. The man drawing ever closer was as tall as a tree and his athletic body was barely hidden beneath his white linen shirt and dark trousers. His skin shimmered like diamonds in the daylight and his long blond hair cascaded down his broad shoulders. He was formidable.

The strange man struck a chord with me. He seemed familiar…and yet I could not place him. He was like a faded memory as murky as a muddy lake. I was unable to remember where I had seen him before. I had no time to wonder as he stopped in front of me. His eyes were fiery red and the surprising colour caused me to fall back.

The man seemed bored and uninterested as if this whole situation was mundane. "It is time to feed," he stated simply and when i didn't move he added. "Lest you wish the burning to continue... Come." His voice was saturated with authority and immediately i yielded to it. For if I wanted to get any answers i had to follow him. I opened my mouth then but no matter how much I wished to speak I couldn't. The burning was chocking me.

The man however didn't wait for a response. He had already turned on his heel and was moving. I raced after him, leaving behind the river and entering a forest. For some reason the trees were nothing more than blurry outlines as i passed through them...The scenery was moving past me in that way it did when you travel and high speed.

Suddenly there was something in the air that smelled...appetizing? It was this thick sweet honeyed smell. It was irresistible to me. I needed it. The burning in my throat became an inferno now. I bolted past the blond haired man, easily over taking him and I ran in the direction of the smell.

In no time at all I reached a clearing. There were hordes and hordes of people. The ones that looked like the girl from the river had their mouths to the necks of still bodies while the 'normal' looking people were trying to get away. It was complete bedlam. The sight should have repulsed me but I could only focus on the smell that was sending my mouth watering.

Just then a women caught my eye. She was old and she was struggling to get up off the ground. She looked like a wounded animal. She had that appetizing smell about her...

Instantly my jaws parted and without hesitating I moved towards the old women who had now starting to try and get up. I was quick to reach her though. The next thing i knew i sank my teeth into her neck. Immediately a thick rich liquid flooded mouth. My eyes closed at the delicious taste and I drank and drank. It was as if I had just stumbled upon water after being stuck in a desert and only when i felt the thirst and burning subside, did i stop.

Oh thank god. I sighed in relief as i pulled back. It's gone.

Instantly i seemed to regain my mind and I could now think clearly. Suddenly my eyes shot open. I looked down then and came face to face with the women. She was lying limp on the ground. Her eyes were open but she was staring at nothing. She wasn't breathing. What have I done?!

Stumbling, to my feet, I backed away so far and hard. Panic rekindled in my chest. My heart should have been racing but it didn't. Everyone in the clearing looked like the girl in the river. They were all beautiful looking. They were drinking but they were messy. There was blood everywhere.

My eyes desperately scanned the surroundings. The man. Where's that man?

Just then i saw him. The one that had brought me here. He was easy to spot because he was taller than everyone else. He was standing at the opposite side of clearing.

Straight away I made a move to reach him.

I was careful as i weaved through strange beings. I didn't want to disturbing them.

"You there!" I cried, urgently because he had started to disappear into the forest.

The blond haired man turned almost immediately.

I nearly ran into him when i reached him.

He fixed me with an incredulous stare. His eyebrows arched so high.

I stopped short of him. "What am i?" I asked not waiting to make introductions. "What did I just do?"

He continued to stare.

I could barely keep my hands still. "You know. Tell me! I don't understand this. What has happened to me? "

The man surveyed me for a long time until finally... "You speak," he stated, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

His simple observation caused my annoyance and impatience to over take my common sense and my natural inclination to be polite. "Of course I do! I'm not a mute!" I declared.

The man's lips quirked. "You are a blood feeder now," he stated simply. "A vampire."

I looked skeptical despite the fact that I had just fed. "They are merely myth. The stuff of legends!"

The man cocked an eyebrow. He began to walk as he spoke. "You are a vampire now and a part of Maria's army. You are here to defend her territory from other warring vampires who wish to take it."

It was my turn to be shocked. "What?!"

The gasped question seemed to cause a whisper of amusement to pass across his face.

I chased after the man. "But...But I don't want to be in an army! I do want to be in a war!" I know I sounded petulant and scared.

The blond haired man remained impassive and unmoved. "You don't have a choice."

"Now you listen here!" I said unable to hide my utter frustration, at my situation, "How dare you state this as if it is fact! Who gave this Maria, power to own my life?"

The man suddenly stopped.

I halted myself. Fear then gripped my heart as I stared at the man who was the embodiment of perfection. He seemed serious now and all faint traces of amusement, forgotten. The look he was giving me sent a shiver down my spine.

"Maria does not tolerate insubordination…Would you rather face her?" he asked, lowly. "She is not forgiving." There was a distinct edge to the man's voice which reminded me of his stature and strength. His words left me feeling like there was a knife being held to my throat. I knew what he was implying.

I became utterly desperate now. "No!" I nearly shouted out, "But there is every chance that I could be killed in Maria's war! This is a lose -lose situation!"

My words seemed to defuse the situation instantly and the sparkle returned to the man's eyes. "Well…Well. Aren't you a perceptive one," he said with a hint of teasing to his voice.

I pinched my lips tightly together as I fixed the strange man with a sulky and annoyed expression.

He just extended out his hand then, in a rather gentlemanly fashion. "I am Peter."

I suspiciously gazed at his hand but I took it for some reason. "Charlotte," I replied.

Peter shook my hand then. " Well Charlotte," he started before taking a long pause. "There is something i should tell you."

I found myself getting lost in his red eyes. They had me transfixed. Before i knew it i was leaning towards him. "What?" i barely whispered.

Peter just stared back at me. "You are the girl in the water," he stated, simply.

Instantly my eyes shot open and in my surprise i yanked my hand back. My gut clenched so hard. It was as if he had seen me naked...it had been such a private moment. All i could do was stare at him open mouthed.

Peter remained undeterred. He just began walking through the trees. "If you wish to know about your new life then come with me," Peter said over his shoulder.

Once again, I followed him… whether under the sway of his authority or beauty I was not sure.