p r e f a c e

I stood in front of my love. I could sense her behind me, tensed. Excited. Anticipating the kill. My muscles tightened in reaction, and I focused my eyes on the enemy. If anyone else had asked me to do this, I would have refused. I would have turned on them then, ready to find my own way in this new world. But the person I was risking my life for was not just any one. It was my red headed lover. Despite my enhanced vision, I could barely see her. She was somewhat blurry but as I beheld her beauty, even out of the corner of my eye, I knew I could do this. For her.

She would not have changed me if she did not believe I would be able to destroy the strange golden eyed one front of me. She would not have brought me into this new and exotic world of the night if she was not convinced that I was capable of ripping this man limb from limb and throwing every piece into a fire conceived by the foliage and branches of the flora around us.

This new world that consisted mostly of darkness and blood. It was my life now, and I was grateful to her for changing me. The many months that had lead up to this morning on a snow engrossed mountain were not to be regretted, but a memory of my new self.

A memory of a vampire.

c h a p t e r 1

The night was cold, darker than most, as I walked home. The stars lit the sky. However, with the absence of a moon they did nothing for the ground. Unlit street lamps lined the side walks. The darkness seemed ominous. I picked up my pace, despite the fact that I knew I had nothing to worry about. I knew that. Of course I did, but the further I walked on this cold night in Seattle, Washington, the more my suspicions grew. I began to peer over my shoulder. I started hearing things: a whisper of the wind, the rustling of leaves, something above me, on the roof of an old antique shop. I continued to try to remind myself that I was alone. No one would be out at this time of night. Well, a voice in my head said, nothing human. The distinction made in that one thought sent shivers up my spine. No humans were around, but how many creatures were in the night, hungry and poised for the kill?

"Excuse me," a voice said behind me. I jumped at the sound and turned quickly, ready to defend myself. A woman stood a few feet away from me, a small smile on her face. I have got to stop watching so many horror flicks, I thought to myself. As I returned my posture to normal, I wondered how she did not burst into laughter at the sight of my amateur karate pose.

"Uhm, yeah, hi," she said, keeping that same, tiny smile on her lips. Even in the dark, I could see that this woman was beautiful. Her hair shone a fiery red, almost a haze, and hung down to the middle of her back in silky curls. Her pale complexion reminded me of the absent moon. She wore black pants and a tank top; clothes that hugged her body and accentuated things that would cause even the most loyal dog to bark. I did not pause to question why she was not wearing a jacket on a chilly night like this. I couldn't take my thoughts away from her. As she neared me, I realized that if I was to call her merely beautiful, it would be an insult. Her features were strikingly perfect. She was more gorgeous than any supermodel in any magazine. Truly, I never had seen anything this magnificent in my life. I did not have words.

I realized that I had been staring at her for too long without speaking. She stared at me intently, as if she was questioning my intelligence. In order to break the silence, and any degrading thoughts that could have been traveling her mind, I said the first words that came to mind. "Can I help you with anything, miss?"

Her smile widened, revealing bright white teeth behind red lips. "I really hope you can," she said. There seemed to be a double meaning in her words that I could not begin to understand. "I'm afraid I'm lost," she explained. She walked closer to me. I was mesmerized by the graceful movement of her body…. I blinked a couple of times to keep my focus on helping her find her way on this strangely dark night. She stopped when she was right next to me, her body just barely touching mine. I shivered in response; she seemed cold.

"Would you like my jacket?" I asked impulsively.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"Your skin is cold."

She stared at me and then her eyebrows furrowed, as if she felt that she had made a mistake. "I don't feel cold. Thank you though."

I tried to not let my disappointment show. I knew that if she borrowed my jacket and forgot to give it back, it would mean I had to meet her again. "So where do you need to get to?" I asked, hoping that I could continue this conversation without making more of a fool of myself.

"I'm not sure," she answered. She turned her head slowly, so that she was looking in the direction which my back was facing. I worked hard not to follow her gaze so that I might keep my eyes away from hers. I felt her cool breath on my neck and turned towards her. Pain.

Everything went black.