A mistake by an ancient vampire brings a rarity into the world. This story is the preface of a series I plan to write so be patient with me.

I don't own Twilight

My life was over. My husband died in the last months of World War 2. The war was over essentially and I was so happy. I never expected the letter to come a month before the war in Europe officially ended. My world was gone. Jeffrey was 39 years old. An officer who helped organize troop movement. He had never really seen any combat and for that I was grateful. They never expected a surprise shelling. That surprise attack was one of the many surprises that would come to pass in the next four years.

Jeffrey had left me a will. I never understood how the man could plan everything in advance so well. Even his death seemed more like a screen play he had written. I remember going through his things after the funeral. It was a plain manila envelope. It took me a full day to work up the courage to read it but when I did I was shocked, happy, sad, and relieved all at the same time.

My dearest Samantha,

My life has always been full of uncertainty. You were the only constant in my life and I will love you for eternity. I know this must be hard. I never intended to leave you all alone without a legacy. I know you wanted children but I wanted to wait for this damn war to end. I cannot fathom how I died but if you are reading this then I am already gone. I love you more than anything in existence. I am truly a selfish man when I say I am sure the coming years will be hard for you, but I want you to know that I understand. You are a beautiful woman at her peek. Don't lock yourself in your room crying for me. I want you to see the world like we dreamed to when we were younger. I want you to be happy. Live life for me and if you find another man who can cherish you half as much as I do then take him and be happy. That is my one last dieing wish. Just be happy.

PS: My estranged grandfather left me a large sum of money when I was just a boy. I had planned on using that money to travel the world preferably once we had grandchildren. I would love nothing more than you using that money to roam the world to your heart's content. One last thing. When you make your way to Italy make sure to visit a little city by the name of Volterra North of Rome. Somehow it was missed by the ravages of war. It's gorgeous Samy. I Love you.

Love,

Jeffrey Collins

Looking back I could see that that exact moment had been the beginning of my end. When Jeffrey spoke of Volterra he was right. It was the most beautiful place I had ever been. I cringed as I laid still in my bed worrying that he felt guilty for what had happened. I sighed knowing that he probably did. There was no way that he could know that I would meet… Even now the words were hard to speak. My life had mostly been dull before Jeffrey brought the light of love to my life. Never had I imagined that there were actually things that go bump in the night. Things beyond natural beauty.

I clung to the words he said the last time we met under the covers. He told me that he loved me. His unnatural almost brittle skin brushing across my bare body. His crimson eyes shining with many emotions and the amusement that was always there. Sometimes it scared me how the hunger in his eyes was so strong. I knew there was something he wasn't telling me because we were never interrupted in this strange building. That was the least of the things that crawled at the edges of my love sick mind. The coldness of his skin I had come to be comforted by, his red eyes that seemed so old and experienced, his strange skin, the way he moved sometimes faster than any man could, and his rock hard stone like body. All this meant little to me in the presence of love I had been deprived of since my Jeffrey left. He seemed to know everything about me from the moment we touched. I remembered the fateful night like it was yesterday.

Flashback 4 years previous

Jeffrey was right. This little Eurpean town was almost oblivious of the war that had taken place outside its walls. The market was bustling and everyone seemed to be celebrating life in general. I had been in the town for almost a full day and spent most of it shopping. I was starting to get thirsty and found myself looking for a little café. I past a couple but they had closed when I noticed the sun was just beginning to disappear behind the walls that surrounded the city.

A chill ran up my spine as I noticed the atmosphere change. It became quieter than normal and I saw more and more people with hoods and long cloaks. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself admitting that it had become a little chilly. Suddenly I felt a pair of eyes on my back and I turned to look down an alley. I saw four cloaked figures walking into a side door of what looked like a little coffee shop. There was something pulling at my very being to go into the building as I was sure the eyes that had been watching me just entered.

I quickly crossed the street against my better judgment. I was 36 years old and I was getting caught up in flights of fancy. I couldn't help but scold myself but my heart beat grew faster the closer I got to the door. When I finally reached it I felt as though time had stopped. I took a deep breath and looked to my right down the alley further and noticed a very pale man starring at me intently before he was just gone. Maybe I had been seeing things because he was gone in the blink of an eye. I scolded myself once more for acting like a nervous school girl and pushed the door open.

The room was surprisingly quiet but I had a strong feeling people had been talking before I entered. Everyone in the entire room was so still. They all had pale skin and inhuman beauty. I shifted my weight uncomfortably when I noticed two very large figures had appeared behind me.

"Its fine my children," an irresistible voice spoke. My eyes were immediately drawn to the four hooded figures that were in a booth sitting in the very back. The large figures that had appeared behind me dissolved as quickly as they had appeared. Somehow I knew exactly who had spoken and I felt a strange pang of jealousy noting the smaller figure holding onto the back of his robes.

"Come my daughter. Sit if you like," the hooded figure whom everyone deferred to said. There was something about his voice that made me want to obey him but at the same time my soul screamed for me to run. My legs moved on their own brushing past all of the onlookers. I had a distinct feeling no one in the room had breathed since I entered but that was impossible. I came to the booth and a chair was quickly set in place farthest from my attraction.

Now I have never been a brave or forward girl but what I did next defied my nature. I still wonder to this day what possessed me at that moment but now I understand. I had found my soul mate. I moved the chair aside and sat in the booth next to the hooded man who had been speaking. I didn't miss his feint chuckle nor did I miss how everyone in the room tensed once more. Two of the hooded figures actually began to stand when my curiosity raised his hand and they stopped. I gasped when I saw his hand. It was stunning in the same unnatural perfection I had seen throughout the room but at the same time it was flawed, but for some reason this flaw only spurned me on.

Some compulsion made me reach out and take his hand that had been hidden in his robes before he lifted it. My mind stirred fearing how a man's hand could be so cold in a warm room but that's all it did. Stir. Beautiful I couldn't help but think when I had his hand in mine. I wrapped my hands around his one perfect hand. I moved my fingers back and forth across the back of his stone like hand in awe. In this entire process the entire room only became tenser. When the people had kept themselves from making eye contact they now starred daggers at me. There crimson eyes should have frightened me but by now I was convinced I was dreaming.

"Now now," he spoke once more in an amused tone glancing around the room and the stares stopped immediately. He gently revealed his other hand which was equally perfect and gently removed my own from his hand and slowly let the hood fall, "You mustn't touch me so freely little one. You see my friends are very protective," he said with a smile that knocked the breath out of me. His face was beyond gorgeous and his perfect black hair went down his robe. There was no way to tell how long this beautiful silky hair was but somewhere in the back of my head I planned to find out. His face too had the odd flaw and felt somehow brittle but hard as rock.

I jumped when he had to remove my hand from his cheek. I hadn't even noticed I was reaching out. He let out an exasperated sigh but the smile on his face said he didn't mind. Once again I noticed the room had grown tense. What was it to them who I touched?! I thought angrily. This too was not part of my normal character but something about this man had me all tied in knots. A sudden laugh that both dazzled me and surprised me evaporated the tense atmosphere. To my surprise the beautiful man was the source of this laughter and soft chuckles and then more heartfelt laughter played throughout the room. Confused I looked around to see what was funny before the man this time turned my head to face him. I felt a jolt where his hand touched my face and I barely stayed sitting upright.

"Never have I seen a lone woman stare down a whole room of my kind merely for," he closed his eyes as though concentrating for a second and then opened them his eyes sparkling with amusement, "sticking their noses into who she touches," he finished with a broad grin.

"I must say when you first entered I was intrigued, but now," he said adding emphasis to the now, "There is simply no way I could ever use you as a meal." My cheeks burned at his last sentence as both confusion and attraction tempted me to get to know this mysterious man more.

"Is Alec here?" the man said in a happy voice. Confidence rolled off him and even with his strange looks I found myself wanting to spend time with him hanging on every word. He finally let go of my face with a mirthful laugh and a seductful wink. I doubted he was even trying to allure me but it was working.

"Yes master," A perfect young man appeared from nowhere in a white suit. He was perfect yes and even very cute but there was something that was off with all of the others. I knew they were not normal from their sheer beauty but my new interest was beyond special. He was so special he could not even hide it in his physical appearance as the others seemed to.

"Could you please make her easier to move," my mystery said standing and the other hooded figures did as well. The blond boy who was barely my height pulled me away and into an empty room where he stood starring at me. After a few seconds I gasped and my knees almost buckled but I stayed standing. The blond looked at me in confusion and stopped whatever he was doing. A shiver ran down my spine as I had felt all my senses dull considerably. My sight had dimmed and my hearing was contained to just my heart beat and even the feel of my own hand on my arm had been numbed slightly. I felt as though I had been on strong medication. Still shivering I heard the robed man speak in an almost irritated tone.

"I would like to return before the curfew," he said. I saw a spark of panic in the blond young man when he took my wrist once more and dragged me back into the original room. I could tell the young man was nervous because he spoke hesitantly.

"I am sorry master. It seems she is being…. Resistant to my abilities," the blond said reluctantly. His frown was unmistakable but his master's reaction made my spirits rise. He was just starting to put his hood over his head once more when the blond spoke and he stopped and looked at me. This time there was no amusement. Only fascination filtered out of his strangely beautiful crimson eyes.

"Really? She is growing more interesting with time," he said playfully. Whatever I had done right he thought I was interesting and maybe just maybe he would keep me around for longer. I started to feel that I was looking at some lost line of Italian royalty or something but that didn't matter other than me wanting to know everything about him.

Once more he reached out and took my cheek and asked very politely.

"Would you like to accompany me to my home?"

"I do not follow men whose name I do not know to their homes the first night I meet them," I said faking reluctance while fishing for anything anything at all that would bring me closer to this man.

"Hmmm," he said rubbing his chin before he took my hand in his and stared very deeply into my eyes, "I am surprised Chelsey is not here," he finished shaking his head. Raw jealously flared in me at the mention of another woman. The wonderful man who stood before me only chuckled once more before gently squeezing my hand.

"My name is Aro my sweet."