Chapter One

"Hunger"

I inhaled slowly feeling my chest rise letting my eyes close fully, and then let it out.

Spring, I said in my mind. You've gotta love Spring. I looked around the park. Kids were playing, teenagers were holding hands, and couples were eating lunch out of a picnic basket.

I looked to my left. No one. I sat alone on a park bench. I let out a sigh and said

"Just once, can I have someone? Just once?" And just like Spring being unpredictable, it starting raining. "Perfect."

I just sat there watching people run by to get out of the downpour.

I didn't mind being alone, it just got lonely sometimes. Not feeling like going back to my one-room apartment, I kept walking around the park in the rain.

To my surprise, I wasn't the only one who didn't mind the rain. Off in the distance a figure of a person wearing a trench coat appeared. Feeling curious I approached the stranger.

"Hello?" I called through the rain. The person turned slowly and only glanced over their shoulder.

"Who are you?" A mans voice called.

"I'm Natalie Shepherd. Who are you?" I asked sheepishly because of the man's sharpness in his voice.

"Devron. That's all you need to know."

Ignoring his rudeness I asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"You don't like answering questions do you?" This made him turn a little.

"I don't like getting close to people."

I couldn't help myself, I wanted to know more, "Why not?" I took a small step forward, he then turned the whole way around.

He was gorgeous. His hair was dirty blonde in color and his eyes the color of fresh fallen rain. He was tall, not dark by any means and yet very, very handsome.

"Devron, right? That's your name, right?" I asked again stepping forward.

"What are you doing?" He asked coldly.

"Nothing, why?" I asked taking yet another small step.

"That, stop doing that." He said, pointing at my size 7 feet and backing up at the same time.

"I'm not doing anything," I smiled as his eyes widened and he started backing up quickly. "Where are you going?" He turned around and started to run.

"Am I that uninviting?" I said as I turned around and started walking away. To my surprise, I felt a tug on my hand. I gasped aloud and spun around on my heels.

"Devron?" I looked up into his eyes, they weren't the blue I'd seen before, they were now red.

"Natalie," His eyes were so intoxicating, such a strange color. "Natalie, you will listen to my words and follow them precisely."

Something about the way his eyes called to me made me pay attention.

"Now Natalie, I want you to follow me. You are not to ask me where we are going, do you understand?"

All I could do was nod my head. I could feel myself fading from reality as Devron lifted me off my feet and into his arms.

I looked down at Natalie in my arms. Her brown eyes were still locked on mine.

I just met her, how can I do this to her. I said in my mind. I could feel the pain in my chest, the one of hunger, and I closed my eyes.

Just a little bit more, I looked up. As soon as we hit the woods, she'll be mine. I said in my mind as Natalie moved a little in my arms. I looked down. Her eyes were already drooping. I brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and her eyes flickered open a little more.

"Natalie, you are going to fall asleep and when you wake up tomorrow morning you won't remember anything." Her eyes closed slowly as I hit the woods and took her body in my arms and felt her pulse beating under her neck. I couldn't wait any longer. I took her neck in my hands and bit in, savoring every bit of blood that hit my tongue.