The Louisiana air around Bon Temps hung motionless in the growing dark of a humid summer's evening. Overhead the sky was growing purple and brown and the peppered stars began to sparkle like sprinkled glitter on a dark, vast canvas. The plentiful woods had given me the coverage that I had needed and I felt safe within the enveloping arms of the branches but I was beginning to become aware that I was reaching a road and soon I would be vulnerable again; to anything or anyone. I decided to shift back into human form. Despite my lack of clothing I could still act as though I was just a lost and scared young woman, and not as a werewolf on the run.

The road was clear, but my mind was too preoccupied to allow my heightened sense of hearing and smell detect any oncoming traffic or life around me. I began walking slowly on the road, not sure which direction I was heading but just hopeful of a sign sometime soon. The road tar under my bare feet was warm and smooth from the day's sun, which gave me great comfort as I happily but apprehensively treaded onwards. Every so often, around a bend or two, the moon would peek out from behind the shelter of the trees looming overhead at the side of the road. The cool white light shone on my body revealing a slight glisten of sweat from having ran so much, and the more it touched my skin the more I could feel it in my bones. It was beckoning me to change, setting my heart racing and leaving me breathless. The pressure was taking its toll as I resisted and I stumbled towards the middle of the road where I stood collecting my thoughts, out of breath. The light around me intensified and just as my heightened senses came rushing back at me I turned around, and like a werewolf in headlights I was caught.

The lights had been from those of a car speeding around the last bend on the lonely road. It ploughed into me, catching my side and pulling me onto the hood where I flailed and sprawled as I felt some of my bones break. As it screeched and skidded to a halt I was thrown around ten feet where I lay bruised and bleeding upon the no longer comforting warmth of the tar. There was a pungent smell of my own blood and burnt rubber.

I knew I was not dead, it would take a lot more than that to kill me, but I was severely injured. Werewolves are capable of living up to thousands of years after they had been turned, despite being mortal. Like vampires, we remained physically the same age as what we were after being "infected" so to speak. I was twenty one when I had been turned a hundred and twenty years ago. I was weak and my body was limp from all the broken bones. I coughed and spluttered and tasted blood in the back of my mouth. I would heal, but slowly.

Feet began walking towards me, there was caution in their steps. I tried to see who they belonged to as my head had lolled to the side when I was thrown but to no such luck. My sense of smell had become faint now that I was weak but from what I could tell, whoever was coming towards me was not human. They were vampire. My vision was blurred but there were two figures, one taller than the other. They kneeled down beside me and inspected my battered naked body.

"Why aren't you dead…?" One said. His voice was cool and smooth, an almost arrogantly charming quality was bound within his words despite the context, "…Werewolf."

His fangs emerged and his face had quickly become but a few centimeters from mine. There was a gravelly growl behind his breath and his eyed were wide and dark as they bore into me. The other vampire had not taken such an approach to me but was still kneeling next to me. I felt no contempt from him, just curiosity.

"Why shouldn't I kill you now?" The vampire hissed in my face.

My lips quivered and I parted them slightly to speak. My words were no more than a whisper: "Let me… explain. I seek refuge. I am on the run, in hiding."

"Liar! What pack do you belong to?" He growled.

I understood that he did not believe me. Vampires and Weres had been enemies for thousands of years. Our kind were known to be vicious savages with a taste for vampire blood, and in more recent years thugs with an addiction to V. There are, of course, packs who are well meaning but they were few and far between. I told the vampire to look at my wrist, where I had a small marking ("△") which signified the pack I once belonged to. I was a member when I had been first turned, I explained to him, but the pack were wiped out but a rogue pack and since then I had lived a solitary life trying to escape to humanity. I had been hunted for years.

"Eric, I believe her. As should you." The other vampire said. His voice was calm and truthful.

"Godric, these creatures are not to be trusted. You know that! They are an abomination." Eric cried, raising his voice.
"Eric." The other vampire, Godric, sighed. His voice acted almost like a warning to Eric who retracted his fangs with a dissatisfied grunt, "I wish to take her somewhere to heal. Not to Fangtasia though, she will not be safe."

"I cannot understand this, Godric. It's madness. This will bring nothing but trouble."

"Then try, it is all I ask of you. I know what it is like to leave inhumanity and try to lead a normal life. I am empathetic. We will take her to my home, and do not argue."

Eric growled and walked back towards the car, grumbling about the dent on the hood and the expense it would be to repair it. Godric moved towards me, his fingertips caressing my raw wounds. He was silent but I enjoyed it.

"I am going to move you now, little werewolf. I will be as gentle as I can." Godric whispered as his eyes were fixed on mine. He slid his hands underneath my flimsy body and began to lift gently. The pain was still immense and as I cried out, my eyes rolled back into my head and everything was black.

I had very little recollection of the rest of that night. Briefly I would wake in moments of dazed confusion and fever to find Godric still by my side, either watching me or lightly cleaning the dried blood from my body and dressing my wounds. He intrigued me greatly, I did not fully understand his interest or compassion for me but I felt similar. We were like shy, curious children. I slept through all of the next day with no interruption, and awoke that night in a large comfortable four poster bed. I was still naked, but there was a nightgown draped over the bottom of the bed for me.

I sat up. I had almost totally healed now even though I still felt a little tender in certain areas which caused me to wince under my breath. I managed to rise and to slide into the gown that had been left for me which fitted nicely. It was light and airy which would come in handy on another suffocating southern night. I eased my fingers through my long, wavy brunette hair which fell down to my waist and made my way out of the room to see if I could find Godric and hopefully not Eric. As I made my way down the hallway and large stately stairs I realized that this house must be a Southern Civil War Era Antebellum home judging by the layout and décor. It was beautiful and lavish, much more classy than the motels that I had spent most of my time living in over the past few years. Orange glowing light and the sounds of voices coming from a large arched entryway in the foyer of the house caught my attention and I decided this was most likely to be my best place to find Godric.

Inside the room was decorated with dark mahogany furniture and rich carpeting on the old wooden floors. There were bookcases filled with old texts, a huge unlit log fire and beautiful paintings on the walls. There were five people in the room; three on an antique sofa with high arms and two sat in matching armchairs opposite them. The armchairs were occupied by Godric and Eric and I was unfamiliar with the two vampires and human on the sofa.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I wasn't aware you had company-" I began, about to leave the room.

"Nonsense. Join us, please." Godric said instantly, his eyed fixed on me again. He examined me in the nightgown and I noticed the corner of his mouth curl into a slight smile of satisfaction. Eric rolled his eyes.

I smiled politely at the guests on the sofa and moved into Godric's seat which he got out of for me to take. He placed his hand lightly on my shoulder and stood behind my armchair and immersed himself back into the conversation.

"As I was saying, it's become quite… an inconvenience. We need to find out why and what they are doing in the area, and I doubt they have good intentions." Eric said. His voice was still smooth and his long legs were crossed making his position look almost regal. His eyes darted towards me, "Godric and I found this one yesterday evening but she is not involved. She may be of some use, however."

I had assumed that they were talking about the mysterious werewolf pack that had been in the area lately which caused me to guess that this was perhaps why Eric had taken such a disliking to me on our first meeting. He still had an air of hostility towards me, it felt like a lack of trust.

Godric cleared his throat behind me and touched my back lightly as an indication that he wished me to come with him. "Excuse us, please. Eric, continue without me. I shall return later."

He guided me out towards the porch where we sat together on a wooden porch swing. The moonlight was creeping up the steps but I was far enough away not to feel it's power. The air was balmy and relaxing and had that perfect smell of honeysuckle and romance. I looked at Godric who was staring out towards the bottom of his back yard which must have been an acre or two at least. He was beautiful up close, no older than twenty by the look of him but his presence felt otherwise. He felt ancient; filled with wisdom, power and serenity. His outfit consisted of a cream linen shirt and pants and he wore no shoes. The opening of his shirt and the short sleeves revealed some ancient tattooing which had faded ever so slightly on his skin over his many years on earth. He was short, but muscular. His power was obvious. He turned to face me, his eyes looking deeply into mine. They had an innocent doe-like quality to them; large and brown, and they stood out against his alabaster skin tone.

"I never apologized for last night's events, for that I am also sorry. I did not introduce myself to you either, but you are now aware that my name is Godric." He spoke softly and quietly. His voice was accented, it was of some kind of Scandinavian origin. "May I ask what yours is?"

"My name is Georgaina."

"It is beautiful, like yourself. You must forgive Eric, he is not always so harsh. He is protective of me, and very cautious." Godric sighed, looking down towards his lap.

"No, I understand. My kind are not the most trustworthy, I know this. Eric and you, are you together or…" I asked carefully.

I watched a little smile come to Godric's lips before he looked back up at me, "No, my dear, not exactly. Eric is my progeny and I his maker. I turned him over one thousand years ago. Our bond is very special and it could be like that, but I have always preferred the female sex. They are gentle, kind, fascinating."

I found Godric wonderful. He was so unlike any other vampire I had encountered, there was true kindness in him. "Why don't you resent me?" I asked.

He thought for a moment or two. "We are similar, you and I. We both seek our humanity back, we both struggle with the void between our primal and animalistic urges and a human existence. We will never achieve to be like them again, but we try and try. It is what motivates us, makes us different, keeps us strong." His hand was cupping my face slightly. "I do not resent anything, only resentment itself."

We sat for a few more minutes, in silence. It wasn't awkward, it was pleasant. My thoughts became focused on the moonlight which had now reached the top step on the porch and was making its way slowly but surely towards us. I closed my eyes and began to feel its power wash over me, my skin tingled and my bones ached under the pressure. Adrenaline began pumping through my veins and my heartbeat was banging loudly in my chest. I began to sweat, beads racing down my forehead. I looked towards Godric.

He could hear my pulse, feel my heartbeat and the heat of my blood as it rushed through me. I knew this was as difficult for him as it was for me. We were both determined to fight our urges together.

"Come with me." He said quickly, distracting himself momentarily.

He took my hand and we both moved quickly down his lush garden, the soft fresh grass beneath our feat. We broke into a run as we hit the woods at the bottom and he began to lead me to a small bayou which was hidden away amongst the thick trees and greenery. The starlight above provided a beautifully eerie glow onto the water which sparkled slightly. The treetops covered us from the moonlight.

"This is my sanctuary. I come here when it becomes too much to cope with. It can be our secret place, if you like." He stood behind me, breathing against my neck.

The sky was beginning to get lighter, a potent combination of butter yellow and pale blue. Dawn was arriving and Godric had retired to his resting place over and hour ago. We had spent most of the evening learning about each other's lives – both human and supernatural – as well as our species. I had never listened so intently to anyone or anything in all of my existence; he was wonderful. I hung on every word about his life, his hardships and struggles and even though he some more than content to talk there was a definite sadness to him. We had returned to the house at 3:00am to a disgruntled Eric who had not been best pleased that I had been alone with his maker for such a long time. I had been informed that the vampires – Eric, Godric and three others Bill, his progeny Jessica (and human companion Sookie) and Eric's progeny Pam were looking to find out about these new werewolves and what their connection to a recent rise in vampire disappearances and in V sales was. They wanted my help, but I could tell that this idea had now made Godric uncomfortable.

I had gone back out into the woods as a wolf once Godric had retired for the night and felt much more relaxed knowing that I would be safe for a while now that I was in the care of such an old and powerful vampire.

Every now and then I thought I picked up the scent of something canine.

During the day Godric had human maids which worked around the house to do housework and run any errands that were needed to be done during daytime. He had asked them to bring in food and drink for me, other than TruBlood products which I could not have. I sat at the top chair of a long dining table surrounded by numerous types of breakfast and brunch foods; I felt a little spoiled for choice. One maid Anna, an Eastern European girl, told me that Godric was unfamiliar with current food types and told her to buy just about everything she could so I could have some choice. It was qualities like these that Godric had that made him seem almost innocent and naïve. It was around 11.30am when Anna returned to the dining table to tell me that a Sookie Stackhouse was here to see me.