Vampire Kisses: Love At First Bite

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

Have you ever met your true love?

Are you together, or apart?

Is he the same as you?

Or are you opposites attract?

Was it love at first sight?

Or love at first

bite.



Summary:What if Alexander was a dark, trouble young vampire, and Raven an angry, teenage girl? What if instead of them meeting sweetly and falling in love at first sight, it was love at first bite? Alexander bites Raven when she's in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Upon seeing how beautiful she is, and feeling remorseful, Alexander carries her back to the mansion and tends to her. Together, they embark on the all-mighty task of healing one another.

AN: God, this was so difficult to get out! I didn't know where to go, how to write it, numerous things. Then inspiration came and I wrote half a chapter, which dutifully got deleted because life just sucks like that. Anyway, this is just a fic I'll update when I can. It's not a big commitment, it's a shame, because there's been so much interest in this story – well, after Just Realise is completed (only five chapters now!) I'll invest my full time commitment in this story and Another Heart Calls. I just can't manage three at once right now! I'll be stopping fanfic completely for a few months anyway, exam time soon! I hope you like this chapter, I worked hard on it, and I think it turned out quite well. Enjoy! Read and review (:


She awoke, to a dark room, a faint chink of light, escaping heavy purple curtains in the corner, moonlight. Voices murmured all around, and her head felt heavy and weighted, as if she'd gained a ton in a night. It didn't feel right, it didn't feel like she should be waking up, and for a moment she was terrified that she'd been kidnapped, or worse, done something with someone she shouldn't have. She just new what would happen to her then, if Trevor found out, he'd kill her. They'd just had an argument because she thought he was cheating on her. If she'd done something stupid it would be the end, and she didn't want that to happen.

She glanced around, spying a boy and a man. At first glance the boy was beautiful, with thick dark hair, wide chocolate eyes, and a pale complexion. He had on a battered t-shirt, skinny jeans a pair of converse. He looked wonderful. He whispered to the man, who was bald, skinny and tall, and quite creepy looking. Suddenly, she felt uneasy.

She couldn't quite make out the voices, they were talking so quickly, muttering to each other. It was almost like she was underwater, it all around her ears, unable to hear.

Alexander and Jameson looked at the girl, their eyes widening. Neither had expected her to speak. Alexander glanced over at her, eyes widening as he noticed the effects of the change. In the flickering candle light, he was almost positive he could see flashes of red in her eyes, and gently pointed canines when she opened her mouth and stared at them both. Alexander swallowed as she stared at them, eyes widening, face contorting in confusion, a deep line forming in her forehead.

The beautiful dark haired boy came forward, eyes glittering in faint candle light, becoming lovelier with each step he took, he spoke in a beautiful voice too, lilting and quiet, like a hymn. His magic eyes latched onto mine, and he spoke in a voice that was barely a sound, it was so quiet, and slow.

"I said did you say my name?" Raven whispered, more to herself than him, the words falling from her parted lips. She looked even paler than before, chewing on her lip. Alexander stared into her wide, glistening chocolate brown eyes, his heart heaving. He didn't know what to say to her, his mind had gone blank. "Who are you? I don't recognise you!" she suddenly crouched lower, almost as if she wash hugging herself, holding herself together. Her breathing became pants, eyes growing wider still. She looked absolutely terrified. Alexander didn't blame her. She had a right to be scared. He shook his head, sensing Jameson shaking his in unison. Raven continued to stare at them, her breathing speeding up. She didn't understand. Who were these strange people standing in front of her? She glanced at the boy, who'd shook his head. She bit her lip, sensing that there was something . . . unusual about him. She wondered if it was the fact that his dark eyes flashed red in the light when she stared at him. She tasted blood on her lips as she gently bit down, that was odd too. Normally she'd have to thoroughly chew her lips to cause any bleeding, what was going on? The boy was staring at her lip, worriedly, and so she placed her fingertips to her teeth, feeling them. How strange. When she took away her finger, there was blood smeared on it, a tiny, cut indented into the skin. Alexander saw her lifting her finger gently to her mouth and prodding the sharp canines, then he saw her surprised, scared face when she glanced at the finger, now oozing blood. Oh dear, perhaps he should . . . She looked up, her wide eyes full of even more fear. Alexander was certain his gaze would mirror hers. He just didn't know how he was going to tell her, about what he'd done, about what she'd become. There wasn't an easy way.

"My name's Alexander," he supposed this was as good a place as any to start. "This is my butler, Jameson." Raven looked at Jameson, wearily. Alexander didn't blame her, Jameson was particularly creepy looking. Raven looked at the two men in front of her, her mind clouding over with fear. She didn't know why they were or why she was sitting there, on the chaise lounge, feeling like crap. The boy, Alexander, she was a little more sure about him. He seemed kind, with sweet eyes and a quiet, calm way of speaking, but she still didn't trust him. She didn't know what was going on, and she was scared. What if they were kidnappers or something? What if . . . Oh why was she here?! There were so many questions roaming around her mind, but the second was the most prominent, that and what was going on with the cut on her finger? But she didn't suppose they could answer that question.

"Raven," she whispered.

"Yes, I knew that."
"How?" she faltered, crying out now, but before he got a chance to answer, she'd strung out a flurry of questions. "What am I doing here? Where am I? What's going on?" Raven blurted, feeling like she was on verge of tears. Alexander looked at her, eyes softening a little. She looked so vulnerable and impossibly weak, sitting there, tears about to trickle from her eyes. He felt like going across and stroking her cheek, kissing her forehead, promising her everything would be all right – except he didn't.

"That's difficult to answer," he managed to say, searching for the right words. "Do you remember seeing me at all – ever?" He had to be certain she didn't recognise him a little from when he swooped down on her in the cemetery. If she recognised him, maybe he could explain a little easier? She nodded, then she shook her head, then she bit her lip and shrugged. There was a part of her that told her she did know him, a weeny little inkling. She could vaguely remember sitting in the cemetery, and this impossibly cool, dark figure swooping over, and – biting her. Then it was all black. She shuddered. Biting her? Well that was a new one. That wasn't normal . . . That couldn't be him could it? No sane person would bite someone. Which meant, that he was either completely crazy, a lunatic, it wasn't him . . . or

No! The possibility of or was too crazy, maybe she was insane one? There weren't any vampires, everyone knew that! As much as she liked to hope and pretend, they were figments of imagination, only a fool would think otherwise.

"I think, maybe, you were in the cemetery?" as she said it, he nodded, confirming her worst fears. OK. She was either sitting there with lunatic weirdos, cannibals or vampires. Right now she wasn't sure which was worse.

"That was me."

"Right, well . . . I guess I must have blacked out or something, thanks for looking after me, I'll just be going-" she tried to get up but he was there in an instance, pushing her back into the chaise longue.

"You can't go." A shiver raced down her spine as he said those words, so forcefully, his searing hot gaze on her face. "You can't." The intensity in his eyes was enough to stop the protests that tried to battle their way up her throat.

"Just tell me what I'm doing here!" she said instead, feeling the tears threaten to come once more. She wouldn't allow herself to cry in front of them both, she wouldn't. That was a sure sign of weakness, and she couldn't allow it to happen! She didn't want to appear vulnerable and weak in front of them. She had to try and stay strong. He sighed, sitting down on a chair carelessly, waving the butler away when he came forward.

"Jameson. If you'd leave us alone for a minute. Perhaps I'll be able to explain it better," he must have seen the way she kept peering anxiously at Jameson. He was a rather strange, frightful fellow. The grave butler made his way out, walking slowly and stiffly. Once he was out, Alexander turned to Raven, coughing to clear his throat. "I'm afraid you won't like what I'm going to tell you," he warned her truthfully. She shrugged, seeming to not even hear him. "Well, then . . ." he was dumbfounded but he barely showed it. He'd gotten so good at hiding his emotions, that he didn't let anything show as he stared at her, searching for words. He just focused on her beautiful face, with the anxious, wide eyes and bitten lips. He decide that he didn't need to look for words. Maybe if what he said came from his heart, from him, they wouldn't carry such a sore sting.

Ha, who was he kidding?

Whatever he attempted to do, he was going to hurt her. He could already see it, the shock, the anger, the terror. In half a second she'd be running from there, running to Becky Miller and her boyfriend and her foster family. Everyone would know that the Sterlings up on Benson Hill were vampires, and then the crowds would come. Like Frankenstein or Dracula, they'd come for him, and surely kill not only him but Jameson. Then sweet Raven would be turned upon out of fear she was one of the undead too – and she was. It may be contemporary America, but this was a small, sheltered town. They feared and loathed what they didn't understand, and they already saw Alexander and Jameson as outsiders. If it came to be, they'd finish them off, if they regarded it as the best thing for the town. Perhaps, since the times had changed, they'd merely get the police to come and escort them to a lab where they could try and work out this pehnomenon. His whole world would surely end up being exposed, and he couldn't let that happen. New passion sizzled through his blood, and he decided, once and for all, that there was no way Raven was getting out until she'd listened and understood – whatever happened.

"When you first saw me, in the cemetery, I was looking for something – for someone," he paused, watching her. "You were that someone that I ended up, finding what I was looking for in. I'm afraid that because of my senseless, poor judgement I have caused a gravious error to befall your life." She was looking a little more anxious at this, but she didn't let it show. She put up a brave face. He sort of admired it. It was obvious she was terrified, but not once had she tried to make a run for it, or anything. She was obviously brave. "You see, I'm not like you, I'm not human." Her beautiful eyes widened but she didn't really react, just allowed her eyes to travel up and down his body, squinting. Probably trying to suss out if there was anything about him that seemed not human.

"Not human-" he shushed her, placing a single, black finger-nail to his lips.

"Please, let me speak. I'll answer your queries after," If you don't try and run away before I end, he added silently. "I'm not completely unlike a human, physically, I look the same as you, I basically am the same as you, except for some big differences. Whilst humans spend their night asleep, their days full of sun and warmth, it's the night that's in my soul rather than the day. Whilst humans take photographs by the thousands, and so often dote over mirrors, I cannot see my reflection," she'd placed a hand over her mouth, her breathing erratic. She'd already guessed. "But the main difference is not either of these things. It's the main basis of our diet." By now he was one hundred percent sure she'd already guessed, he was certain, from the way she sort of backed away. Her heart was racing frantically, just willing him to continue and say those horrible words. The one word that was a single, racing thought in her mind. Vampire. She wished with all her heart that it wasn't that, that he was just crazy, vampires didn't exist, right? But one look at him, and she knew. He was so pale, and there was purple bruise-like shadows under his eyes, and he had pointed teeth . . . Oh God! She touched the canines she'd felt before, the ones that had caused the cut. What did this mean? Surely she wasn't-?

No.

Alexander saw her frightened stare, saw her touch her pointed teeth once more and pull away in horror. He wondered if she'd guessed that far ahead too. She was a sharp one, or perhaps the fact that she wore black from head to toe said something about her. Maybe she was secretly wishing for someone to come along and do this . . . Ha. Unlikely.

"I can see you've already worked it out, right?" she nodded, gulping, not knowing what to say. Alexander appeared to be looking at her neck, with a fire intensity, so she duitifully felt around her graceful, swan-like neck. Immediately she knew why. She felt two small puncture wounds, indented into the skin. What the hell? He . . . He . . . He bit me? She was going into full on panic mode now, unable to contain her fear, she felt herself tremble and knew she was shaking all over. She kept touching the wounds, just willing them to not be there the next time she touched them. They were there, every time.

"I'm sorry, I know it's only words, but I mean them. I was senseless and stupid! I let blood lust take over and I didn't think." His eyes shone, tears about to fall. Raven didn't know what to say. On one hand she was terrified, on the other, well, sort of intrigued. Her life had been so boring, so depressing and empty of anything. Maybe this was just fate? Maybe it was meant to be?

"Does that mean I'm a vampire?" Alexander wondered if he imagined the slight hint of interest in her voice.

"Yes," he nodded gravely. "You'll become like me. Immortal. A demon of the night, an unholy blasphemous being, a nosferatu, a vampire." The way he said it made it all sound so terrible, that she felt her heart shudder in her chest. She peered at him, at his truly apologetic expression.

"A vampire? For real?" she was a little wary. Not only was his impossible, he didn't appear to be kidding around with her. How weird! "Like in the films?" He nodded, head sunk into his hands, and he howled out in anguish, closing his eyes and sighing.

"I'm so sorry, not that you need to accept my apologies. I did something so terrible! I forced this life upon you! A life I wouldn't even choose for myself! You can't go back now! God, I'm a monster!"

"You're not a monster," she told him quietly, leaning forwards ever so slightly, eyes shining. Alexander was sure he only imagined her looking kind of pleased. What he didn't realise was that Raven Madison was no ordinary Gothic teenager. Raven Madison had wildly macabre ambitions far greater than Alexander could anticipate. From the moment she watched Bela Lugosi on a tiny black and white TV, acting his heart out as Count Dracula, Raven knew one thing, and one thing alone: she was destined to be a vampire. Since her long-gone parents had filled her nights with scary, but entertaining black and white horror films and spooky stories, since her life was not one of daylight and outings to the park, but nights spent huddled under covers, the dark drapped over everything, blacking out all light. Since then, she'd known. When asked by her teacher, at five years old, she answered surely. There was fire-fighters, ballerinas, nurses, but only one of the tiny tots said, in a surprisingly sure voice, "I want to be a . . . vampire!" From that day on a normal life simply wouldn't do. School was a yawning expanse of endless purgatory, trivial and meaningless. Raven had ambition, drive and determination, sure, but it was for all the wrong things. While her teachers wanted her to push her mind to the maximum, reach for the stars and never stop, Raven was more fixated on a life of darkness, mystique and intrigue. She knew that she was destined for that sort of life, and she wouldn't settle for anything less. Being a Goth, obsessing over vampires and the supernatural and loving all things black only intensified her wistful need for a brooding, nosferatu vampire, who'd be able to love her unequivocally for eternity, sweep her off her feet and take her back to his wonderfully ghoulish castle. In a way, it seemed that Alexander had subconsciously answered her call. She had to admit it, she was still a little frightened of Alexander, of what could be happening, but at the same time, she could imagine how easily she'd get used to it all. It was what she'd been wishing for forever. She couldn't reject it now.

"I am!" He was still saying, crying out. "I gave into the temptation, the blood lust, I went too long without it. I took an innocents life! I'm a murderer, Oh God!" He wailed out in anguish, unable to contain his horror, his anger at this revelation. "You have a life, you've got friends, a boyfriend, a foster family-"
"A foster family?" she was cut short from her horror, both from the pain of watching him cry out, and the pain of knowing that her life was pretty much over. How on Earth did he know she had a foster family? How? She barely told that to anyone. "Wait a minute, how do you know I've got a foster family?" He looked at her sheepishly, peering out from behind his curtain of dark hair, eyes shining.

"Becky Miller was looking for you." Becky? She was looking for her? Why? Then it dawned on her. Of course, she must have been waiting on Becky last night, and then when she didn't show, Becky got worried, and when Becky got worried she was a force to be reckoned with. She must have been out putting up fliers or something, she must have imagined Raven had been kidnapped or she'd ran off, and she'd decided to try and find her. Now Becky was finally getting the chance to put her mastered detective skills into practise, seeing as she watched late-night crime dramas on cable almost every evening.

"When?" she sounded so small and timid, she cleared her throat, trying again. "Uh, when was this . . . ?"

"Yesterday, not long after I brought you back . . . and you began to change." She gulped, looking down at herself. She didn't look any different, she was certain, she didn't feel that different, except there was a sort of hollow, yearning at the back of her throat. Like there was a fire down there and she'd need an exstinguisher very soon, but not yet.

"Does this mean I can't go out in sunlight?" She thought of hot days spent outside, lazing around with Becky. Ice cream cones and hanging out playing Tennis with Trevor. Gone. She shrugged, she'd always preferred the night time anyway, even if no one in this small town seemed to understand it.

"No. When the sunrises, we have to sleep. When it sets, it our equivalent of a day beginning." She nodded, she was pretty certain she could get used to this. "Anything else you want to know?" he was shocked at how well she'd taken it. He imagined bawling and screaming and trying to escape, instead she just looked frightened and worried, but soon seemed to get over it, accept it. Very odd. He'd expected her to put up so much more of a fight.

"Yes, can I not eat garlic? What about the whole blood thing? Will my reflection not be there when I look in a mirror?" She was eager now, to learn about his world, her cravings for information too great not to meet. "What about immortality, stakes through the heart, crosses?" He almost laughed as the legends kept pouring, almost all of them truth. "Holy water? Sunlight that burns? Turning into bats?"

"I'll start from the beginning, shall I? Garlic is extremely poisonous to us, we have to take a life-saving injection if we are anywhere near garlic. Blood," he took a deep breath. "Well we need it frequently. At least twice a week, if not more. We can eat regular food too, but most of it is unapitising, unless it's bloody steak . . ." he winked subtly. "I'll teach you about that in time. About the reflection, no, you cannot see yourself in a mirror. You will appear as nothing at all. You won't be there." She shivered, not being there when she stood in front of a mirror? Now that was a thought scarier than any of the others. Did that mean she didn't have a soul any more?

"No cameras either?"
"No." He shrugged, allowing her to take it all in, as he pressed on. "Immortality, next. Yes, you live forever."
"That it?"
"That's it. Stakes through the heart work of course! There are numerous ways to kill a vampire, many of them you would be best to try and avoid. Crosses and holy water, don't affect us at all. Sunlight is fine as long as it's not direct, and although we're meant to sleep during the day, sometimes we get insomnia, just like humans, and bats . . . " He flashed her a smile, the first one she'd seen on him yet. "Yes. We can morph into those creates. I'll teach you that, too. Is that everything?"

"No. What about ancient burial ground? I've heard if vampires bite their victims there, they're bound to them forever, would the cemetery count?" He stopped still, blood running icily cold. He hadn't thought of that. Crap. Now he'd taken one more thing. Her free will.

"I'm afraid it will," he looked solemn and grave, but her ghost of a smile gave him some hope. Perhaps she wasn't completely opposed to spending forever bound to him after all. "Anything else?"
"Yes, one last thing. What does all that mean for me, my school, my friends, the town . . . I mean how can I just disappear? I mean, I'm assuming I will just be disappearing since I can't go out in direct sunlight . . ."
"I don't know. See, that's why I think of my actions as so completely senseless and selfish. I've left you with nothing, no options, your future, your hopes, your dreams – gone." She didn't know what to say to that, but she knew in her heart of hearts that he was wrong. "Raven, I'm so sorry . . ." she shook her head. Apologises didn't mean anything. They were just the same old words that she didn't need. She'd given up hearing people say sorry a long time ago.

"Hey, I realise you never told me how come you know my name," she suddenly pointed out, cutting off his stream of apologetic thoughts.

"Oh, right," he unfolded the sheet of paper he'd been clutching, and passed it to her, wordlessly. She looked at the sheet of paper, frowning at the information dotted all across it. There she was, in a medium sized, slightly-grainy square, almost out of focus. It wasn't the best photo, but she was smiling up at the camera, looking happier than she'd physically looked for awhile. Raven could barely remember where it had been taken, until she noticed the tiny part of Trevor, near the bottom. A curl of blonde hair, and halves and quarters of his facial features. Ah, Trevor. He was just a meaningless being to fill the void, the yearning for some affection and kisses, he didn't mean anything to her. When popular jock Trevor asked her to go on a date with him – her, the schools biggest freak – she couldn't exactly say no. A year and a bit later, they were still at it, but she wanted out – and fast. She realised it must have been after one of his stupid football game, maybe for yearbook or by Becky, she couldn't remember. It was awhile ago, back when despite wearing black clothes and having slightly Gothic tendencies, she wasn't a complete Goth, and therefore not a complete social outcast. Even now, with her social pariah stance over her name, Trevor and Raven were still an item, but alas, the spark was very surely dimming down. Raven couldn't even remember what it felt like to kiss him and feel something. She used to wonder if it was her, if she just wasn't pretty enough, fun enough, just enough for him, but by now, she was beginning to realise it was all him. No one would ever be good enough for Trevor except one person – himself. It was almost a relief to be able to confidently she could step out of his life and be done with it. She'd wanted to rid herself of him for so long, but she couldn't find the right way to do it.

"I take it that's your boyfriend?" Alexander said miserably. "See? I've stripped you of everything! Say you've got a really good thing going there, say it's the sort of love that only comes round once ever ten years, say it's . . ."
"It's not." She told him flatly, a little annoyed that the reason for the misery was not because she had a boyfriend, but because he was denying her of opportunities.

"But say it was . . ."
"It would never have been with Trevor." He didn't know what to say at that, at the fierce, furious denial in her voice. There it was, that unidentifiable emotion again, which he was now certain was a sort of jealously, he was jealous that Raven had a boyfriend, however much she didn't want him. He realised that he liked Raven. That for the first time in his life his heart beat harder when he looked at a girl. He had to be careful though. He couldn't show this, he couldn't freak her out like that. Besides, she'd have too much going on to even consider entering into anything with him. It was a foolish, ridiculous idea. She scanned the page again, reading about her name, her age, her foster parents . . . Uh oh. Now everyone would know, and she'd tried so hard to hide it! Only Becky knew, even Trevor didn't know! Now everyone was going to find out. She went a little pink at that. She tried so expertly to hide her foster parents, she didn't like people knowing, because then they took pity on her and thought of her as little orphan Annie. They were even more sorry when they found out why she was an orphan. Oh, the tragic story of her life! She hoped he was one of those dark, moody types that was far too aloof and uncaring to ask private, personal questions. Somehow she doubted this completely. But he still knew about her foster parents, which was a huge sore spot. She didn't like to flaunt her tragic life, she liked to hide them, under heard to reach layers where barely anyone ever trespassed. The idea that anyone who glanced at these fliers would know made her quake in annoyance. Why was Becky so stupid? She didn't want this!
"Can't I go and see Becky? I need to tell her I'm going away for a while," she wondered, fixing her anxious gaze to him. "She'll only worry even more. If I go tell her I'm running away, that will sort things out for awhile, they'll be looking at me, but . . . We could go somewhere, you could teach me what to do, how to be like you. I'm sure I could learn. Then we could come back, and, well I can leave school, you know? I don't have to stay. I'll be eighteen in one and half years, my own person! We could make this work-"
"See how messed up this is?" he sighed, angrily. "You having to run from your home town, away from your friends and boyfriend, and family! All because of me and my stupid cravings. I should have thought!" She wished he'd stop that. It was no use him complaining and angsting over his emotions – he'd done it now – he couldn't change it!

"Stop. It's happened, you've bitten me, I'm a vampire. There's no two ways about it, all right? What we've got to do now is work out a way for me to adjust in a place where I won't suffer nosey neighbours, anxious friends and bone-headed jocks. I think my idea may just work . . ." and just like that she'd geared him ready for action, ready to sort out the muddle that he'd caused in the middle of her life. If Alexander could do anything for her, he could help her adjust to this new life – what else was there to do? It was the only way to try and make it up to her.


An hour later, Raven climbed through her bedroom window, Alexander close on her heels. She stubbed the toe of her combat boots on her bedpost, yelping out, but Alexander placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Save all the noise for when you're near the door. If you make too much noise up here, they'll just lock the windows and doors – you won't be able to get out." She nodded, feeling his hand still on her mouth. "Now pick out something, anything!" he whispered as he let her go and she grabbed a black rucksack, slamming clothing, and necessities into it. She careful piled in some make-up, a pair of vans and a hairbrush to finish it off and she was done. Then she stupidly, absentmindlessly decided that glancing at the mirror was a good idea. With one quick glance she'd dropped her bag, a wide-eyed, horrified expression on her face. She was in shock as she glared at what should have been there. Realising at once what was missing. She was missing. She just wasn't there. When she looked in the mirror, wide and ornate, her reflection was gone. There was just dead air there, not her

"Wow, that's not right," she muttered, shaking a little. The air had suddenly ran cold, and she'd began to shiver and shake, writhing in front of him as she stared at the space where her reflection should have been. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it. It was horrible. Not being there felt like a part of her soul had been ripped out, like she wasn't human. Well, she wasn't.

"Raven, we haven't got time. Jameson's scouring for mansions as we speak in nearby towns. We only have until he finds one to get back. You've still got to go and see Becky Miller, and have the fight with your foster parents-" she nodded, moving away as he touched her shoulder. She grabbed several more things, staring around her simple room. It wasn't how she wanted it. They wouldn't let her paint it black or have nearly anything lying around it. It was so pretty and white and boring. She couldn't wait to be out of there, out of this town, out of this state of mind. The world was so big, there was so much out there, she craved adventure and everything it had to offer. No use staying here when she could be out there.

"Your cue to go," she told him as she headed for the door. Alexander had borrowed Jameson's car, which was waiting outside. He nodded, slinking into the shadows.

"I'll be round the block. Don't stand in front of any mirrors, go into the kitchen or allow him to shine any lights directly at you," he instructed her carefully. "Now, hurry up." With that he had darted out the window, and slunk into the dark night. It was the middle of the night, of course, and the plan of action was for Raven to be trying to sneak out, make a lot of noise and then get caught. She'd argue with her foster parents and then say she was leaving, slam the door and run round to the car. Later they'd probably report to the police about the argument, and that would be her incentive for leaving. It would all work out perfectly.

Raven was feeling a little sick at the thought of shouting at her foster parents. They weren't bad people, a little bit too boring and strict for her liking, but they'd always treated her kindly and tried their best. Still, this is what had to be done, to protect her, protect them all. John and Victoria would get over this, she'd make it up to them one day.

She clumsily made her way downstairs, making sure to bang her feet hard with each step she took. She raced her hands down the banister, littering items all over the floor as she continued to do this once down stairs, knocking things off tables as she headed for the door. She knocked more things over, crashing into the door, swearing at the top of her voice, and suddenly, very surely, opening the door and banging it shut.

It didn't take long after that.

Soon there was the banging of another door, an middle-aged man and woman appeared at the top of the stairs. He was in checked pyjamas, she in a silken negligee, how delightfully boring. John was wearing a disgruntled expression on his face, the signs of just being awoken from a deep sleep very apparent. Victoria just looked startled, and quite apprehensive, crouching behind her John as she looked at Raven pitingly. It was that pity that would help Raven do what needed to be done. There had always been anger bubbling up inside – now she'd have a a chance to unleash it for a little while. Raven sucked in a breath, measuring John's forceful glare. Uh-oh. It was never a good idea to wake John up in the middle of the night. He was a beast then.

"Raven, what are you doing?" he asked first, coming down the stairs, slowly, Victoria at his heels, like a hissing cat.

"I'm going out," she smirked, trying to be as insolent as possible. John definitely didn't like back-chatting, so she was going to back-chat all she could. "Obviously." If there was another thing John hated, it was the attitude that she so often carried herself with, so it seemed a good idea to turn that up to maximum too. Victoria was sort of placid, she'd never shouted at Raven, never caused a scene. She just let John do all the talking, the perfect little house-wife.

"No, you're not!" He was down now, up in her face, shouting, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her so much she cried out. "Raven! It's three in the morning! You're absolutely not going out at this time!" He gave her another shake for good measure, Victoria telling him not to.

"Don't her John!" she whimpered, going to hug Raven. Raven flinched away, glaring at her.

"Says who?" she pulled herself away from them both, arching her back and rubbing her shoulders. "God, John, don't make me call the police. You could go down for assault, don't you realise?" she smirked again, making for the door. John was quicker.

"Raven. Don't get smart with me. You're not going out, you're staying in and that's that-"
"You can't make me!" Raven told him, thrusting the door open. "You're not my father! You're not my parents! You're just a bunch of lowlifes who thought it would be fun to help an orphan in need! Well I don't need you, get it? I'm leaving! I'm getting out of this stupid town, away from you all, and just going. Don't you dare try and stop me!" They made a grab for her, trying to hold her back as she ran from them, but they couldn't catch her. All they could do was stand on their doorstep wailing at her to come back. Which she dutifully ignored. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

She was crying by the time she managed to haul herself into the car, hot, fiery tears falling down her face. Her chest was heaving and she felt sick, she didn't like the guilt that was slowly, but surely creeping its way into the corners of her mind. She'd leave so many people worried about her, while she just went off and had a good time. It didn't seem right, and for the first time she understood and shared Alexander's anger. What he'd done wasn't wholly a good thing. It had sent off a chain link of events, hurting people in quick succession. Despite this, she knew that even if he'd asked her first they'd probably be in the same situation. She wouldn't have thought about the downsides, only saw the glamour and wonder of being a vampire.

"Are you all right?" he studied her carefully, as he set the car into gear, speeding off. She directed him to turn right, making sure he knew where he was going, before she spoke.

"No, but, I'll be fine," she shrugged, wiping away the tears. He looked at her for a prolonged moment, sensing that even if she'd wanted to tell him more, she wouldn't. Raven put up this invisible wall, and didn't let anyone inside. He knew that he'd have to work hard to be able to gain her trust, and understand her. He drove on, winding down the roads, streaming through the throngs of traffic, reaching, at last, a lane that took them to an old-style farm house. Becky Miller's house. Raven got out, placing a finger to her lips, the moonlight illuminating her pale face. Alexander watched, with the guide of the moon, as she walked around the side of the house, tip-toeing as she went, carefully pulling herself up onto the garage roof. From the sloping roof, she leaned down, found a stone, and hit it at a window. It bounced off, almost denting the surface. Half a second later, Becky Miller stood there, rubbing sleep from her eyes, breaking into a smile as she spotted Raven. Raven hauled herself up onto the ledge, entering Becky's room.

Becky hugged Raven heard, relieved and pleased to see her friend. Becky had managed to convince herself that Raven was gone, that she'd never see her beloved best friend again. She didn't hold much hope in seeing her that night, so to find Raven, up to her old tricks, waking Becky in the middle of the night, was nothing short of an overwhelming relief. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but Becky didn't let her for a minute, just sat holding onto her, shaking her head. Raven looked around Becky's familiar bedroom, the place where she'd spent many a night like this, pouring out her secrets, her hopes, her greatest fears, and now here she was, about to tell Becky a pack of lies. It didn't feel right. After Becky made sure she wasn't dreaming, and that Raven wasn't hurt, she allowed her to speak.

"Becky, I'm not staying," Raven hissed when Becky asked what was going on.

"Not staying? Where do you plan on going then, if you're not staying?" Becky thought Raven was joking, or wistfully thinking of her dreams of escaping the small town. Raven so frequently told her she was going to get out of there, that one day she'd be someone. Becky listened fine and well, but she always thought Raven was going to end up staying there. Raven could dream and hope as much as she liked, but unless she produced something outstanding in her exams, Becky could see her staying right where she was, and Becky with her. Becky was a firm believer of being realistic. Whilst Raven day-dreamed, hoped, wished of a new life, Becky tried to be honest with herself. No one was going to come sweep her off her feet, fate didn't exist, and the only time you ever got what you wanted was when you worked hard enough for it. No use pretending anything different.

"I'm leaving, tonight," Raven couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. She'd decided to tell Becky about Alexander. Big him up as some knight in shining armour, her true love, that would be Raven's real reason for leaving, or so Becky would think. When people tried to find her they'd imagine she was with her boyfriend. Raven was leaving false breadcrumbs, she was planning to tell Becky that they were going to Canada. That way Becky would tell people that's what Raven told her, and the false breadcrumbs would be lain. No one would suspect that Raven and Alexander were probably only going to be a little way from the town. Alexander had to stay close to the mansion, in case his parents came, and Raven certainly didn't want to upset his parents. She was certain they'd be truly ghoulishly wonderful, with ghoul being the opporative word.

"Leaving?" Becky realised that her friend wasn't joking. She was deadly serious. Thoughts raced throughout Becky's mind, and that boy, the one who'd vehemently denied he knew Raven, but had still clutched picture with surprising force, he turned up more than once. Becky knew he was in some way connected, she just knew. "Raven what's going on?"

"I've met someone," Raven confessed, bluntly. There was truth in it, she told herself. "A boy." When Raven giggled like that, Becky knew. It was hundred percent that boy – one hundred percent.

"Oh, what's he like?" Becky giggled with her friend.

"Gorgeous, of course!" Raven laughed, gushing. She'd watched girls do this all the time, giggle away with their friends over hot boys. She could do it no bother. It was the deeper stuff she had trouble with. "Tall, dark haired, Gothic," she bit her lip as Becky raised her eyebrows.

"What does he have to do with you leaving? Surely if he's here, you'd stay?" Raven shook her head.

"No. He's only passing through, but I know he's who I'm supposed to be with, I just feel it. So that's why I'm going with him. He's going to Canada, and so am I," she beamed at that, quite proud of herself for coming up with all that.

"Wait a second, you're going to Canada, with a guy you barely know? That you just met?" Raven nodded, biting deeper into her lip. "Isn't that a bit stupid? And where were you yesterday? I was supposed to meet you, and you never showed up! I was worried," Becky pointed at the bundle of fliers that Raven had already seen.

"This worried?" Raven frowned. "Becky, I was with him, OK? I'm sorry, I should have called . . ."

"Raven, as much as I don't like Trevor, he is your boyfriend. You're just ditching him for this new guy?"

"Trevor, well, it would have never worked out for life, right? I don't feel what I feel with this guy with Trevor. I don't love him," she said simply, wishing Becky wouldn't ask so many questions. "Anyway, Becky, he's waiting outside, I can't be too late. I'll miss you, but we'll be back down soon, I hope. I'll call you, yeah?" As Raven got up to go, Becky tugged on her arm, trying to make her sit back down.

"Raven! You can't just go! You're life is here! What about school and everything?" Becky knew she'd do all she could to try and make Raven stay. She had to!

"I don't care, Becky. I love him, that's enough. When you find love, you'll understand! Now get off me," she pulled away from her friend, sighing. Becky had made scratch marks on her shoulder, Raven sighed, glaring at Becky. The hollow yearning at the back of her throat suddenly became . . . a little less bearable, and she felt like . . . She didn't know what she felt like, but she knew it wasn't good for Becky. She needed something, something to fill this hunger. But she wasn't going to get it from Becky. She had to get out of there!

Becky was looking at Raven, at her eyes, in horror. Her eyes had flashed red right there, and she knew she wasn't imagining things. Raven's eyes had just flashed red! Becky backed away from her friend ever so slightly, watching as she darted out the window, into the black night without a second glance. Becky ducked out of the window in enough time to see Raven getting into a sleek black car, sitting beside a boy and weeping as it drove off.

Becky didn't know what had just happened, but she was going to find out. Raven could count on that.


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