CHAPTER 1: THE FLASHBACK
A smile stretched across his face, baring his perfect teeth. He grasped her hands tightly. Scarlet looked at his face, he was dazzling. His face
was so perfect, his teeth, also as perfect. Scarlet blushed, and a smile drew across James's face. "You love to blush, don't you?" He said,
putting his hands on her cheeks. Scarlet could feel the blood rising up to her face and she blushed again. The wind precariously blew through
the empty forest, blowing some leaves below her feet. James gave that crooked smile that always seemed to dazzle her somehow. James took
her hands, and put them on his shoulders. He leaned closer to her; he rested his cheek on hers and rubbed his nose up and down her collar
bone. Scarlet froze in place. She couldn't move, and didn't. She felt his breathing on her neck and took in his bewildering and heart-stopping
scent. She shut her eyes for a brief and they shot back open. A shiver went down her spine. Memories flooded back as she remembered the
day she met James. Still mortal. She talked with him, and astoundingly, he never revealed who he was to her. Until he was walking her home
one night. She had bumped into a piece of metal sticking out from a dented STOP sign. She saw the look he gave her. Evil, blood-thirsty. She
quivered again. She remembered that James had put his arms around her and kept inhaling. He had sat her down on a bench beside him and
inched slower and slower toward her blood dripping shoulder. Scarlet tried to move, but he was gripping her arms now, holding her steady.
She constantly had called his name, trying to break his trance. She knew he tried to resist. But not as hard as he could have tried. She then
remembered him, breathing up her neck, his nose brushing her neck at times. She had turned toward him, watching his eyes, bewildered by
their beauty. He had backed his face away and was now staring at her. He remembered the last words he asked her. "Scarlet, if you could live
forever, would you?" He asked, politely in a question. She had thought, astounded by the randomness of the question, and then replied, "No. I
would live forever with you." She remembered his smile that stretched across his face, not an evil smile, but more of happiness and
compassion. Scarlet remembered his face slowly coming toward hers. His lips brushing against hers and the cold feel of his lips as they touched
hers. She felt James tightening his grip on her shoulders and he jerked away, looking as though he was gasping for breath. Scarlet looked into
his eyes, seeing sadness and trouble. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, James lightly took his hands under her face. "Do
you really mean what you said to me?" He said, worry and determination in his eyes. Scarlet searched his face for an answer. She hesitated.
"Yes. I do, James. I love you." She said, repeating the words he had said to her moments before. James looked away, his hands still holding
her face. "Scarlet… What if I told you I was something more than I appear?" He said, staring off into something invisible. Scarlet thought,
confused by the question. "What- Do you mean?" Scarlet choked out the words. James sighed. "Scarlet, I am… Not what you think…" Scarlet
narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?" She said, still not understanding. James took her hands, wiping the blood that was
stained onto her shirt. He looked at the blood and tasted it, inhaling deeply. He opened his mouth and gave a sigh, leaving his mouth open still.
"You smell so sweet and fragrant." He said, brushing his nose across her neck, breathing his scent onto her. Scarlet closed her eyes and
inhaled his beautiful aroma. James opened his mouth and Scarlet's eyes shot open. She felt his teeth on her neck. She shook him off and put
her hand to her neck. James grasped her hand, removing it from her neck and blowing his sweet sense onto her neck once more. Scarlet
opened her mouth slightly, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. She felt his nose going up on down her neck. He rested his hands on her
shoulders and she could feel his lips on her neck. She exhaled, as his scent wafted around her again. Then, she felt his teeth again. She tried
to shake him off, but he wouldn't. She said his name over and over. Finally she screamed it, breaking him from his trance. He backed away from
her neck, his teeth no longer touching her. She held her hand to her neck again. "I'm sorry, Scarlet…" He said, turning away. Scarlet turned her
head away, a million questions running through her head. She turned back to him moments later, and he must have seen her turning head,
because their eyes met at exactly the same moment. Scarlet stared at James's eyes, bewildered by their beauty. She watched him, her mouth
opened, until she was snapped back to reality. "James… Why, did you…" She stopped, turning her head away as she blushed. James knew the
question. "Try to bite your neck? I'm sorry about that Scarlet… Sometimes, I can't – control myself." He said, stammering to find the right words.
Scarlet gave a nod. Still wondering. "Why?" She asked, turning to him. "Why?" He repeated, a bit confused. "Why can't you control yourself? I
mean, what is it, James? The questions, the… biting…" She said, struggling to say the words. James's eyes were a dark black, and she saw fury
rising. But it soon faded, being taken over by sadness. "What is it James?" She said, her voice becoming softer. James gave a big sigh, looking
away. "If you could live forever, would you?" He said, asking that same strange question. Scarlet sighed, rolling her eyes. She gave it more
thought this time. She took James's hands, which had been resting in his lap and held them close to her. He turned to her this time, watching
her eyes. "I would, James. But I would want to live forever with you." She said her eyes serious and passionate. James gave a crooked smile
and leaned closer to Scarlet. His hands escaped hers and rested now on her shoulders. He drew her in closer and put her head on his chest.
His breath was blowing again on her neck. She could feel it getting closer and closer. His lips were on her neck once more. "Be sure you mean
what you say." He said, his teeth brushing her skin. Scarlet closed her eyes and drew in his scent. "I do." She said, smiling as she listened to
his heartbeat. "Scarlet, before I-"He stopped. Scarlet opened her eyes. "What?" She said, in confusion. "Scarlet, I can't hurt you, only if you
know what is coming first." Scarlet raised her head from his chest and raised her eyebrow. "What?" She said, James's hands sliding into hers.
"If you- could be like me, would you?" Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" James sighed, trying to figure out how to explain. "I
am not what you think, Scarlet…" "Then what are you?" She asked, skeptical. "I am- a…" He cut himself off. "What?" She asked again. "Just
answer this question; do you want to be who I am?" He said, gritting his teeth. Scarlet released his hands. "Who are you?" She said, very
confused. "I am something, more than someone." He said, his eyes turning into a hazel brown. Scarlet's eyes softened and James's grasped
her hands again. He drew one of his hands behind her head, slowly drawing her in closer and against his chest again. Scarlet listened to his
heartbeat and she closed her eyes. She felt James's nose going over her collar bone and then up and down her neck. She felt his cold lips
brush her skin. "I do want to be like you, James. Whatever you are, I love you." She said, a smile stretching across her face. "There are
consequences for your words, Scarlet." He whispered to her ear, lips brushing her ear slightly. Scarlet smiled. "As long as I have you to comfort
me." She whispered. She felt James's lips move up and down her neck, and then she felt his teeth brush her skin. His teeth moved up and
down and finally stopped on her neck. She felt the grip of his teeth grow tighter, and her eyes shot open, she tried to jerk away, but his hand
was on her head, holding her down against his chest. "What are you!?" She shrieked. James whispered lightly, barely loud enough to hear. "A
blood drinker…" He whispered. Scarlet gave a gasp, and she felt James's teeth pierced her skin.