A/n: So this is later than my goal…but at least it's here!

Adonis

A good portion of the morning was already gone by the time I started running. Ayanna was silent as she leaned against my hard chest. She worried me, although the tears had subsided her face was solemn and her pale countenance scared me more than anything I had ever experienced over the course of my death. She couldn't die, I wouldn't allow it. I wanted her to be the woman I had met in the day of the rainstorm, laughing and bright, practically glowing from within. All that was left was to find a way to give her that.

It was shocking to me still how deeply I felt for this human girl after so short a time…especially knowing so little about her. But I knew there was nothing I could do about it, nor did I have any desire to get rid of it. I swerved gently and ducked into a forest, thankful for the cover of trees as I pushed my running to its limit.

"Kinda crazy isn't it," Ayanna suddenly murmured.

"What is?"

"All this, you even existing, me meeting you, going on some adventure like this." She shrugged.

"I suppose this is quite unexpected." I nodded slightly as I darted between trees.

"Very unexpected, I fully expected to die in the hospital Araceli next to me. Now I have…whatever you are…and this crazy, unreal chase."

My chest tightened with her words, "Please don't talk like that Ayanna."

Her light laugh took me by surprise, "I would think death would be a comfortable topic for a vampire."

I smiled, "Perhaps death in general, but not when it applies to you."

"Fair enough I guess, so where are we?"

"Somewhere in Indiana." I shrugged, "We'll make it to South Dakota before nightfall and that's where we'll stop. I looked down when she did not reply; she was looking at me through narrowed eyes, her head cocked oddly to the side. "Yes?"

"Well I know I asked and everything…but how the hell do you know that? We're in a random bit of forest, and you're from Europe…did we pass a sign and I just missed it?"

I laughed, the sound echoing off the trees, "I guess that wouldn't make sense to you."

A little brightness returned to her eyes as she grinned up at me, "Don't tell me you have a built in GPS too Adonis."

My laugh was louder this time and I shook my head, "No, not at all, but we do have photographic memories."

Ayanna threw her hands up and rolled her eyes, "Of course you do."

"I spent a long time on my own, my only luxury was reading," I smiled, "I've read many, many books, on a huge variety of subjects, maps included. There were several I looked at on the United States all on different scales, I know about how many miles I cover an hour and how many miles it is from state to state…so we should be somewhere in Indiana."

I wasn't sure if her slack jawed expression was a compliment or an insult. She shook her head, "Well alright then, sounds logical to me." Silence reigned for a few moments again before she spoke again, "So...tell me about yourself Adonis."

That question caught me off guard. I hesitated a moment before answering, "You know most there is to know."

"Most is not all, so there's got to be something." She smiled.

"Fair enough…what haven't I told you? I told you everything I can remember about my past."

"Well what about this life?"

I scoffed, "This is existence is hardly what I would call a life."

"How can you say that?" Her affronted tone shocked me, "If I had a second chance I certainly wouldn't take it for granted, you got a chance to live in a way that allows you to do incredible things, with no time limit or rush…how can you hate that?"

I had no answer; I slowed a little so I could study her face for a moment. I was silent for several miles before I could formulate any sort of response. "I suppose I never had that point of view presented to me before." I sped around some trees and diverted north slightly to avoid an upcoming road, "You have to understand though, I wasn't done with my other life when I was…handed…this one, it was no choice of mine."

"They just kidnapped you one night or something?" She snickered.

She was joking, but she was right, "More or less. I was nineteen years old, in the prime of my manhood, I was beginning to court a girl…I can't even recall her name now…I was learning the tricks of my father's trade and building a savings, I was going to have a decent life. But Aro saw me one day, he spoke to me that evening, gave me the chills, talking about how talented I was and how he had an opportunity some would kill for. Which is no exaggeration, there are few ways to become a vampire, but killing is one of them."

"How does that work?"

I sighed; this was not something I enjoyed talking about. "There are vampires all over the world, very little in comparison with humans, but a decent amount. The most common ways vampires are formed are when a human is discovered that can be considered valuable, when a human has an extreme desire to be a vampire and searches us out, then they must prove their worth and often the Volturi makes sure they can stomach what they do before they will change them. And, of course there is the newest way, which is still somewhat frowned upon, when a vampire finds a suitable mate among the humans." I avoided looking at her.

I could smell her cheeks flood with the blood of a blush however, "A-ah, well I see…" She stuttered and cleared her throat. "And um you were the valuable type?"

I too cleared my throat and nodded, "Yes, Aro offered an opportunity, but said nothing of what it required; he said if I was interested he could make me into a man who could have all the power over people that I desired. Being naïve and power hungry I assumed he meant teaching me how to sway a crowd even better than I already did, ignoring my instinct that he was not trustworthy. I agreed, and he said that in three days' time I would see the results if we started that night." I laughed harshly, "Isn't it funny? The man who thought he could persuade anyone was so easily persuaded.

"I agreed nonetheless and he said he would be back when the town had gone to sleep. I had gone to sleep after a while of waiting but was awakened by ice cold hands lifting me from my bed. I didn't fully wake up till I felt cold air rush past my face and I realized we were flying through the air. It was Felix who had gotten me and he landed moments later in front of a waiting Aro. The last words I heard with my human ears were 'and now we begin'. Indeed it did begin, a raging fire ripping through my skin and body, making me scream, for three long days that continued until finally it made my heart stop, and I was recreated."

I looked down; she'd been silent for a long time. She was looking up at me with an indecipherable expression. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, please continue." She shook her head and quickly fixed her face with a smile.

"Alright…um…from then on I didn't have much of a choice, the burn lingered in my throat, an unbearable thirst and the only one who knew how to help was Aro, and he had destroyed me, created me, and trapped me. I had nowhere else to turn. He promised me that I would learn how to cope, learn how to master my new talents, and that the thirst would be sated. But I was and am, dangerous to him."

I felt her tense, "You're dangerous to the leader of the vampires?"

"Yes, I have never reached the full potential of my manipulative powers, I have always felt as if I was just scratching the surface of my abilities but Aro was the one who knew how to teach me and after I had mastered enough to serve his wishes, he refused to do more. I could probably turn his army against him and he knows that, which is why he made me strong enough to serve but uneducated and untrained enough to be a pawn in his game. That's why I don't hunt either."

"What does hunting have to do with anything?"

"Well, were I hunting animals, nothing. However, to hunt humans there is a certain…finesse…necessary in order to get them without arousing suspicion. If Aro had allowed me to hunt who knows what skills I might have developed while luring humans to their death. I certainly would have learned how to control them after a while."

"Ah, I see, so…if you knew all this, why didn't you leave earlier?"

"I knew all of it, but I also knew that I didn't know where to start learning, how to escape, or really have any reason to want to be on my own, I already was and I didn't have to kill to survive how I was, so why would I give that up in exchange for killing with the same loneliness?"

"Well what made you decide to now?" her question was careful.

"Simple, I now hope that I won't be so lonely." This time I grinned as I looked down at her.

She blushed again and ducked her head against my chest, "Maybe you won't be." She whispered.

My smile grew as silence surrounded us again, not even my feet making noise as I rushed through the wilderness.

Night had fallen around us just as I crossed the Canadian border. I slowed to a stop and gently set Ayanna on her feet.

"So where are we now?" She asked as she shakily stretched her stiff legs and arms.

"Just into Canada."

"Canada? I thought we were going to Alaska?"

"Indeed we are, but Canada has a bit more cover for me to run in, and so long as I stay near the border, we're on the right track."

She shook her head and shrugged, "Okay, whatever you say Adonis."

I started ripping a few branches from trees and piled them on the ground in front of me. I grabbed to smaller ones but was momentarily distracted by Ayanna.

She'd decided she needed to fully stretch out. Never had I seen a human with such dexterity. She was bent completely in half, her lean legs outlined beautifully in the dim moonlight. She straightened up and grabbed her foot, pulling it up behind her as she bent her torso parallel with the ground. Her form was steady and graceful. My eyes could not help but trace the slim curves of her hips and legs, the delicate shape of her neck as it arched down into lean shoulders, the cling of her shirt to her womanly chest and flat abdomen. But, most alluring was the shadow as it attempted to hide the flawless porcelain skin of her face, I was drawn to her lips and remembered their unbearably soft and warm touch the night before.

I dropped the stick and approached her quickly. She stood as I appeared before her, only slightly shocked. "Yes?" She asked with a small smile.

"How are your injuries?" I asked as my gazed zeroed in on her tongue as it darted out to wet the succulence of her lips.

"Well I can't bend the other knee that well, and my arm aches, but I'll survive. They aren't my main concern so far as health goes." She shrugged, but my eyes were locked on to her mouth.

My arm lifted slowly, on its own accord, and my hand cupped her warm cheek. My thumb gently caressed her cheekbone as my other hand came up to rest on her hip and I gently pulled her closer to me. Her head tilted back as she looked up at me, her breathing slightly staggered.

"Ayanna…"

"…Yes?" She breathed.

"You're beautiful…" I murmured, "I do believe I have fallen for you."

I heard her breath catch completely but saw her lips part to form a protest to my compliment, I would not allow that. I cut her off gently as I held my breath and pressed my ice cold lips to her fire hot ones. She froze and I gently pulled back, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." My heavy heart fell.

"No…I just didn't want to push you, I thought it might help if I held still." She urgently said. Her hands lifted to rest on my chest, gently warming me with her heat, "Please…please don't stop."

I grinned and held my breath again before diving back in for a slightly more urgent but carefully gentle kiss. I slowly worked my mouth against hers as he hands came up to wrap around my neck and I clutched her delicate, breakable body against mine.

Finally I heard her breath shorten and I pulled back, allowing her to take in some air as I continued to resist taking in any of her scent.

She looked up at me as she began to breathe regularly, "you're just gonna make this difficult aren't you." She laughed softly.

"What do you mean?" I stiffened against the intake of her scent; she was still pressed against me.

"It's easy for me to think about leaving this world if I think I'm the only one who has the attachment…but kissing me like that…it's hard to trick myself into thinking this won't hurt you. It's hard to say it's okay for me to stay…" She closed her eyes and lay her head against my chest, "If you care then not only to I feel like I should cut this off, but it's harder to resign myself to the fact that this is something that I may not ever have."

My arms wrapped completely around her thin body, "I do care, and you are not allowed to leave unless you decide I am not what you want. I will find a way to beat the Volturi…then I can finally be happy in this second life, and I can find a way to keep you with me."

Warm moisture soaked through my shirt as she sniffled. "I…thank you." She whispered.

We stood there for an innumerable amount of minutes before her body suddenly shuddered in my embrace. Her hands changed from relaxed to tense as they pushed against my chest feebly. I released her immediately, confused but concerned.

"Ayanna?" I asked as she spun from me and took a few unsteady strides away from me.

Her hands were covering her mouth and she looked at one with her back turned to me, "Run Garrett, get away."

"What? I'm not-" then I smelled it as she coughed and the scent of her blood filled the air. My body locked down as she fell to her knees and coughed. I had fed the night before, but the smell of her blood was tempting me, sending my senses into an uproar. The terrible cough ripped through her again followed by more blood filling the air, but this time it stopped all desire for her blood. The smell was tainted by something that smelled sickly. I approached slowly, "Ayanna I'm not going to hurt you, I have control okay?"

She made no move that she had heard me so I circled and approached her from the front as she coughed again. This time I heard a wet quiet tearing from inside her and she doubled over as she coughed and spat up a thick blood colored mucous.

She looked up at me slowly with glazed eyes, her skin now pale and damp with sweat. She took in a short gasp of air and swayed slightly, "Sorry." She rasped before gently collapsing to the side, her eyes closed.

"Ayanna!" I shouted, panicked. I flashed to her side and picked her up, moving her to a spot beside the pile of wood and quickly set it ablaze. I turned to her and listened carefully. She was breathing, shallowly and they were rough short breaths but at least she was alive. I sat beside her head and removed my cloak as she shook violently with a shiver.

I lay it gently over her and lay my hand against her moist forehead. Even with my cold hand I could feel the fever growing.

I growled loudly, scaring off all wildlife around us. I buried my face in my hands and waited, I could not help her, and it was getting worse.

A/n: I don't know if anyone is actually reading this…so if anyone is…could you review? That'd be great thanks.