14

As I sat here, eyes closed, weapons neatly lying before me, I began to think. I thought of my life and what it held for me in the future. Vampires killed my mother and made me into what I am today. But Eric got revenge on the vampire who did this to me, to us. Should this really be our lives, hunting one species who hates us only to protect another species who hates us as well? Why should we do it?

Oh that's right, it is in our blood it is our nature to kill and protect. But is that going to be our lives forever? I may be half vampire, but I am also half human. Everything in my body works. I could have children if I wanted. But with who? A human who I could one day love, but also watch them age and eventually die? Or a vampire who couldn't give me children, but would make a child for me instead. Or maybe someone else who was superior then both species…

I suddenly hissed and snapped my eyes open destroying any more thoughts that may come into my mind. I suddenly hated being here and got up and placed my weapons back in their proper places before leaving towards the base again. Half the day was gone and so when I re-entered the base, I was met with a very upset Eric and Whistler.

"Where were you?" my brother asked moving up to me.

"Getting more information about Nomak, but it seems he was able to make a good first impression." I said walking around him now.

"Just what the hell are you talking about?" Whistler asked. I looked from him and then Eric.

"Silver does not affect him." I said. "And I am unsure if sunlight affects him either."

"Just what exactly happened when you met him?" Eric asked lowly.

"I tried to kill him…sort of." I said.

"What do you mean sort of?" Whistler asked. I looked at him.

"My weapons did no harm to him. When the sun came out he ran away, I wasn't sure if he was killed by the sunlight, but I have strong beliefs that he is alive." I told. My brother knew I fought with no garlic weapons or UV weapons, so I couldn't test those theories. Eric's nose twitched with anger and he walked up to me.

"How about next time you decide to run off like that you, you come straight back." he demanded. I growled.

"Don't talk to me like I am a child." I said.

"Well maybe if you'd stop acting like a rebellious teenager I wouldn't have to." he said. I shook my head.

"What are you talking about?" I asked and now he was standing over me.

"This little thing going on with the mute blood pack member. It's going to stop." he said. I growled even lower now.

"And who the hell are you to tell me what men I can even have a thing with?" I asked.

"He isn't a man Tamara, he is our enemy, a soulless creature. This pack has been training for two years to kill us, to wipe us out." he said.

"Only because we are killing them, and for what to protect humans who would only judge and hate us if they saw what we were, what we could do?" I asked. "We are only half them, but we are also half of the creatures who we are renting our base out to."

I could see my brother's anger flaring now with each word spoke. Now Whistler was beside us placing his hand on both our shoulders.

"Hey now, I didn't raise you both to ever live in fear or confusion of what you all are." he said and looked at me now. "Yes humans would be afraid of what ya'll if they were to see your abilities, but you both know that we are afraid of what we don't understand and the very creatures who we don't understand want to kill and enslave us. You're the only ones standing between them and us and a world of complete chaos and annihilation."

I looked down now upon hearing his words knowing he was right. Humans did need to be protected from vampires. They have souls. We don't.

"We leave at midnight… be ready." Eric only commanded and I merely turned and walked down the hall passing numerous rooms. Suddenly my forearm is grabbed and I am pulled into the darkness of a room, and I move to grab my fan out of reaction only to have my wrist gabbed.

"It is me." I heard Snowman say. I blinked a bit feeling my eyes adjust to the darkness.

"You shouldn't do that." I said aggressively and he backed away raising his hand before signing. "Oh just speak." He tilted his head some obviously noticing my anger.

"I am sorry. It's unwise to try and surprise a daywalker." he said and turned from me. I felt like that was an insult but I let that thought go.

"Why are you awake?" I asked.

"I was not tired. When the sun comes up and vampires are still in dark places we can still remain awake and we hear everything that goes on around us." he said and I just stared at him for a moment understanding.

"So you heard us then." I said and he just moved over to his cot of a bed. He moved under it and pulled something out. That's when I noticed it was my coat. He moved over and gave it to me.

"Well even soulless creatures have ears." he said and as he stretched out his hand to give my coat back, he just avoided staring at me. I then took the coat, but then quickly grabbed his arm making him look at me and I pulled him to me and he moved up to me swiftly placing both hands on either side of the door trapping me inside his arms.

"Is that what you think I think of you?" I asked. Now he wouldn't look away from me. His eyes bore into me with strength and passion.

"Why shouldn't I think this…you have been killing my kind for years." he said and I just stared at him for a moment.

"And soon when you kill Nomak, when you complete your training, you will come for my brother and I and soon spend years of your life trying to kill me." I said softly and slowly his eyes lightened up and he looked down upon realization of this and soon looked back up at me.

"Parts of me want to kill your brother for what he said, but no part of me wants you dead." he told and I could imagine saying that to me must be hard.

"And oddly enough, I don't want you dead, Snowman." I answered. Now that felt weird to say. He showed a mild smile.

"My human name is Zao." he said and I looked him over now.

"Nice to meet you Zao." I replied and he only smiled more.

"Why don't you want me dead?" I asked and he just looked at me with mild shock.

"Because I have gotten to know you. Before I have only heard stories about the daywalkers. They are the boogeymen who will one day open the doors of our rooms and let all the sunlight in. You could have let me die that day I decided to see you that night. You could have told your brother that I had attacked you and so you had no choice but to kill me, but you didn't. You have more honor in you than any other vampire I have ever met. And the stories I have heard about you are clearly wrong." he said. I never knew a vampire could feel such things towards his enemy let alone admit it to me, his enemy. Now I lifted my hand slowly and gently ran my fingers over his face, his ice cold face.

"What do you feel?" I asked. He closed his eyes for a moment as he took hold of my hand now and held it against his face.

"I feel warmth from someone who is just like me. You smell like a human, but your personality is violent like a vampires. You can live in the light as I live in your shadow. You smell like sweet apples and blood. I can feel your pulse against my flesh." he said grazing my wrist against his lips. "But you are also caught between both worlds of the living and of the dead…it is because you are both alive and dead."

Okay that was more than what I asked.

"Have you ever spoken this much to your pack?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I don't speak to them at all." he said staring at me now with a look of darkness and fire, a look I have seen in many vampires but never addressed towards me. He leans into me quickly and kisses me hard and rough. I feel his cold lips pressed into mine, and I tense up quickly, but once his hands press against my face, I couldn't help but take hold of his wrists and reply. The human side of me said this was horribly wrong, but the vampire inside me said let him take me as much as he wanted.