Chapter 1

My first memory when I come to the world was that of a beautiful woman smiling down at me. Her tired gaunt figure cradling me softly as she pulls me closer to her bloodied body. She whispers sweet nothings to my ear as I hear her heartbeat slowly start to stop. I felt as a man with red bloodied eyes pick me up and stare into my eyes and whispers the word beautiful. I witness how he slowly kisses the woman's eyes close as her breathing ceased.

I stayed in the chilling embrace of his cold body as he stops and places his forehead atop the woman's. I knew that if he was capable of producing tears, it would fall like a constant stream of waterfall upon his face.

And so, my first memory of the world was that of my dying mother as she was embraced one last time by my father.

We stayed like that for a few minutes when I started to get hungry and became antsy. He immediately noted my distress and brought me face to face.

"Are you hungry my love?" he asked me while he gently rocked me to soothe my cries. His eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. And gently whispers, 'what do I feed you with?'

Still carrying me in his arms he brought me to another room where he laid me down on a crib. He proceeded to leave but came back seconds later with milk on hand. He picked me up and brought a bottle filled with milk close to my mouth. I instantly latched on the bottle and started sucking which brought relief to my hunger.

"So, you can drink regular milk" my father said with a breath of relief "that's good to know."

He paused and murmured, "Do you also need blood?"

He rocked me back and forth while keeping ahold of the bottle close to my face and hummed.

"You are unique my love. The result of the love of two different species. Remember that always. We'll figure this out together." He said as he kissed my forehead.

With the rhythmic rocking and the soothing sound of his voice, my eyelids started drooping until my consciousness faded.

THIRD P.O.V

Claude stared at the lifeless body of the love of his love, his wife, his everything. He felt lost, grief, and fear all at once. Two weeks was all it took for his whole life to make a drastic turn. He feels like his world is slowly crumbling apart. But knowing his daughter was soundly asleep in the other room prevented him from doing untold damage.

He held the cold hands of his wife and brought it closer to his lips as he placed chaste kiss on her hand.

"I shall protect our little miracle my love. Just as I promised. We'll be okay. You can rest now." He whispered as he remembered the promise, he gave her just a mere week ago.

"You're dying my love. Please reconsider" Claude pleaded to his pale dying wife resting at their bed.

"No Claude. I have made my choice" His wife smiled sadly as she placed her hand on her ice cold cheek.

"Don't you see? This baby is the result of our undying love." She continued as she sat upright and hugged her husband who sat beside her.

"We've always wanted to have children did we not? Something we thought became impossible when you turned. Now we have the chance, or you could have the chance. This baby is our little miracle." She kissed the tip of her husband's chin.

"Promise me you'll protect her. That you'll love her as much as you have love me." She said looking imploringly at her husband's arm.

Claude looked at his wife's eyes and saw that her mind was made up and no amount of pleading will change it. He closed his eyes and hesitantly nodded his head in her direction and smiled.

"Then please at least try to live for me, for our child. No matter how small the possibility of survival may be." He paused and touched her belly "I need you, we need you."

"I have a feeling you and Mirielle will be just fine." She smiles sadly.

"Mirielle? How can you be sure she's a girl?" he chuckled softly at her.

"Hmm. Call it mother's intuition." She smiled.

"Mirielle huh? I like it. Our little miracle." He said as touched her belly gently ang gently caressing her cheeks with his nose. "I love you forever. And I promise I'll take care of our Mirielle"

Claude shook his head at the flashback and proceeded to clean the blood off his wife's body. He gently placed her in a clean white cloth and wrapped her gently. He went downstairs to see his wife's sister softly crying already knowing her sister's demise as the possibility of her surviving was impossible.

"Do you want to meet Mirielle" He asked softly to her as he neared her.

Charlotte looked at him with tears still in her eyes. She hesitantly nodded her head and whispered alright.

He led her upstairs opposite of he and his wife's room and inside a baby's room. Its walls were light green in color with white drawers at the side. Baby toys and decorations can be seen all throughout the room. In the corner near a window was a lone crib with a rocking chair beside it. They neared the crib and leaned closer to show a small baby girl that looked to be 3 months old.

As Charlotte saw Mirielle she gasped. She was mesmerizing and almost ethereal as if she was born from the heavens.

"She's so beautiful" she whispered. "She resembles her" then smile sadly.

"Yeah, she does" he said as he caressed the top of his baby's head where a small tuft of hair can be seen.

"She doesn't look like a newborn" She turned her head to Claude curiously.

Claude also realized it was true but don't know the reason why.

"Well maybe half bloods grow faster?" He also questioned the rate of growth of his baby. He was confused and lost as had not heard of a half vampire and half human before. He didn't even now that it was possible until his wife became pregnant.

"Celeste was only pregnant with her for two weeks." He noted.

"Does that mean she'll grow just as fast" she questioned. Claude sighed and brushed his hair back.

"I don't know. She is unique as far as I know." He exhaled slowly. "Come. We should see Celeste off."

Charlotte nodded and went to the room Celeste was in. When she saw her sister's body, a choked sob came out of her mouth. She slowly neared the bed her body was in and kneeled while muffling her cry. Claude left her to mourn and proceeded outside in the middle of a forest. He worked on a raft at lake near their home.

As Charlotte managed to control her sobs, she proceeded to clean Celeste and change her clothes. Minutes later Claude came back and picked the body of her wife.

"You should get Mirielle" he said as carried his wife outside. Charlotte did what was told of her and took a sleeping Mirielle gently rocking her back and forth.

They trudge through the forest until they reached the small lake with the raft Claude had created. He gently placed his wife down the raft and sped away and came back with flowers where he placed them in her hands and whispering, I love you.

Charlotte leaned close to the raft and whispered, "I'll take care of Mirielle for you Celeste." Closing her eyes, she sent a silent goodbye and stepped out. Claude then set her body on fire as he pushed the raft away from land. They looked on the raging fire consuming her body turning her to dust while reminiscing of memories they shared together.

Movement from Mirielle had both stopping and looking at her as she slowly opened her eyes and began whimpering. Shushing her in her arms, Charlotte swayed Mirielle and faced Claude.

"We have to go. I think she's hungry"

With a nod they made their way back home to feed Mirielle. Claude ran to make her a bottle of milk and took Mirielle from Charlotte.

"I'll feed her" he said as he cradled Mirielle gently.

Charlotte was hesitant and wary. She knows that he had an amazing control of his bloodlust and had never had a problem before. However, losing her sister only moments ago was making her feel cautious of everything.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should do it. You haven't had the chance to feed yet. Better safe than be sorry" she hesitantly told Claude doubt lingering in her mind.

Claude paused and looked at Charlotte. He knows he will never hurt his daughter and her doubt was making him frustrated. But he understood his worry.

"It's fine. I noticed his scent is different. Sweet like a human but mixed enough with that of a vampire that will help anyone maintain control." He told her and it was the truth. It was one of the things he noticed were different with his baby. He also noted the beat of her heart were much faster than that of an average human. She was also warmer which was a stark contrast of his cold body.

"Really? Does that mean other vampires wouldn't be attracted to her blood?" Charlotte felt relief as one danger could possibly be crossed off the list.

"No, they could still have the urge, but it's not as strong as when faced with a normal human." He said as he attempted to feed Mirielle with the bottle. Mirielle drank from the bottle with gusto while staring at her father with curiosity.

Claude sat on the rocking chair while adjusting Mirielle to make her comfortable. He faced Charlotte and smiled.

"Relax, we'll figure this out one day at a time. It's been a long day you should rest first. I'll wake you up when it's time for me to hunt." Charlotte was hesitant but acquiesced as she felt exhaustion deep in her bones.

"Alright." She relented and left Mirielle's room and went to her own. Once her head hit the pillows, she felt tears fall from her face once again until she slept.

Claude stayed with Mirielle until she finished her bottle and patted her back until a soft belch sounded from her small mouth. Claude stared lovingly at her daughter who resembled her mother yet was impossibly more beautiful. The pitter patter of the rain starting could be heard outside.

He slowly stood up still holding Charlotte in his arms. With his hands supporting her head, they neared the window and looked out.

"Your mother loved the rain" he told his baby gently while she stared at him with wide open eyes. "She would sit in the window with a cup of chocolate and read lost in her own world."

He continued to tell her and shared more stories of Celeste to Mirielle. Basking in the warmth of his baby as he swayed them form side to side. He noticed that Mirielle was intently listening as if understanding his words. He knew that although she may grow faster than normal, it would still be impossible for her to understand him. Yet he continued as he reminisced the memories and shared it with her daughter.

For now, he will treasure these moments with her daughter and will focus on the grief he felt once he was alone.

As he felt Mirielle's breathing slow indicating she had fallen asleep, he gently placed her down her crib than sat down on the chair just admiring her. He waited until he heard movement in the other room and a soft knock before standing up. Charlotte was awake and urging him to hunt.

"You need to feed too. I'll take care of Mirielle now." He nodded at her and looked back at Mirielle giving her forehead a kiss.

"I'll be back." Suddenly he was in the forest, looking for a deer or any animal to feed on. Just as what was thought by him by the one who turned him.