CPOV

I had angered her. I should be amused at the fact that someone so inconsequential was mad at me but I wasn't.

If I was honest with myself, I had taken her from the club last night, intoxicated her with my scent and drank from her, wanting to show myself that she had no control over me. I had failed though, failed spectacularly so much so that I had nearly drained her with my loss of control.

Hearing her mumbled words of please stop as well as seeing the vision Elliot had shown me when he knocked on the door, a vision of what would happen if I continued to drink, had shocked me enough to remove my mouth from her wrist and within seconds I found myself on the other side of the room, crumbling the drywall in the process.

If she had taken a proper look around this morning she would have seen it covering the floor. Due to my actions though, the poor girl could barely stand.

Coming back to the present, I could hear everyone's thoughts around me, shocked minds that she had shown such disrespect to me. It was me who had disrespected her though.

Leaving those in the foyer, I picked my jacket up before leaving the hotel as I had a meeting at Grey House not far away. I had heard what Susannah had said to Ana, my anger barely controlled as I wanted nothing more than to turn around and tell her she was wrong. I couldn't though because what she said was the truth.

I had used women in this hotel, intoxicated them with my scent but besides Ana, I had never let them touch me, never kiss me. She had taken me by surprise and I had enjoyed it immensely. To think at my age that she had been my first kiss would be laughable to some but she was.

I usually drank from them in a back room at the club, never the hotel, drained quite a few too. They were of no interest to me, quickly forgotten afterwards. Unless they were a donor and known here, those that survive the night, never remember what had happened in the morning unless they had the strength to fight through the fog that overpowered their mind by my scent. Even then, waking up so far away from this place, makes them question just how much they had drunk the night before.

Humans are fragile things and any vampire who takes one to bed is a braver immortal than I. Yes I have had sex with my kind although it must have been a century ago by now. Even then, they knew where I stood and there would be no second night.

I kill when needs be. When needs must, I take their blood and I defy anyone who wants to stop me.

…

Entering Grey House like a breeze, unseen by all but felt by many, I entered the elevator. As the doors closed, I calmed, feeling my body changing before I opened my eyes, seeing my reflection looking back.

My eyes were grey, startling me really as, after a change, the vampire side of me is dominant so the red eyes always remained. They were grey though, and this fact alone worried me deeply.

"Good afternoon Mr Grey" Andrea greeted me as I stepped off the elevator bringing me from my thoughts about my eyes.

She had seen both red and grey before, never commenting on either so when I asked her what colour they were now, she was taken aback by my question.

"Grey Sir" she replied as I let out a loud huff of frustration before disappearing into my office to which she followed closely behind.

Seeing what was on my desk as always, turned my annoyance into sadness. Roses, white ones filled the large vase, a favourite of my mothers. They were the only thing that was alive in this room, apart from Andrea that is.

"Andrea did Marcus send those papers up," I asked her, finally sitting at my desk, my eyes still taking in every minute detail of the roses.

"Yes Sir, they are in that pile" she replied, nodding to the large stack of papers which were sat at the opposite end to the flowers.

"Thank you, that will be all," I told her as she quickly departed the office, leaving me alone.

I looked out onto the city, the afternoon sun beating down on everyone below. I always waited for the burn that never came, the hissing, stinging pain I know my father had felt when he rescued me all those years ago.

I did not feel pain at the sun and I highly doubt a stake to my heart would do much apart from tickle my skin. I definitely didn't sparkle either. I was feared in our world because I was different, my mother had seen to that.

My mother was a witch, hidden away by her own mother to protect her and save her life. My father always said she cast a love spell on him but remembering them together, I know it must have been love at first sight.

I was not bitten, I was born, the only one of my kind in existence. Had my mother not been as strong as she was, I do not think she would have survived my birth.

My father wanted to turn her so they could both live an eternal life, my mother the stubborn woman that she was thought she was strong enough with her magic to withstand anything that was thrown at her, how wrong she was.

They found us, found our quiet home so far from everyone else. We did no harm to anyone back then but she had been denounced a witch so they took her when my father was away, came in the morning at first light, pulling me from my bed too.

She fought them, cursed them but seeing them have hold of me made her actions falter for just a moment which with their numbers was all the time they needed to overpower her.

I was two at the time, so young in years but I looked ten, maybe twelve. I could not control my powers back then, could not control the anger too as they tried to stop me from ripping at their throats. In all honesty, I was not trying to kill them at that moment although I felt they all needed to die, no I was trying to get to my mother who had been tied to a stake and was now surrounded by wood which was soon set of fire.

My hands still bore the marks of that night, the night I failed to save her. My lips tasted fresh blood for the first time that night and along with my father, we made sure no one was left alive. Everyone who came to our home lost their life, every house in the village from where they came, losing at least one member of their family. They never went near to our house again, but then after that night, neither did we.

"Mr Grey, Sam is here for your meeting," Andrea said through the intercom as I turned away from the window.

"Thank you, Andrea, please send him in."

Gently, I ran my fingers over the petals of the roses before I took my seat, steepling my fingers as I waited for the door to open.

Sam entered, as nervous as always before quickly making his way to the seat in front of me.

"Mr Grey," he said, holding onto a stack of papers, the same ones I pulled in front of me.

"Sam, you need to get those nerves in check, I don't bite," I told him, seeing a shocked look on his face, one that made me laugh.

"I am sorry sir, it is not you. I have just come up in the elevator with Ruth, that woman gives me the creeps."

"She is a succubus. Just make sure you lock all your windows and doors when you go to sleep" I teased him.

"I think I will take the stairs from now on in case she gets any ideas if we are alone," he said with a smirk.

"You will be fine, now with regards to Georgia, how is it going down there."

"Well, very well. We have already started the build there and despite the heat, things are already ahead of schedule. Will you be taking a trip" he asked me.

"I highly doubt it, I have you to do jobs like that for me."

"The elusive Mr Grey."

"Yes, and that is the way it's going to stay."

We went through the paperwork, speaking about what future business or businesses I should put my money into.

I'm not afraid of being known as the person behind my company, it's just not of interest to me. This company, as well as all the others, are a distraction, something to do, something to keep me entertained in the long life that I have lived. Having anonymity does have its advantages also as no one would ever need to question why I do not age. I stopped growing when I was six years old, so I am eternally a twenty-eight-year-old man.

…

Being alone once again, my eyes went back to the flowers. Closing my eyes, my mind went back to memories of a simpler time, one of family, one of peace.

I ran from the house giggling, my little legs taking me faster than my mother could ever catch me, or so I thought. She did not need my speed, she had her own ways of slowing me down as I left the ground as if encased in a bubble before slowly drifting back towards her.

"You caught me," I said, my smile matching the woman's who gave me life.

"I did, I will always be near to you, catch up with you no matter how fast you are my son," she had told me as I gently floated into her arms.

My mother's arms brought me calm, peace like no others could. Her touch, her love took away the noises that sometimes hurt my head, helping me focus my mind. Looking into her eyes now, her smile was returned with my own.

"Stay together forever," I asked her, placing a kiss to her cheek.

"We will be Christian. You, your father and myself have a bond like no other. That is unbreakable and nothing and no one will ever tear our family apart. Just like we cannot see your father now as he is off looking for his meal, he is with us, in here" she spoke, placing her hand over my heart. "And in here" she added, placing her own hand over her heart to which I placed my small hand on top of it.

I reached up then, pulling a white rose down from the arch that surrounded the door. I had learned not to fear the thorns that came with them as I pulled one down before giving it to my mother.

"Thank you, my love, I will place it with the others. Now no running off I'm sure dinner will be here soon," she told me, placing me back on my feet.

I did run again not long after, hearing my mothers laughter as I jumped into my father's arms, ignoring the whimpering man on the floor. With my father, we drank deeply until the man whimpered no more.

Opening my eyes, the room was dark, the day now gone as I looked to the flowers once more. My mind is always focused unless I am thinking of her, remembering her words that although she is not here for me to see any more, she is always close.

I long for the peace and calm that she brought me, knowing though, I would never feel that ever again. You have felt that though my mind reminded me of a day years ago. A burning car, torrential rain and a little girl with beautiful blue eyes. Of all the humans in this world, she is the only one I ever think of from time to time, wondering what happened to her and where she was now.

...

The city moves beneath me, or is it that I am moving up above. My body, powerful that it is, pushes forward through the low lying cloud until that is beneath me too.

I journeyed on with only one destination in mind, although a stop off was needed along the way. I notice the fence had been replaced over the years, the grass had regrown and the tree to which I had held a small child under was now so much taller than me. Twenty years is a long time for anything to change, especially the ground and the trees. The memories are still so clear in my mind though, especially those few seconds of peace.

Carrying on, I decided to stretch my legs, my speed making me a blur if anyone should see me. I startled a few animals on my way but my laughter drowned out their surprised squeals before my speed slowed as my fathers home came into sight.

"I could smell you coming," he told me, emerging from the stone cottage where I had spent the remainder of my childhood.

"I assure you, I have bathed at least one time this century" I replied before I was pulled into my father's strong arms.

"It is good to see you, son. It has been too long."

"You know where I am," I told him.

"I know, I prefer the quiet here though."

We entered the small cottage, through an arch of white roses, my fathers work filling his desk. He loved to write, about anything and everything he has done and seen over the years. One day he will take my advice and publish his written words but as of now, his words, his stories are just for him. Or me when I have time to read.

"You look, puzzled son, is anything wrong," he asked me.

"I am fine father, I just wanted to get out of the city for a while."

"And try and lie to your father while you are here," he told me with a smirk on his face.

"Have you ever met someone, someone's whose blood smelt so strong to you that should you have not been disturbed, you would have drained them."

"We are vampires, blood calls to us and we have both drained humans often Christian. It is in our nature to feed and not to stop until that is done."

"I did stop though, two words from her, as well as a vision from Elliot, was enough to pull me from my blood lust, enough to make me feel revulsion for what I had just done."

"This woman, what makes her different than any other."

"I do not know. Even before I touched her, just her scent and the smell of her blood had me unknowingly moving into a crouch as if to pounce. I lost control in that moment and again when I took her up to a room in the hotel and drank from her. Feeling the loss of control the first time made me want to prove to myself that I was in control. I only proved to myself that I have none when it comes to her."

"Who is she. Be careful son, there are those that would try and lure you away to your death, overthrow you because they are afraid."

"I am no king, no ruler."

"But you could be, and that is what all vampires do not want. Most are nomads, none want to answer to anyone and even the thought of it would make them hit out."

"She is no spy father, she is a human, having only worked at my hotel for just a week. She was easily manipulated and lured up to the room. She remembered though, this afternoon when I saw her again, she knew that I had taken here there, left her and lied to her. Her anger for just a moment, made me question what I had done."

"I do not know what to say, Christian, other than be careful. You are the strongest, most powerful of our kind and most show respect to that power, respect to you. There are those though who would try and do anything, use anyone to be rid of you. Your mother did not just pass on her heart to you, her smile which you do not use often enough, she also passed on her powers. Most of us have one power that is carried over when we change, some have none at all, but you son, you have many and those you do not possess can be easily taken with just one touch."

"Some time it is all too much. I long for the peace and quiet mother did bring."

"I know son, I wish I could help with that but even I do not have the power to find peace. Your mother, her magic lives within you, that is why you can change yourself into any other living thing. Maybe that is how she found her peace, escaping the world for a little while."

…

We moved outside, taking a seat on the deck as we spoke about my business, his book and what was next for both of us. Control, I needed to find that again, and for that, I needed to stay away from Ana or banish her from my sight. It was easier said than done as my mind automatically drifted back to Ana, one thing becoming clearer in my mind as I remembered each moment we had spent together, one thing that had unconsciously puzzled me but also was pushed to the back of my mind as I had other things to worry about, other things I needed, her blood.

As I stood, so fast that I shocked my father with my movements, I turned to him my face showing my own shock and awe.

"What is it," he asked, placing his hand onto my shoulder.

"I cannot hear her."

Thank you for reading.

I didn't want to write Christian as a run of the mill vampire and as I was originally going to write a superhero Christian, I went for a vampire with extras.

I also went a little Twilight on this one with his inability to hear her thoughts but that is what started this story. I had been watching New Moon for the first time in about five years and as they are leaving Volterra, Bella asks Edward if the woman behind the desk knows what they are. That is what brought me back to the plot bunnies and having Ana being a human, working in the hotel full of vampires.

We are back to Ana next chapter who seems to have gained an extra shadow especially as Christian tries to figure out just who she really is. That answer will come in chapter six.

Until then, take care.

Caroline.