A foggy night on the Frontier, the land devoid of life as even the birds and insects were dead silent amongst the comforting blue light of the moon.

An even darker forest surrounded a young woman, where the torch she carried provided the only source of light in the area. Lost and alone but armed to the teeth, Doris Lang was more upset with herself for getting lost than afraid of what the dark could be hiding from her eyes.

"This is what I get for being alone..." The daughter of a werewolf hunter she carried herself into danger on her own strength but there were times where even she got ahead of herself. If only she had someone with her. Not just to talk to but to also confide in and to help watch her back. But her brother couldn't be with her right now, she needed him to watch the fark in case something were to happen to her. As for the other option of back up, Doris knew of only one other person she would trust to watch over her. Yet, she also knew he was never coming back...

'But he's gone, you're on your own again.'

That voice was not her mind talking to her but an outside force she could not see. Doris grabbed a hold of the handle of the whip on her left hip. "Who's there?"

'Sad he's no longer there to watch over you, as much as you would want him to be...'

The voice was taunting the young woman with memories she had long kept to herself, hidden from prying eyes and those she considered friend and foe alike.

"If you intend to insult me, do it to my face!"

She kept on walking, her hand never leaving her weapon while keeping the torch out before her. The wind began to blow unpredictably and the cloak she wore for protection from the cool air flew from her slender form. It was carried away into the darkness and she dare not go after it for obvious reasons. "Dammit..."

The wind shifted and Doris felt a chill go up her back. Like someone had been breathing on her skin and she spun around, swinging her whip. The tail cracked on a tree and left a large gaping hole in the bark.

"Damn, I missed," said the woman but kept her guard up. The wind blew from behind her, her long auburn mane going down the front of her body and leaving her back bare.

'Of course you miss him, but he left you alone, and now you will suffer for the rest of your miserable human life-'

"Shut up!"

CRACK!

Doris wasted no time in swinging her whip once again and with precise aim she thought she had hit something. Turns out she hit nothing but air, as evidenced by the cackling that came to her ears right after she missed. Though she was frustrated by missing her target, what Doris was showing more of was anger. Her face was flush with crimson and her eyes tried to stay strong but were starting to tear up. She knew what the voice was telling her, and with all her heart she didn't want it to hear it. She didn't want to acknowledge how she felt. How her heart ached for a certain man she had met years ago.

'That's it. Give into the despair, let it eat at your heart until you die alone and miserable.'

A shadowy form appeared before Doris. It didn't have a recognizable shape but a pair of white eyes and toothy curved smile as it looked down at her.

Doris couldn't hold herself up anymore and fell. She came down on her knees, the strength she had been using to hold onto life was fading. Her despair was becoming too much and no matter how much she tried she couldn't go on anymore.

"Stop it...just...please..."

Images conjured up in her mind. From what felt like another lifetime ago was only a handful of years prior. Her brother Dan and she were alone, tormented by a terrible Noble vampire named Magnus Lee who desired Doris for his bride. While she would have rather died than be his concubine the woman could not have left her brother all alone. Thus, she sought out help.

Then he appeared, as if to answer her prayers, and while she had ended up getting what she had wanted, what came after wasn't anything the woman had expected. Something she herself had not experienced in her life up to that point. One of longing, one of love, but to be unrequited forever.

This voice and monstrosity took delight in taunting her with that fact, and as much as she wanted to fight back with the ferocity of a wild cat, Doris couldn't even stand up any longer.

Now she was about to die for her feelings.

"You would have been better off dying in the Count's castle than live like you are now, I take it? Then I will answer your agony!"

Doris looked up, her eyes stinging with tears and saw a massive shadow hand coming down on her, ready to take her life.

When lightning struck in the form of a blade. A single downward slash cut the shadow right down the middle, ending its existence quickly. The two halves fell to the sides, parting in the middle to reveal a single dark armored figure with a wide brimmed hat and cape with a long sword in his right hand.

Doris, who had about given up on life, felt her heart race back to life at the sight of the youth. She had the greatest feeling ever in her chest and she smiled, "Is that you?!"

The mysterious figure stood up straight, "I am here, there is no need to be afraid." That cool voice warmed Doris' heart and she ran to him, ready to take hold of him and never let him go...

"D..."

Doris opened her eyes, expecting to see the man of her dreams in front of her, but all she saw was the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. It was still night, well past three at Night to be exact, and though it was cool Doris found herself drenched in sweat. She sat up, taking notice of her perspiration but let it go. She was more upset by the dream or nightmare she had just been through. Truth was she had been having this same dream for years now, and no amount of medicine could get her to not have it.

"It never fails to get to me," the woman said with a sigh. Suddenly feeling restless she got out of bed and grabbed her robe. As she walked out of her room she had to stop at the only other room in the hall. Inside, sound asleep, was her little brother Dan. Though in his early teens the kid had the maturity of a grown man what with how he helped around the farm and looked after his sister.

Doris gave a loving smile before quietly closing the door.

Next she headed downstairs and right at the foot of the landing she stopped to gaze upon the couch. Though a simple brown leather couch it was a special place for her. Years ago it was where the vampire hunter D slept for the time he had been hired to kill the Count.

The woman's heart fluttered and her cheeks went red as she remembered the last night he had been there. The vampire Noble had been stacking up victims in the nearby village of Ransylva and the hunter had been planning his next move when Doris had visited him. She had become overwhelmed with desire and wanted-practically begged him-to take her. What she meant by that she had wanted D to decide. While he didn't refuse her he didn't indulge her either, but to satiate her desire he had given her a kiss. One so immaculate to the virgin Doris that it was to be a memory she would never let go of.

The following morning D was gone, having left the Lang's life as quickly as he had come into it.

Doris knew his time with her was going to be short but she hadn't expected to become so attached to him as much as she had. Being that she had been alone up that point and yet to bloom into full womanhood, it was understandable that she would desire a man like D. Most women did, but she was also the only one who had felt his affection in return, though he had never spoken in acknowledgement of such it to Doris herself.

She wanted that affection once again, for him to be back in her home, in her life, once again.

Doris walked silently through the living room and onto the front porch of her ranch style house. The place was empty and the fresh scent of the Frontier permeated the air. The breeze was cool and soft unlike in her dream, Though she took int he scene of her ranch Doris' eyes were straight and true, looking at the long road that went off into the horizon.

It had been on that same road that she had met D years ago, and every day since he had left she had hoped to see him on the same road once again.

But it had been years and she was still waiting for him.

Dan had promised to find a husband for her but while he had tried his darndest it was hard to top the vampire hunter that he greatly respected. That and Doris had proven to be patient. Many men had come through the village and would ask for her hand in marriage. She would refuse every one of them. No matter how rich they were, humble, or even simple. Like the legend of Odysseus's wife, she would wait until the end of time for the one she loved.

That didn't mean she wouldn't be emotional during her wait.

"Please, just come back to me, D. Someday, please..." She wiped a tear that threatened to fall from her eye. The breeze came through and went against her, being slightly warmer to her, almost comforting, and the ends of the robe were carried along with it. She smiled lightly, "I'll wait forever if I have to."

With heavy heart, but with a small degree of hope Doris Lang turned back to go inside her home. Sleep was beckoning to her again and she needed rest for the next day's work.

As the door closed softly behind her, if one were to see off into the distance, a figure on a dark horse came over the horizon. A familiar figure sat upon the steed in a wide brimmed hat and a beauty only a dhampir could have. Without a word his eyes saw the Lang farm and he softly smiled before motioning his horse forward, heading towards said house.